Designs Influenced by Gee's Bend Housetop Quilts

Any quilter who has seen the Gee's Bend exhibits and books can't help but be inspired. There is such freshness and spontaneity in the designs. Several are as good as any Rothko or Mondrian. I've spent hours looking through the three books that accompanied the exhibits. This is just the type of quilting I love to do. I like to start with a general plan, then cut out fabrics directly and see what happens. The four quilts here were inspired by the Gee's Bend quilts. The first two quilts pictured were inspired by Arlonzia Pettway's "Housetop" Nine Block Variation done in 1982 (see page 143 of Gee's Bend: The Women and Their Quilts, Tinwood Books and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 2002). The third, the "S", is a adaptation of Sue Willie Seltzer's "Housetop - Nine-Block Half-Log Cabin variation" done in 1922 (see page 133 of the same book). The fourth, red watermelon and hearts, was assembled by Pat in Alaska.  It's based on Lucy P. Pettway's "Housetop - Nine-Block Half-Log Cabin variation" done in the 1950's (see page 357). Four more quilts completed for Guatemala!