Lucy T. Pettway (1921–2004), Blazing Star (quiltmaker's name) with "Pinwheel" corner blocks, 1968
Polyester, double knit, nylon knit, 72 x 68 in.; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Museum purchase and gift of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation
"Star" quilts were never for every quiltmaker in Gee's Bend. The "Star" may enjoy the widest popularity of any quilt pattern in America, but the interconnected diamonds of the star motif make the quilt vulnerable to puckering and pulling unless pieced by a good seamstress. "Stars" also require lots of thread and good scissors, both of which were luxuries during earlier periods of hardship in the Bend. Quiltmakers who did make "Stars" made many. Once the techniques had been mastered, the choices became almost infinite. In her Blazing Star, Lucy uses a recycled grab bag of fabrics inside the star itself, but confidently surrounds it with a purple-and-green color combination and thrusting "Pinwheel" corners.
These images show the entirety of the quilts, including their handmade edges, against a white background.
