by Loretta Pettway, claims "gross exploitation" at the hands of several defendants. Both suits also list as defendants Kathy Ireland Worldwide who have licensed the designs from some of the famous quilts for use in Kathy Ireland products. Kathy Ireland Worldwide defends their handling of the Gee's Bend quilter's royalties in a statement on their website:Our agreement assures us that the quilter’s representatives are the proper place to send all quilt related earnings. This week a careful review of our files indicates that Kathy Ireland Worldwide has paid more to these representatives than our company has earned from the quilts project. Other members of the quilters group are unhappy with the lawsuits and felt they are an attempt of some members to go out on their own. U.S. District Judge Callie Granade of Mobile dismissed the suits and said the parties would pay their own legal costs. Notable people Robert Petway, blues singer and guitarist See also J.R. Moehringer Arthur Rothstein Robert Sonkin References External links Gee's Bend Ferry Website Handmade Alabama Quilts Find Fame and Controversy by Shaila Dewan New York Times July 29, 2007 Soulful Shapes Multimedia story on the quilters of Gee's Bend, with images of the quilts and audio from one of the quilters. The Ferry: A Civil Rights Story a documentary from Retro Report Census-designated places in Alabama Unincorporated communities in Alabama Census-designated places in Wilcox County, Alabama Quilting