This is a blatant rip off of the Gees Bend quilters, an isolated community of poor African-American women in rural Alabama whose work has recently been discovered by the glitterati! Sad, sad, sad. Have you no shame?

http://www.quiltsofgeesbend.com/quiltmakers/index.shtml

More on the Gees Bend quilts
http://www.amazon.com/Quilts-Gees-Bend-Masterpieces-Place/dp/0965376648/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237252807&sr=8-1

Yeah...I was thinking Gees Bend too...but not nearly as nice.

I don't see that it is a bit shameful. Many of the Gees Bend quilts are artistic masterpieces, and Dainty Time's quilts are likely influenced by them, but there is no artist or craftsman that creates in a vacuum.

When someone hand-dyes and hand pieces their quilts, I assume they have enough textile knowledge to know who the gees bend quilters are. I agree with mrs yow, it's likely they were influenced, as clearly the gees bend quilts & story is really fascinating.

As for modern quilts, there really is a lot more than you think. Look into "contemporary quilts" on google, or amazon will turn up zillions of great books (many I've glanced through).

Denise Schmidt - gorgeous modern quilts...dang expensive. Some of the quilts are made by real live Amish ladies. http://www.dsquilts.com/

I don't understand why this so "remotely fresh". It's stripes. And block those metaphors--how do you wade through mountains?

Amen, quiltmaster.

To say that these are a rip-off of the Gee's Bend quilts is a bit over-dramatic, no? Many people at many times have made quilts that were geometric, free-form, and brightly colored - it's not really an uncommon style. The Gee's Bend Women were hardly the first (although they are probably the most famous), and Dainty Time surely won't be the last.

I think Gee's Bend quilts are distinctive enough to say that these are not rip offs. I wouldn't consider these particularly modern either.

quiltmaster, I agree that these are knock-offs, but my understanding is that original Gees Bend quilts now cost tens of thousands of dollars (and rightfully so).

I highly recommend you flip through:

http://www.saqa.com/

Especially look for one by Terry Kramzar titled Field of Greens (a significant example of color study). The definition of color study is up to the artist, and I've done a few myself, but Kramzar's Field of Greens I find particularly inspiring so thought it might be worth sharing.

My comment is a little late but I just discovered this blog posting about my work. I appreciate the recognition and I want to comment on some of the knock-off remarks.

I began making improvisational quilts in 1990, over 20 years ago, long before the Gees bend quilts were the rage. I was inspired by African-American improvised quilts that were first exhibited across the country in the late 80's, and by others such as Nancy Crow.

There's no knock-off going on. The quilting tradition has always embraced a tradition of openness and sharing of patterns, design, techniques and inspiration. Everyone improvises differently but no one person or community has an exclusive right to the process.

Some of the comments here are obviously made out of an ignorance of the rich and extensive history of quilt making.

Sherri Lynn Wood, http://www.passagequilts.com

daintytime - very well said.

i think it's such a shame that people can't see the hard work and artistry that goes into making items like these. the quilts from gee's bend are truly beautiful, but to say that every improvised modern quilt is a "rip off" of them is incredibly narrow minded.