Tacoma Art Museum Docents Blog TAM Docents Blog: TAM: quilt questions and answers

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions from the first few weeks of Gee's Bend.

Were some of the Gee's Bend quilts used as quilts?

All of the Gee's Bend quilts were made with the intent that they would be used. However, some of the quilts made after 2003, have not actually been used.

Most were used as quilts on beds, especially the older ones.

Were they all hand-quilted?

Yes, all of the Gee's Bend quilts have been hand-quilted. The "quilting" refers to the stitching that holds the layers of fabric and insulation together.

Some of the Gee's Bend quilts have been machine-pieced – this refers to the process of sewing the pieces of fabric together to create to quilt-top.

What’s on the back?
Most of the quilts are fairly plain on the back. The back-side fabrics range from old feed sacks to bedsheets.

The only quilts in our exhibition that are double-sided are hung from the ceiling so that both sides can be viewed.

Thanks for your time!

Heide Fernandez-Llamazares

Museum Educator and Docent Coordinator

hllamazares@TacomaArtMuseum.org

TACOMA ART MUSEUM

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