The quilting tradition in Gee's Bend may go back as far as the early 1800s, when the community was the site of a cotton plantation owned by Joseph Gee. Influenced, perhaps, by the patterned textiles of Africa, the enslaved women began piecing strips of cloth together to make bedcovers. Throughout the post-bellum years of tenant farming and well into the 20th century, Gee’s Bend women made quilts to keep themselves and their children warm in unheated shacks that lacked running water, telephones and electricity. Along the way they developed a distinctive style, noted for its lively improvisations and geometric simplicity. (Smithsonian Magazine) 

Our guest speaker is Tangular Irby, the granddaughter of Gee’s Bend quilters, Pearlie Kennedy Pettway and Jensie Lee Irby. She grew up admiring the beauty of the quilts gifted to her by family. Quilting became a way to honor the legacy of her maternal and paternal grandmothers, Gee’s Bend quilters, who passed on long before their creations were recognized as more than just a means to keep their families warm. She will also read from her children's book Pearl and her Gee's Bend Quilt.

Tangular Irby is an author, educator and quilter. She holds a BS in Business Administration, a Masters in the Art of Teaching and a 6th Year in Educational Leadership. Her love of children’s books developed during her time as a second grade teacher. 

Her children's books will be available for sale:  Pearl and Her Gee's Bend Quilt and Charles and His Gee's Bend Quilt.

This event is for all ages and registration is suggested but not required.  

This event is co-sponsored by Waterford RISE (Residents for Inclusion and Social Equity).