Jessie T. Pettway facts for kids
Jessie T. Pettway (1929–2023) was an amazing American artist. She was famous for her beautiful quilts. Jessie was part of a special group of quilters from a place called Gee's Bend.
In 2006, one of her quilts was even put on a US Postal service stamp! It was called Bars and string-pieced columns. This stamp was part of a series honoring the Gee's Bend quilters. Her art can also be seen in big museums. These include the Art Institute of Chicago and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Jessie's Life Story
Jessie T. Pettway had many names! When she was born, her family called her J.T. Most people knew her by her nickname, "Bootnie." But she always liked to call herself "Jessie." She chose this name because it was her favorite school teacher's name.
Jessie T. Pettway was born in Primrose, Alabama. She grew up with her mother, Channie Pettway. Her mother passed away when Jessie was young. After that, Jessie and her brothers and sisters lived with their aunt and uncle. Their names were Seebell and Alp Kennedy.
Growing Up on the Farm
Life on the farm was busy for Jessie and her siblings. Their days were long. They had many chores to do before and after school. The farm grew lots of crops. These included cotton, corn, peas, peanuts, and sweet potatoes. They also grew many vegetables for their own family to eat. This is called subsistence farming. They also raised animals like goats and hogs.
Jessie went to school until the eleventh grade. Later, she married Monroe Pettway. Together, they raised a big family. They had seven girls and two boys. Jessie T. Pettway lived a long life. She passed away in 2023 when she was 94 years old.
How Jessie Made Art
After all the farm chores were done, Jessie's aunt Seebell would teach the girls to sew. They learned how to piece together fabric to make quilts. Jessie's very first quilt was an "Eight Pointed Star" pattern. She started making her own patterns by herself when she was just twelve years old.
Her Unique Quilting Style
Jessie always used old cloth and materials. People in her community would give her fabric. Her family in Mobile, Alabama also sent her materials. Jessie remembered, "My aunt had a old book of patterns that she sometime used, but I didn't like no book patterns." She explained, "I couldn't buy pretty materials, so I couldn't make pretty patterns."
Because she used whatever fabric she could find, Jessie liked the "Bricklayer" pattern best. She said, "you could make it into something pretty with any old kind of cloth." This shows how creative she was with the materials she had!
