A Few Highlights from We Love Gee's Bend Day!

Claudia Pettway Charley, Irene Latham,
China Pettway, Mary Allison Haynie,
Mary Ann Pettway & Lillis Taylor
(now that's a quilt-loving bunch!)

As I continue my catch-up posts, it seems particularly appropriate that I should be blogging about a Gee's Bend event on the very same day when I am driving down to Camden, where I will give presentations to students in both Camden and Gee's Bend! It's a beautiful time of year to visit Wilcox County, and I am so grateful to Sulynn Creswell at Black Belt Treasures for arranging my visit. More on this soon!

For now I just have to tell you: We Love Gee's Bend Day! was a-mazing. What a great launch for the new paperback edition of Leaving Gee's Bend. Here is a video of China Pettway and Mary Ann Pettway singing "Steal Away":




I was so touched by the things people shared about how their lives have been affected by the quilts and the quilters. What a warm, generous community! Here's a very special young reader sharing her thoughts and favorite passage:





And here is a link to Ann Griffin reading her favorite passage. (I had to link, or else Blogger might explode from all the video!)

Finally, here is a photo collage of a few of the speakers. I'm so grateful!

Claudia Pettway Charley and I decided we'd like to team up to do some presentations, so if your group is interested in hearing from and author AND a former Gee's Bend resident/quilter, we would love to share our stories with you! Contact irene (at) irenelatham (dot) com.

Bonus photo: Here's me with China and Mary Ann, way back at the 2010 launch party for Leaving Gee's Bend! (It was January. Brrr.)

Mary Ann Pettway, Irene Latham, China Pettway