Deep in the south is a small, rural community, surrounded by the Alabama River and steeped in history. The 700 or so residents of Gee’s Bend—now named Boykin—are mostly descendants of slaves; for generations, they worked the fields belonging to the local Pettway plantation. Since the early 1920s, the women have quilted hundreds of patchwork masterpieces, passing their expertise and patterns down through the years. Known worldwide as The Gee’s Bend Quilters, their renowned works have been featured in over 20 museums, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Philadelphia Museum of Art. And for the first time, these expressive tapestries are available for purchase online.
The Gee’s Bend Quilters and their quilts embody storytelling, resilience, and beauty. At Etsy, we’re big believers in connecting through creativity and in the undeniable magic of owning a piece of history. In partnership with Nest (a nonprofit focused on equity in the Makers Movement) and Souls Grown Deep (a foundation focused on elevating Black artists), we are proud to support these incredible artisans, showcasing their one-of-a-kind colorful creations.
The following story features the quiltmakers in their own words. Read on to meet a few of these talented makers—debuting their shops today in honor of Black History Month!—and discover their beautiful wares.
Mary Margaret Pettway
“At the end of the quilting process, you can rub your hand over it—you can feel the fabric come to life.”

The daughter of Lucy Pettway, Mary Margaret Pettway is a third generation Gee’s Bend Quilter; her children are the fourth. Growing up surrounded by all the talent and drive of the women in her mother’s quilting circle made a big impression on her. “[She] used to have a little clique.” Mary Margaret says. “It would be about five or six of them sitting around, just quilting and talking. They would finish either that day or early morning the day after.” These days, Mary Margaret loves to work by herself; “I’m what my mother used to call, ‘particular about my stitches.’” That precision is something you can see and feel in her finished products. “When you’re done, when you hang that quilt up or spread it out on a bed, it looks so pretty!” she says. “You just want to touch it.”
Sharon Williams
“I quilt because it makes me happy! My favorite thing is when people like them.”

Sharon Williams remembers the exact moment she started making. “I used to go and sit under the quilt with my momma (Rosalee Pettway), watching her,” Sharon says. “One day, when she had her back turned, I tried to go and sew that quilt myself—and she saw I could make a stitch or two! So, she put me on the quilt.” Partial to bold colors and a fan of freestyling, Sharon has perfected her quilting technique. “There are many different patterns, but I like doing my own thing, just coming up with an idea and going for it. It’s very relaxing for me. I get out there, turn my radio on, and I can sew up a storm!”
Caster Pettway
“When people look at my work, they know me, the person that I am.”

To spark inspiration, Caster Pettway goes on walks. “That’s like the best thing ever,” she says, “finding beauty in myself and all around me.” The daughter of Gee’s Bend quilter Indiana Bendolph, and the second youngest of 10 children, Caster quickly jumped into crafting and helping around the house. “Everything my momma did, I wanted to do,” she remembers, “so I learned to quilt. At six years old, I was cooking cornbread and pulling cotton in the field—the smallest one out there!” Today, Caster enjoys making time for herself and her favorite hobby, preferring to work with a Grandmother’s Dream pattern. Her favorite thing about making quilts? “Giving them away!”
Doris Mosely
“Quilting is my life right now, I love it!”

Born and raised in Boykin, Alabama, Doris Mosely learned to sew from her mother, Leola Pettway. Though she used to quilt for loved ones (”I love that it helps me provide—making for my family, my friends,” she says), sitting down to stitch has become a joyful pastime, one that Doris loves. “I find beauty in fabrics, colors, different patterns,” she says. “I make my patterns up, and when I have little bits of materials left, I just quilt them together and see how it comes out.”
Emma Mooney Pettway
“It’s the love of the quilt. Looking at the pretty material makes me want to do something exciting.”

For Emma Mooney Pettway, creativity is a part of her family’s heritage. Her mother, Tanzy Mooney, is a Gee’s Bend Quilter, as are her grandmothers, Mary Major and Lottie Mooney—the latter whose quilt was one of ten designs featured on a US postage stamp in 2006. “They taught me how to sew at a young age,” Emma remembers. “I found inspiration just sitting under the quilt, threading the needle.” So it’s no surprise that her penchant for patchwork comes naturally. “It just pops in my head when I piece up fabric,” she says. “I love matching all the colors together.”
Kristin Pettway
“I’m inspired to keep quilting to keep the legacy going.”

It’s safe to say that sewing has dramatically shaped Kristin Pettway—her great-grandmother is Delia Bennett, the matriarch of one of the largest families of quilters in Gee’s Bend. “All my life, I’ve been around quilts,” she says. “My grandmother was Georgianna Pettway—she was a quilter. Stella Pettway‘s my aunt and she’s also a quilter. My mom quilts a little bit, and now it’s down to me.” A true artist at heart, Kristin is drawn to unique forms of expression—when not quilting, she loves to play the piano! “I find beauty everywhere—I think songs are beautiful, I think flowers are gorgeous,” Kristin says. “I make quilts to express myself, to show this is how I’m feeling.”
Loretta Pettway Bennett
“My mother, her mother, and my aunts have sewn the foundation; all I have to do now is thread my own needle.”

Loretta Pettway Bennett was first introduced to quilting at age six; her mother, Qunnie Pettway, worked for the Freedom Quilting Bee. “At that age, we were only allowed to thread the needles for the quilters,” she recalls. “Since quilting was such a part of [our] lives, I believe the seed of creativity was planted into my genes.” After traveling and living in a multitude of places, including Germany, Loretta’s family has settled in North Alabama, and frequently visits Gee’s Bend. In 2001, she received a fellowship grant from the Alabama State Archive Council on the Arts. “With it, my mother was able to officially teach me the fine art of quilting,” Loretta says. The quilt they made currently hangs on display in the Alabama Department of Archives and History. “It’s very likely that moving around so much influenced my style, but I will let you be the judge of that!”
Doris Pettway Hacketts
“I want my quilts to show my personality!”

As the seventh of 13 children, Doris Pettway Hacketts has perfected balancing independence and community. “Growing up, I worked in the cotton fields and helped around the house,” she says, but then? “I left the cotton fields to go to college! I’ve always been determined.” Post-graduation, however, she returned to her roots, and her passion for quilting was quickly piqued. “It’s like therapy for me. You get such joy out of it because you use your hands to make it work.” For Doris, quilting is also an apt metaphor for finding your way. “Sometimes your life is going to be colorful, and sometimes, it’s going to be dark. It’s never the same. So when you’re piecing that quilt together, sometimes it doesn’t work. But you don’t throw it away. You just take it apart and put it back together.”
Lue Ida McCloud
“I make quilts for peace of mind, it gives me joy.“

Lue Ida McCloud comes from a big family of quilters. “My grandmother, Delia Bennett, and her sister, Menda Coleman, were quilters. My mother was a quilter, Ella Mae Irby. My sister was a quilter, Linda Diane Bennett. And my sister is Mary Margaret Pettway. All of us are quilters!” At 17, Lue Ida moved to Brooklyn, NY, and worked at JP Morgan for 10 years before returning to Gee’s Bend to help raise her sisters’ children. It was then that she really began to craft. “My grandmother and my mother taught me,” Lue Ida recalls. “My sister, Mary Margaret, too. I used to sit around and observe them.” Her favorite quilt to make is a symbol of all those generations of give and take. “The Robbing Peter to Pay Paul pattern: It’s when you take one color and add it to another color, and take another color and add it to the color before. It’s just Iike life.”
As part of this partnership, Etsy will make a $50,000 grant to Nest, supporting continued efforts to provide the quilters with the resources and education they need to open, maintain, and grow their Etsy shops. All transaction fees will also be covered by Etsy for a period of time.
To learn more about The Gee’s Bend Quilters and shop their one-of-a-kind works of art, please check out The Gee’s Bend Quilters page, and be on the lookout for the official Gee’s Bend Quilts badge. You can also visit their Instagram page.
Photographed by Stacy K. Allen. Additional photographs by Steve Pitkin, in partnership with Nest and Souls Grown Deep.
56 comments
Lesley Chandler from sunnyvilledesigns said 27 days ago
I loved this article. I love the use of patterns and colors. I loved what one of the ladies said. When she gets done you can feel the pattern come to life. I also grew up with a Grandmother who quilted. I got one of her quilts for my wedding. I was not smart enough to give it the care it deserved so it is quite worn out. But, it is a treasure. I say if you get one of these quilts-especially from your family-you treasure it and take good care of it. I applaud these ladies and their talent! Thanks for this beautiful story and pictures.
Shailesh Saigal said 27 days ago
Beautiful adorable Gees Bend Women (and sometimes men :-) To Black Women by Gwendolyn Brooks Sisters, where there is cold silence no hallelujahs, no hurrahs at all, no handshakes, no neon red or blue, no smiling faces prevail. Prevail across the editors of the world who are obsessed, self-honeying and self-crowned in the seduced arena. It has been a hard trudge, with fainting, bandaging and death. There have been startling confrontations. There have been tramplings. Tramplings of monarchs and of other men. But there remain large countries in your eyes. Shrewd sun. The civil balance. The listening secrets. And you create and train your flowers still.
Kendra Dyson from FromTheHearthStore said 26 days ago
I love the bold colors and patterns. The stories behind the quilts give them such life.
Jamiyah from KaydenceKollections said 26 days ago
This is beautiful and what a great way to kick off black history month. I am here for it. These pieces and stories are amazing. Its the colors for me. Its such a blessing to see these women being celebrated and acknowledged. These women are treasures themselves. Thx
Olga Gadach from EmbroideryByGadach said 26 days ago
This is a whole world of beauty and inspiration. You want to have such a dress. It is so cozy and bright. It keeps the warmth of the hands that sewed it and this is the most valuable thing !!!
Svyatlav from SvyatlavSHOP said 26 days ago
I love the bold colors
Fields Of Vintage from FieldsOfVintage said 26 days ago
I love this story! The quilts are wonderful and beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
Nicole from KarmaCodeOne said 26 days ago
Terrific feature, lovely quilts ~ Beautiful inside and out.
Tiana Kotskulich Precious Embroidery from TianaHandmade said 26 days ago
I loved these works so much, clear vibrant colors and interesting patterns! Thank you for showing these beautiful creations!
Sharon from YearsAfter said 25 days ago
Gorgeous Bold Quilts from Gees Bend! Each is more breathtaking then the next. Your creativeness is an inspiration!
Jeannie from OneYardBandit said 25 days ago
I'll have to check these out. I plan on using some of the fabrics in my shop to start making my own quilts, starting out small with baby quilts.
Shelly salyer said 25 days ago
Very nice!
Brotch Designs from BrotchDesigns said 25 days ago
These are so original!
Robin Bush said 24 days ago
Beautiful story and the quilts are gorgeous!
Anna from LissiKids said 24 days ago
original blankets! thanks for sharing
ciaffi from ciaffi said 24 days ago
Wonderful!!! Congratulations!!! :-) :-)
Musicornio Arte y Música from Musicornio said 24 days ago
We loved them! It´s so beautiful! They are so inspiring. Go, go, talents up... "Sometimes your life will be colorful and sometimes it will be dark.."
Snezana Golubova from PureHomeDesign said 24 days ago
Lovely quilts! Beautiful story. Awesome colors!
Gianna Kebarg from kebargart said 23 days ago
The patchwork quilts are awesome !!!!
RS Ißlàm said 23 days ago
This is a beautiful ring.. It is made your life comfortable and feel very good.
Eloisa Mendez said 23 days ago
Hermoso y original para las peticiones del público
Michael from BckyrdDesign said 23 days ago
I loved this article
Gillian Northcott from esanivintage said 23 days ago
I love the grey and white quilt. Very calming.
Judy DeHavilland from BellBottomBags said 23 days ago
I have been quilting for about 20 years now. I have been inspired by the bold designs and use of color ever since I learned about the Gee's Bend Quilters Cooperative. Thanks for keeping up this wonderful tradition! Judy of Bell Bottom Bags
Susanna Nousiainen Studio from StudioSNou said 23 days ago
Pictures has so bright beautiful light that goes well with the bright tones of the quilts, very beautiful!
Frost McBlizzard from HandmadeRockJewelry said 23 days ago
I'm inspired.Truly wowed.Your quilts are amazing!!
Yolo Yolooo said 23 days ago
wow
Elena from DarkBlueCatArt said 22 days ago
Oh, these blankets are so sunny! I love them!
Mary Bond said 21 days ago
Absolutely beautiful work ladies!
Natalia from PaintingsFromWool said 21 days ago
This is a whole family saga! It's wonderful when the secrets of mastery are inherited! The result is beautiful products. Perfectly matched color combinations.I admire this woman!
Zalooza from Zalooza said 21 days ago
Beautiful quilts, history and inspiration! : )
Tammy Stewart from EllasCottageCompany said 21 days ago
I love the art, the beauty and the stories from Gee’s Bend Quilters.
Leslie Heath from kanauh said 19 days ago
Wonderful!
Get Hired Now - Resume Writing from GetHiredNow said 19 days ago
A lot of beauty and inspiration here. My grandma and nan used to quilt, brings back memories
Rexanna Wright said 19 days ago
I have always loved quilts & these are so beautiful! I teach 4th graders & we are starting our study of The Underground Railroad & the messages hidden in quilt patterns. I am so excited to see these artists thrive & continue such a special gift handed down from generation to generation! Thank you for keeping this art alive & thriving!💗
Joanna from EnsoYugenArtistry said 19 days ago
It is truly inspiring and empowering to see the amazing works of art by such talented women. It is also heartwarming to read their individual stories.
Posh Park from PoshPark said 19 days ago
These are simply beautiful!
Yana from KristallSilverStudio said 19 days ago
inspiring!
Jacqueline from rugsdallas said 19 days ago
I love all this
KsushaS from PatternAmigurumiKsu said 19 days ago
Thanks for sharing these stories. Their words are very close to me as a creative person. There is a lot of love and warmth in the blankets. Good luck with their store
Savannah from DesignsBySavShop said 18 days ago
This is probably one of my favorite features to date -- So beautiful and full of so much heritage and culture. I love this!
Sherre Perdue from bysherrep said 12 days ago
I found out about Gees Bend Quiltmakers through Ulla Johnson's Spring 19 collection. They were one of her inspirations. I've felt connected since. Im so glad they are on here now. Black people are so talented and being from Alabama it makes me so proud of anything that comes from us. I hope they know they are talented, strong, and positive women who inspire me to keep going on my journey and being proud of where Im from and always standing up for myself. Hope to buy a quilt one day.
Young Wun from Morningtonoon said 10 days ago
Wow! I have a friend whose mom does beautiful quilts and blankets but she's shy to put them up. I'm sending this article pronto!
Jean Pirnik said 10 days ago
So happy that Esty gave them this resource to be successful.
Ronda said 10 days ago
Love their story...will definitely be buying one...
Alexandra Keblish said 9 days ago
Such amazing, strong women who have not only created treasures, but are treasures themselves!!! Thank you! The stories they share are a legacy to our nation and a joy to learn about. These women managed to stand the test of time and their quilts will too!
Dennis said 7 days ago
Beautiful. It would be interesting if some of the message quilts could be recreated. I would love to have a couple hanging in my home.
Jean Scheidemantel said 7 days ago
Beautiful work ladies! I am envious and respectful of your talent and patience.
Andrea from Pachywear said 6 days ago
As a quilter I am elated to see this tradition being carried on, quilting is an art and these women are the best. Hope to visit some day.
Angela-marta said 4 days ago
Soo Beautiful!!!
Glenna said 4 days ago
As lovely as these quilts are, they nothing in comparison to the pictures of the ladies who made them. Please go back and look at each of them again. The pride and joy shines in each and every face. The ladies and gentlemen associated with your group are artists, memory keepers, and story tellers. 🪡🧵 well done indeed.
Mycel from BemyneEnterprise said 2 days ago
I love the colors! Beautiful story!
Sue Howell from VintageUnderTheSun said 2 days ago
I gifted some of my Mom's vintage fabric to the ladies in October 2004, when they were in Norfolk,VA introducing their traveling exhibit @ The Chrysler Museum. It was an honor to share a part of my Mom's fabric collection with these talented salt of the earth gifted artists.
Svetlana from ToysMagicStore said 2 days ago
Very nice blankets!
Elena from TeddyStoreStudio said 2 days ago
Delicious blankets! Thank you for the article.
Irina M from TheWorkOfIrina said 2 days ago
Очень красивые одеяла!!!