It’s time again for the Airing of the Quilts Exhibition in Gee’s Bend.

“Airing of the Quilts was a tradition of the women in Gee’s Bend,” event organizer M. Virginia Pettway said. “They hung their quilts out on clotheslines once a year to air out, which was an unspoken way to show off their quilts to friends and neighbors. It also presented an opportunity to display their artistic and creative talents and be judged by a jury of their peers.”

Today, the annual event gives people a chance to take a closer look at the quilts and quilters that have put Gee’s Bend on the map.

This year’s Airing of the Quilts, which is being organized by Pettway and other members of Gee’s Bend Raised, will be held Saturday, Sept. 13 at the homestead of the late Sweet T. and Rev. Gilbert Pettway, which is located on Martha Jane Road in Boykin. The event will be held from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

M. Virginia said the Sweet T. and Rev. Gilbert Pettway are more than deserving of the attention.

“They were both pillars in this tight-knit community, but Sweet T. also made her mark in the quilting community,” Pettway said. “She quilted in a quilt group with neighbors and friends throughout her life.”

While most modern quilters follow a pattern and try to minimize mistakes, in an earlier interview, Pettway said the Gee’s Bend quilters have always tended to follow their own vision while crafting the quilts.

“It’s not about perfection. Gee’s Bend quilting is kind of abstract,” Pettway said. “It’s more of an individual’s mindset and what they want to make. Gee’s Bend quilting really embraces what others would call the imperfections.”

For more information, M. Virginia can be reached at airingofthequilts@aol.com.