About Effie Rhodes Bell

Few domestic crafts are valued so much as quilts, and few traditional art forms have held their own so well against the ravages of time, technology, and changing fashion. Though these forces have made their mark, quilt-making remains a popular and beloved pursuit among women of almost every race and class in America.

The tradition flourishes in North Carolina, a fact that has been well established by the North Carolina Quilt Project. Led by quilt enthusiasts Ruth Roberson and Erma Kirkpatrick, a team of folklorists and photographers documented more than 10,000 quilts in the state. Their work resulted in a major exhibition of quilts at the North Carolina Museum of History and a beautiful book, North Carolina Quilts, which was published by UNC Press in 1989.

Sisters Effie Rhodes Bell and Hazel Rhodes Reece are two among hundreds of wonderful North Carolina quilters. They are from "down east" in Pender County and are sixth-generation craftswomen. As for many farm women who lived through the Depression, quilt-making was a necessity, "part of every woman's life." Ruth Roberson notes that "farm houses of eastern north Carolina were neither well insulated nor well heated, and ready-made blankets were a luxury few families could afford. Scraps from sewing were saved to piece tops for quilts, and they used what they could find around the farm," including printed flour and feed sacks, sometimes even the small cloth bags that contained "Bull Durham" smoking tobacco.

The sisters learned to quilt as youngsters from relatives and were especially influenced by their Aunt Mary, who admonished them to "always strive to do it a little better each time." Now, with more than fifty years of experience, they create their own designs as well as piece traditional patterns. They take their inspiration from the landscapes of home and from experiences that are deeply felt.

Mrs. Bell combined memory images of the wildflower bouquets she gathered as a child with a leaf pattern from a sweet gum tree to create her lovely Autumn Bouquet quilt. Another original design, Summer Leaves, appears in the book Prize Country Quilts, published by Oxmoor House in 1977. Perhaps, her most notable quilt goes by the name
Freedom Star. It commemorates the release of American hostages from Iran and features symbols for both the hostages and the soldiers who died in a rescue attempt. It was featured in The Quilt Encyclopedia Illustrated, published in 1991 by Abrams.

Mrs. Reece, the "knee-baby" (next to the youngest child) of the family, has pursued a more public role than her older sister. She has taught or demonstrated quilting for many years at Coastal Carolina College and elsewhere, competed in and judged countless quilt shows, and helped organize the first Onslow County Museum quilt exhibition. One of Mrs. Reece's designs is named Mary's Vineyard, which was inspired by her Aunt Mary's fondness for grapes and the color lavender. She made the quilt while attending to her aunt during the final years of her life.

The quilt-making of Effie Rhodes Bell and Hazel Rhodes Reece reflects lives of quiet achievement, like so many women who make the world a warmer and more beautiful place.