About Claudia: “When I was a small child, I would play underneath my grandmother’s quilting frame that covered most of the living room,” explained Claudia. Her grandmother, Malissa Pettway, her mother Tinnie, and Aunt Minnie are accomplished quilters from Gee’s Bend, Alabama. Although Claudia says she had no special training, she is the fourth generation of Gee’s Bend Quilters. Claudia’s artistic ideas follow the Gee’s Bend style that comes from the heart, but when “energized” she uses brighter colors. She works early in the morning with all types of fabric all around her—including cotton, denim, and linen. Claudia can create the small pieces in one day; however, wall art and larger pieces take two to three weeks to complete. Claudia attributes her artistic style to the Black Belt region of Alabama. She says the freedom of feeling and expression with “no rules or judgements, just you and your material,” is an essential part of her process. Claudia is the CEO of That’s Sew Gee’s Bend and has taught privately with Alabama Folklife, Hobby Lobby, and other small groups. That’s Sew Gee’s Bend’s work is available at Kentuck Art Center’s Gallery Shop, Alabama Goods in Homewood, The Birmingham Museum of Art, and Goat Hill Art Museum in Montgomery.

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About Andrea: Andrea Pettway Williams has exhibited her work in the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Andrea is the daughter of Lorraine Pettway; she and Claudia are cousins.