Gee's Bend

For my mom's birthday in August, we gave her a little overnight trip. So last night, my mom, Finn, and I drove to Selma, Alabama, stayed there overnight, got up this morning, and headed to a place called Gee's Bend in Boykin, Alabama.

Gee's Bend is a community in (very) rural Alabama where women quilt in a very distinct way. Here's an example:

And this one is my mama's favorite:

Aren't they cool? So graphic and different. I love them.

You can listen to or read a feature on Gee's Bend on NPR.com here.

We drove to what really felt like the middle of nowhere. It was kind of awesome and intriguing but also disarming/freaky to me. There weren't houses or stores or anything for stretches of about 15-20 miles. Then there would be a cluster of houses or mobile homes, and then nothing for miles. It was beautiful countryside though with poplars (I think) and spanish moss.

We didn't know what to expect when we got there, but we finally found the Gee's Bend Quilter's Collective -- a little white building that must've been a church initially. And the door was locked. No sign of anybody.

Guess word of a visitor floated through the town quickly though, because shortly after we got there, a lady drove up and let us in. She was a black woman, probably in her 80s, who took an immediate likin' to Finn. She was so fun to talk to -- so friendly -- and if the sole reason we went was to meet her, it was worth it.

We bought small wall hangings and potholders that the quilters had made (which was about all we could afford -- their quilts are art. And justifiably pricey.)

Here's a photo of Finn outside the Quilter's Collective. Preview of the Nine Month Onesie!

We had an interesting day, and I'm so glad we got to spend it with "Nana."