Quilts of Gee's Bend Catalog

Used with the permission of Tinwood Media


Loretta Pettway, born 1942. "Lazy Gal" -- "Bars," ca. 1965, denim and cotton, 80 x 69 inches. q002-04.jpg

Loretta Pettway, born 1942. "Housetop," 1963, cotton twill and synthetic material (men's clothing), 80 x 74 inches. In the early 1960s, Loretta Pettway fashioned three quilts from the same batch of men's clothing scraps. q002-07.jpg

Loretta Pettway, born 1942. String-pieced quilt 1963, cotton twill and synthetic material (men's clothing), 80 x 74 inches. In the early 1960s, Loretta Pettway fashioned three quilts from the same batch of men's clothing scraps. q002-08.jpg

Loretta Pettway, born 1942. "Logcabin" -- single-block "Courthouse Steps" variation (local name: "Bricklayer"), ca. 1970, denim, 84 x 66 inches.q002-10.jpg

Loretta Pettway, born 1942. Medallion, ca. 1960, synthetic knit and cotton sacking material, 87 x 70 inches. q002-18.jpg

Loretta Pettway, born 1942. Four-block strips, ca. 1960, cotton twill and synthetic matierial (men's clothing), 78 x 73 inches. Second quilt that is made from the same materials, see housetop. q002-19.jpg

Arlonzia Pettway, born 1923. "Lazy Gal" or "Bars," ca 1975, corduroy, 89 x 81 inches. q004-06.jpg

Patty Ann Williams, 1898-1972. Single-block "Monkey Wrench" variation, ca. 1955, cotton, 81 x 81 inches. q007-01.jpg

Essie Bendolph Pettway, born 1956. "Roman Stripes" variation, 1997, rayon and cotton, 90 x 80 inches. q008-02.jpg

Essie Bendolph Pettway, born 1956, multiple columns of blocks and bars, 1980, corduroy, 93 x 75 inches. q008-04.jpg

Essie Bendolph Pettway, born 1956, "pinwheel" variation, 2000, cotton and cotton/polyester blends. 85 x 88 inches. Several of the fabrics are remnants from dresses Essie made for herself and her mother Mary Lee Bendolph. q008-07.jpg

Martha Jane Pettway, born 1898. "Housetop"--nine-block "Half-Logcabin" variation, ca. 1945, corduroy, 72 x 72 inches. q011-01.jpg

Willie "Ma Willie" Abrams, 1897-1987. "Roman Stripes" variation. Ca. 1975, corduroy, 94 x 76 inches. q017-02.jpg

Nettie Young, born 1917. "H"variation (quiltmaker's name: "Milky Way"), 1971, cotton, 88 x 77 inches. q021-06.jpg

Annie Mae Young, born 1928. "Bars," ca. 1965. Corduroy, denim, polyester knit, assorted synthetics, 81 x 79. q026-03.jpg

Annie Mae Young, born 1928. Blocks and strips, ca. 1970, cotton, polyester, synthetic blends, 83 x 80 inches. q026-09.jpg

Annie Mae Young, born 1928. Work-clothes quilt with cneter medallion of corduroy strips, 1976. Denim, corduroy, synthetic blend, 108 x 77 inches q026-10.jpg

Annie Mae Young, born 1928. Strips, corduroy, ca. 1975, 95 x 105 inches q026-14.jpg

Leola Pettway, born 1929. "Log Cabin" -- "Courthouse Steps" variation (local name: "Bricklayer"), ca. 1975, corduroy, 85 x 70 inches. Leola Pettway is China Pettway's mother. q028-02ab.JPG

Mary Lee Bendolph, born 1935. "Housetop" variation, 1998; quilted by her daughter, Essie bendolph Pettway, in 2001, cotton, corduroy, twill, assorted polyesters, 72 x 76 inches. In the early 1990s, a former Bend resident living in Bridgeport, Connecticut, sent some garments -- double-knit leisure suits -- to Gee's Bend. Mary Lee Bendolph remembers: "My sister-in-law's daughter sent those clothes down here and told me to give them away, but didn't nobody want them. That knit stuff, clothes from way back yonder, don't nobody wear no more, and the pants was all bell- bottom. We ain't that out-of-style down here. I was going to take them to the Salvation Army but didn't have no way to get there, so I just made quilts out of them." q030-06.jpg

Linda Pettway, born 1929. "Logcabin" -- single-block variation, tied with yarn, ca. 1975, corduroy, 88 x 78 inches. q032-03b.JPG

Linda Pettway, born 1929, "Housetop" -- eight-block variation, ca. 1975, corduroy, 86 x 71 inches. q032-08.jpg

Quinnie Pettway, born 1943. "Housetop," ca. 1975, corduroy, 82 x 74 inches. q033-04a.jpg

Ella Mae Irby, 1923-2001. "Texas Star," 1973, cotton, corduroy, cotton blend, 88 x 85 inches. Irby was the daughter of noteworthy quiltmaker Delia Bennett (who also made "Star" quilts). q037-02.jpg

Ella Mae Irby, 1923-2001. "Housetop"-twelve-blcok varation. 1962, cotton, 88 x 75 inches q037-05b.JPG

Lillie Mae Pettway, 1927-1990. "Housetop"--twelve-block "Half-Logcabin" variation, ca. 1965, cotton, wool corduroy, 77 x 65 inches. q040-02.jpg

Gearldine Westbrook, born 1919. Center medallion -- "Bars," ca. 1960, cotton, wool, printed terry cloth, 79 x 70 inches. q042-10b.JPG

Annie E. Petttway, 1904-1971. "Flying Geese" variation, ca. 1935, cotton and wool, 86 x 71 inches. q043-03b.JPG

Lucy T. Pettway born 1911 "Snowball" (Quiltmaker's name) Circa 1950 Cotton, corduroy, cotton sacking material 83x85 inches

Lucy T. Pettway, born 1921. "Housetop" -- single-block "Half-Logcabin" variation (quiltmaker's name: "Plow Point"), ca. 1945, cotton, 84 x 69 inches. q048-07b.JPG

Lucy T. Pettway, born 1921. "Birds in the Air" (quiltmaker's name), 1981, cotton, cotton/polyester blend, 79 x 79 inches. Wiebke q048-21b.JPG

Lorraine Pettway, born 1953. Medallion work-clothes quilt, 1974, denim and cotton/polyester blend, 84 x 68 inches. q049-01b.JPG

Florine Smith, born 1948, four-block strips, ca. 1975, corduroy, 68 x 81 inches. q050-04b.JPG

Louella Pettway, born 1921. "Logcabin" -- four-block variation, ca. 1975, corduroy, 79 x 71 inches. Louella Pettway is Linda Pettway's aunt. q052-04b.JPG

Missouri Pettway, 1902-1981. Blocks and strips work-clothes quilt, 1942, cotton, corduroy, cotton sacking material, 90 x 69 inches. Missouri's daughter Arlonzia describes the quilt: "It was when Daddy died. I was about seventeen, eighteen. He stayed sick about eight months and passed on. Mama say, 'I going to take his work clothes, shape them into a quilt to remember him, and cover up under it for love.' She take his old pants legs and shirttails, take all the clothes he had, just enough to make that quilt, ahd I helped her tore them up. Bottom of the pants is narrow, top is wide, and she had me to cutting the top part out and to shape them up in even strips." q057-02b.JPG

Missouri Pettway, 1902-1981. "Path through the Woods" (quiltmaker's name), 1971, polyester knit, 73 x 69 inches. q057-03b.JPG

China Pettway, born 1952, blocks, corduroy and cotton hopsacking, ca. 1975, 83 x 70 inches q058-02ab.JPG

Deborah Pettway Young, 1916-1997. One side of two-sided quilt: "Roman Stripes" variation, ca 1960, cotton twill, print, jersey knit, denim, polyester, 83 x 64 inches. q076-01ab.JPG

Pearlie Kennedy Pettway, 1920-1982. Triangles creating squares-within squares motif, ca. 1960, cotton sacking material, 76 x 76 inches. q078-02b.JPG

Pearlie Kennedy Pettway, 1920-1982. "Bars" work-clothes quilt, ca. 1950, denim and cotton, 84 x 81 inches. q078-04b.JPG

Mary Elizabeth Kennedy, 1911-1991. "Housetop"-- "Logcabin" variation, ca. 1935, cotton, rayon, 84 x 79 inches. q079-01b.JPG

Jessie T. Pettway, born 1929. Bars and string-pieced columns, ca. 1950, cotton, 95 x 76 inches q080-05b.JPG

Polly Bennett, born 1922. Two-sided quilt: Blocks, 1942, cotton (dress and pants fabric, curtain material, mattress ticking), 81 x 83 inches. q084-09ab.JPG

Polly Bennett, born 1922. Blocks, 1942, cotton (dress and pants fabric, curtain material, mattress tickng), 81 x 83 inches. q084-09bb.JPG

Arcola Pettway, 1934-1994. "Lazy Gal" variation, 1976, corduroy, 81 x 89 inches. This variation on a "Lazy Gal," composed like an American flag, is one of the most remarkable quilts created during the Bicentennial.q088-01b.JPG

Gloria Hoppins, born 1955, "housetop"-center medallion, corduroy, ca. 1975. 91 x 88 inches. Gloria Hoppins is Linda Pettway's daughter.q093-01b.JPG

Plummer Pettway 1918-1993 "Roman Stripes, variation (local name: "Crazy" Quilt) cotton twill, denim, cotton/ polyester blend, synthetic knit (pants matieral), 86 x 70 inches. q10-02b.JPG

Annie Bendolph, 1900-1981. "Thousand Pyramids" variation, ca. 1930, cotton sacking and chambray, 83 x 70 inches. q103-04b.JPG

Annie Bendolph, 1900-1981, "One Patch," ca. 1960, cotton, 78 x 70 inches q103-10b.JPG

Mary L. Bennett, born 1942. "Housetop" variation, ca. 1965, cotton and cotton/polyester blend, 77 x 82 inches. q107-04b.JPG

Rachel Carey George, born 1908. "Housetop"--sixteen-block "Half-Logcabin" variation sashed with feed sacks. ca. 1935, cotton sacking material and dress fabric, 86 x 86 inches. q111-07b.JPG

Lucy Mooney, ca. 1880-1969. Blocks and strips work-clothes quilt, ca 1935, cotton, denim, wool, 87 x 68 inches. q112-01b.JPG

Amelia Bennett, born 1914. Blocks and strips, 1950s, cotton twill, printed and solid corduroy, synthetic knit crepe, 80 x 74 inches q119-08b.JPG

Sally Bennett Jones, 1944-1988. Center medallion of triangles, surrounded by multiple borders, 1966, cotton, 86 x 77 inches. q121-02b.JPG

Helen McCloud, born 1938, blocks and strips tied with yarn in a grid pattern. Ca. 1965, cotton, nylon knit, polyester knit, 77 x 82 inches. This is one side of a two-sided quilt. q127-07ab.JPG

Lottie Mooney, 1908-1992. "Housetop" -- fourblock "Half- Logcabin" variation, ca. 1940, cotton, rayon, 88 x 73 inches.q128-03b.JPG

Flora Moore, born 1951. "Logcabin" variation, ca. 1975, corduroy, 83 x 92 inches.q133-02b.JPG

Sue Willie Seltzer, born 1922. "Housetop" -- nine-block "Half-Logcabin" variation, ca 1955, cotton and sythetic blends, 80 x 76 inches.
q140-03b.JPG

Irene Williams born 1920 "Housetop" q145-02b.JPG

Emma Mae Hall Pettway, born 1932. One side of two-sided quilt: strips, ca. 1975, corduroy, 76 x 92 inches.q149-02abb.JPG

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