Gees Bend Quilts and gourds

Back from traveling again. Nothing as exciting as Mali, but still some fun times.

Some mudcloth and seagrass twining teaching in Florida where the sun and breezes were lovely. Took some time while I was there to visit with a couple basket friends.

I also had the opportunity to see the Gees Bend Quilts exhibited at the Orlando Museum of Art. They have such a sense of down-home, honest, no nonsense-ness about them. I much preferred the earlier quilts to the more recently created ones. The recent ones, although quite attractive, did not have the same matter-of-fact necessity or individualism about them that the early quilts exude. Watching the video presentation on the women quilters was special, too. Quite a lovely exhibit, all told.

Flew home in time to jump in the car and head north to visit with another basket friend and her new grandson in Detroit. Then a leisurely spin through southern Michigan on my way to an overnight in Goshen, IN. A quick stop in Wabash to check out the awesome studio of yet another basket friend and then to the gourd festival in Kokomo.

What a hoot of a show! And people! I was amazed at the variety of gourd shapes and sizes and what people are doing with/to them. Came home with some little egg-shaped gourds that I’m thinking will need some decorations on soon so they can make their way to the boys before Easter.

That, and about 10 other things that need to be done in the next couple days. None of which can be done easily outside while enjoying this wonderfully warm spring weather we are having. Sigh…….

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