Twelve Quilts of Christmas – #7

 

This Pine Burr quilt was made by Lucy Marie Mingo.  The eminent quilt historian Cuesta Benberry said in an interview in 2007, “The design is savored especially by Southern African Americans, but it is not solely an African-American design. It does date to the 19^th century.  At that time, it was made by both with and black Americans, but it seems to have become an African-American design of choice – especially Southern, rural black make that quilt to display their expertise.” 

 

The elaborate piecing technique, is composed of small triangles that are folded and sewn to a backing in a circle to form a low relief of scales, resembling a pine cone.  In Gee’s Bend: The Women and Their Quilts they write: “This pattern for which the Bend has become fairly well know, may be the least typical quilt there.  … In 1997, the Alabama legislature named the “Pine Burr” the official state quilt.”  

 

Lucy Mingo was indeed a talented quilter who displayed a great attention to detail.  Lucy was known to say, “if you don’t do something right, ain’t worth doing it”.  Her husband’s aunt, China Grove Myles taught her the pattern as China as the only one left in Gee’s Bend who could sew the Pine Burr.  Depending on the size of the finished quilt, because so much fabric is used in the folded design of each piece, a finished quilt can weigh up to 25 lbs!

 

Lucy’s colour combinations deeply intrigue me.  I could simply study it for hours!