Rug Follow-Up

Several of you commented on the rug (above) shown in my last post, and since it is one of my favorite items in our home I wanted to share more info about it.

The rug's design is based on one of the original Gee's Bend quilts by Missouri Pettway, called Blocks and Strips. I found an image (shown directly above) of the original quilt, as well as an incredible description of the piece and the story behind its design on the fabulous online catalogue of Gee's Bend Quilts.

Missouri Pettway, 1902-1981. Blocks and strips work-clothes quilt, 1942, cotton, corduroy, cotton sacking material, 90 x 69 inches. Missouri's daughter Arlonzia describes the quilt: "It was when Daddy died. I was about seventeen, eighteen. He stayed sick about eight months and passed on. Mama say, 'I going to take his work clothes, shape them into a quilt to remember him, and cover up under it for love.' She take his old pants legs and shirttails, take all the clothes he had, just enough to make that quilt, and I helped her tore them up. Bottom of the pants is narrow, top is wide, and she had me to cutting the top part out and to shape them up in even strips."

I have long been a fan of the inspired quilts of Gee's Bend (the Whitney Museum's 2002 exhibit of the quilts remains one of my favorite art shows I've seen anytime, anywhere) so I was thrilled a couple of years ago when I read about the licensed rug reproductions of the quilts being done by Classic Rug. We were in the process of moving and I needed a rug for the smaller bedroom, so I ran over to the store's 60th Street showroom to snag one.

It is a wonderful piece with so much vitality in the idiosyncratic, asymmetrical design. And of course the back story of the origins of the quilt that inspired the rug's design is fabulous. FYI, I just checked out the Classic Rug website, and pieces from the Gee's Bend collection are in their "clearance room" for 75% off now! I might have to snap up a different one...