Interview with Rita Burnstein, July 22, 2003

Partial Transcript: --is July 22nd and I'm interviewing Rita Burnstein for the Quilters' Save Our Stories Project.

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein describes the physical properties of the "Purple Mountains" quilt. She talks about creating the illusion of three-dimensions and flowers, as well as its use of purples and oranges.

Keywords: "Purple Mountains" quilt; 3D squares; 60x60 quilt; Collections; Cotton fabrics; Flowers; Growth; Log cabin pattern; Megan Dwyre; Mountains; Oranges; Purples; Rita Burnstein

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: And, how do you use this quilt?

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein describes what she uses her "Purple Mountains" quilt for in her home, noting that it is meant to serve as a wall hanging. She laments not having the wall space to put it up. She talks about selling quilts when people occasionally come to her home to buy quilts, but she admits she mostly sells her quilts via quilt shows.

Keywords: "Purple Mountains" quilt; Megan Dwyre; Quilt shows; Quilt use; Rita Burnstein; Selling quilts; Wall decorations; Wall hangings; Walls

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: Um, when did you start quilting?

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein describes her introduction to quilting and the start to her career as a quilter. She talks about being inspired by her daughter who was in college. Burnstein notes that quilting as not a major part of her upbringing or community, but that she did a lot of knitting.

Keywords: 1981; Boredom; Fabrics; Megan Dwyre; Penn State; Pennsylvania State University; Quilting career; Rita Burnstein; Traditional quilts; Youngest daughter; knitting

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: About how many hours a week do you quilt?

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein discusses her average working day, where she says she quilts about four hours a day in the morning. When asked about any quilters in her family or circle of friends, she notes that her current group of friends all are quilters.

Keywords: Family; Friends; Megan Dwyre; Quilters; Quilting work; Rita Burnstein; Week; Work day; Working

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: So, what would you say was your, your first quilt memory?

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein describes her first quilt memory. She notes that she enjoyed quilting. Burnstein notes that it was new and challenging for her. She discusses her background in sewing and dress-making.

Keywords: Background; Challenging; College; Dress-making; First quilt memory; Marriage; Megan Dwyre; Quilt memory; Rita Burnstein; Sewing background

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: How does quilting impact your family?

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein discusses the impact of quilting on her family. She talks about how her husband is not particularly interested in quilting and brings a book when she goes to the store. She discusses how her children all have art backgrounds, but do not quilt themselves.

[The tape stops at the end of the segment.]

Keywords: Art backgrounds; Books; Children; Gifts; Husbands; Megan Dwyre; Puzzles; Rita Burnstein

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: Why don't you talk for a minute about your work as an art therapist?

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein discusses her career as an art therapist, which she turned to after getting married and working at a community center for the Sunday arts program. She then notes how she worked as an art therapist for a nursing home. Burnstein discusses how she moved to Philadelphia along with her husband.

Keywords: Art therapists; Art therapy; Careers; Community centers; Elder Craftsman; Husbands; Marriage; Megan Dwyre; Nursing homes; Philadelphia (Pa.); Philadelphia, Penn.; Rita Burnstein; Sunday Art Program; University of Buffalo

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: Um, have you ever used quilting to get through a difficult time?

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein discusses how she turned to quilting to help her during a period where she was fighting against lymphoma, which she survived. She talks about how she did not stop quilting and in fact used quilting to make connections and friends. She notes how she used to go to the Houston Quilt Festival.

Keywords: Cancer; Cancer survivors; Connecting; Educational benefits; Exhibits; Fellow quilters; Healing; Houston (Tex.); Lymphoma; Megan Dwyre; Quilt Festival Houston; Quilting; Retirement; Rita Burnstein

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: Yeah, do you want to talk about Art Quilts at the Sedgwick a little, a little more?

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein discusses the Art Quilts at the Sedgwick quilt show. She talks about how it has become internationally known. She also notes that she looks at the slides sent of the quilts through a light box when she collects them for the judges. She notes that she is not a judge, but lists who will be the next series of judges.

Keywords: Art Quilts at the Sedgwick; Famous quilters; Internationally known; Judging; Light box; Megan Dwyre; Quilt judging; Rita Burnstein; Sedgwick Cultural Center; Slides

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: Okay, so you, you see a lot quilts th--

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein discusses what she considers aspects of a great quilt and one that is artistically pleasing. She focuses on the technique, crediting the difficulty and challenge of the quilt. She notes her admiration for people who can paint and draw with their quilts. She notes that designs are what helps provide impact.

Keywords: Aesthetics; Artistically pleasing quilts; Designs; Drawing; Great quilts; Impact; Megan Dwyre; Painting; Quilting techniques; Rita Burnstein

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: Um, do you think your quilts tell a story?

Segment Synopsis: When asked if her quilts have any sort of story within them, Burnstein brings up a quilt that she made for her granddaughter entitled "Secret Messages." She talks about putting in messages for her granddaughter about life and how to live. She notes that she still occasionally puts messages in quilts, but is not as open as she was.

Keywords: "Secret Messages" quilt; Granddaughters; Megan Dwyre; Messages in quilts; Quilt messages; Rita Burnstein; Secret messages; Touching

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: What do you think makes a quilt appropriate for a museum or special collection?

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein discusses what she considers makes quilts appropriate for museums, citing that quilts need to have a visual impact to be worth being stored in a museum. She notes that she does not consider modern quilts as being particularly impactful or challenging, claiming that they mostly seem to copy older quilt styles without experimenting or challenging the quilter.

Keywords: Appropriateness; Challenging; Copying; Megan Dwyre; Modern quilts; Museum quality quilts; Museum quilts; Rita Burnstein; Visual impact

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: So do you think there's kind of a, a little bit of a divide between art quilters and traditional quilters?

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein downplays the notion of an idea of a powerful divide between art quilters and traditional quilters. Rather, she notes that there is a lack of understanding about what the other group does that splits the two. She describes how traditional quilters are unsure how to classify art quilts. She says that on the contrary, it is easy to understand and identify traditional quilts.

Keywords: Art quilters; Lack of understanding; Megan Dwyre; Rita Burnstein; Traditional quilters; Traditional quilts

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: What do you think makes a great quilter?

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein describes what she considers to be the qualities of a great quilter. She discusses how great quilters need to challenge themselves. She also notes the importance of having an instinct for color. She dismisses the notion that an art background is necessary for a good quilter, but says it may help.

Keywords: Art backgrounds; Challenges; Colors; Great quilters; Instinct; Megan Dwyre; Qualities; Quality; Rita Burnstein

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: Um, let's see, how do you feel about machine quilting versus hand quilting?

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein expresses admiration for those who can work with machines in their quilting, saying that there are those who can make great work. However, she notes that she is not one of them, and mostly focuses on hand quilting. She discusses techniques such as overlay design and others.

Keywords: Hand quilting; Machine quilting; Megan Dwyre; Overlay designs; Rita Burnstein; Technicians; Techniques

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: What do you think about the importance of quilts in American life?

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein discusses the role of quilts in American life. She talks in particular about how in recent years people have begun to appreciate quilts and sought them out due to not knowing about them or having them in their lives previously. She also briefly discusses selling quilts at the Sedgwick quilt show.

Keywords: American history; American life; Appreciation; Arkansas; France; Megan Dwyre; Quilts in American life; Rita Burnstein; Selling quilts; The Sedgwick

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: What--in what ways do you think quilts have a special meaning for women and women's history in America?

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein notes that she considers that quilting is important to women's history due to women's role as the main quilters, and she discusses the attachment to fabrics that comes along with this connection. She also discusses the use of quilts, noting their ability to provide warmth and love. She notes how her children and grandchildren all had quilts on their beds.

Keywords: Attachment; Bed quilts; Children; Fabrics; Family life; Friends; Grandchildren; Love; Megan Dwyre; Rita Burnstein; Visuals; Warmth; Women; Women's history

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: How do you think quilts can be preserved for the future?

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein acknowledges that she is not a sentimentalist when it comes to quilt preservation. She notes that she wants the quilts to be used and washed. She describes an anecdote where she sent quilts to family members and they put unrelated quilts together, she only hopes that they preserve the quilts by keeping them away from a sunny window.

Keywords: Megan Dwyre; Nephews; Quilt preservation; Rita Burnstein; Sentimentalism; Wall decorations; Wall hangings; Washing

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: Why is quilting important in your life?

Segment Synopsis: When asked about what importance she places on quilting in her life, Burnstein notes that it provides a challenge for her to work on. She also discusses what are her inspirations when it comes to quilting, noting the importance of colors. She also notes her future plans in using more natural materials in her quilting, and focusing on smaller pieces.

Keywords: Challenges; Colors; Fabrics; Importance; Influences; Materials; Megan Dwyre; Natural materials; Rita Burnstein; Smaller pieces

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: Do you ever, um, hand dye your fabrics?

Segment Synopsis: When asked about whether she hand-dyes her fabrics, Burnstein says that she tried it in the past, but that it took too much time and did not like the chemicals involved. She notes that she tried a Japanese technique.

Keywords: Dyeing; Dyeing fabrics; Fabrics; Hand dyed fabrics; Japanese dyeing; Japanese techniques; Megan Dwyre; Rita Burnstein

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: Um, have you ever taken any classes?

Segment Synopsis: Burnstein discusses her views on quilting classes. She notes how she has taken classes, but was unimpressed with them for promoting books rather than focusing on technique. She praises Nancy Crow as an instructor, citing her as a "living treasure."

Keywords: Houston (Tex.); Megan Dwyre; Nancy Crow; Quilting books; Quilting classes; Quilting teachers; Rita Burnstein; Teachers

Subjects: Art festivals.; Craft and art; Craft festivals.; Crow, Nancy, 1943-; Quilting--United States--Patterns.; Quilting.; Quilts in art; Quilts in interior decoration.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century--Exhibitions.; Quilts--United States--History--20th century.; Quilts.