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Credit:
Stephen Pitkin of Pitkin Studio / Courtesy of Souls Grown Deep Foundation
Dating back to the early 20th century, quilters from Gee's Bend in Boykin, Alabama, have passed down their skills and love of quilting using ancient fabrics and materials from generations prior. With just 700 inhabitants in the isolated African-American hamlet of Gee's Bend, Alabama, located along the Alabama River, generations of quilters who descended from slaves have used quilting as a way to document their cultural history and share their love of this time-honored craft.
For the first time ever, quilters from Gee's Bend have launched their own Etsy shops and will start selling their quilts today, February 1. Although these quilters have received widespread acclaim in the art and quilting communities, they have never had the platform to sell their quilts to the public. The quilters have partnered with Nest, Etsy, and Souls Grown Deep to develop direct-to-consumer platforms to sell their work.