Interview with Roberta Horton, October 23, 1999

Partial Transcript: --1999, and I'm interviewing Roberta Horton for the Save Our Stories Quilt Project in Houston, Texas.

Partial Transcript: Roberta, can you tell us why you brought this quilt over all the quilts that you have for this project?

Segment Synopsis: Horton talks about how the quilt was made after she taught quilting in Germany. The quilt is made of German fabric, and she discusses the design of the quilt. She then discusses historical quilts and how their designs are less “perfected” than modern quilts, which she enjoys. Horton also talks about the design of the quilt and how she created the design through various quilting techniques and styles. She tells an anecdote about her time in Germany and how her experience gave her the name for the quilt, “Frau Horton”.

Keywords: American quilts; German quilts; International quilting; Machine piecing; Quilt piecing

Subjects: Artists; Arts & crafts; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabric arts; Fabrics; Germany; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design.; Sewing; Textile artists; Textiles; Women

Partial Transcript: How did you come to quilting?

Segment Synopsis: Horton talks about her previous experience with teaching home economics. She discusses how she began to quilt to have a creative outlet. Horton talks with the interviewer about why she enjoys quilting, discussing both the creative and the technical aspects of quilting. Horton also tells the interviewer about her enjoyment of working with the fabrics for the quilt.

Keywords: Art quilts; Creative outlets; Machine piecing; Quilting processes; Traditional quilts

Subjects: Artists; Arts & crafts; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabric arts; Fabrics; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design.; Sewing; Textile artists; Textiles; Women

Partial Transcript: You were mentioning how you find the fabric...

Segment Synopsis: Horton talks about how she chooses fabrics for a quilt and then quilts them according to her creative process. She discusses her criteria of buying fabric and how she creates designs for quilts. They talk about how fabrics are expressive of the cultures that created them.

Keywords: Buying fabric; Creative processes; Cultural textiles; International fabrics; Piecing

Subjects: Artists; Arts & crafts; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabric arts; Fabrics; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design.; Sewing; Textile artists; Textiles; Women

Partial Transcript: How would you say quilting has affected your personal and family life?

Segment Synopsis: Horton talks about how she makes her living from quilting and the effect this has had on her family and personal life. She talks about teaching quilting classes and how her teaching skills have assisted her quilting career. Horton then discusses how she believes quilting is about sharing with others, not only with quilting information but also life advice and emotional support. She also talks about other personal aspects of quilting, including making individual, creative choices. She discusses how quilting has changed her as a person, allowing her to become more extroverted.

Keywords: Community quilting groups; Quilting as an art form; Quilting bees; Quilting classes; Quilting guilds

Subjects: Adult education; Artists; Arts & crafts; Communities; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design.; Sashiko; Sewing; Textile artists; Textiles; Women

Partial Transcript: What, what aspect of quilting do you like the most?

Segment Synopsis: Horton tells the interviewer about her enjoyment of travel and how it inspires her quilting. She discusses her enjoyment of creating designs, sewing, and teaching quilting.

Keywords: Anecdotes; Art quilts; Creative choices; Creative processes; Favorite aspects of quilting; Quilt designs; Quilting classes; Teaching quilting; Traditional quilts

Subjects: Artists; Arts & crafts; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabric arts; Fabrics; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design.; Sewing; Textile artists; Textiles; Women

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

Segment Synopsis: Horton discusses her personal opinion on what makes a great quilt, which is a visually interesting quilt that holds one’s attention for a long period of time. She talks about how she enjoys quilts with many different kinds of fabrics used.

Keywords: Art quilts; Great quilts; Personal opinions; Quilt designs; Quilt fabrics; Visual designs; Visually interesting quilts

Subjects: Artists; Arts & crafts; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabric arts; Fabrics; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design.; Sewing; Textile artists; Textiles; Women

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

Segment Synopsis: Horton talks about how a great quilter needs to have passion, which she believes can be seen in the quilt the quilter has created. She believes having a depth of knowledge about one’s personal style or signature technique also makes a great quilter, as they can create visually interesting and striking quilts.

Keywords: Artistic passion; Creative choices; Creative processes; Personal opinions; Quilt revivals

Subjects: Amish quilts; Artists; Arts & crafts; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design.; Sewing; Textile artists; Textiles; Women

Partial Transcript: What place do you think quilting has had in women’s lives?

Segment Synopsis: Horton discusses how women’s lives were largely controlled by others, except in their creative works such as quilting. She talks about how quilting has been a means for women to express their emotions in a subtle way only other quilters can understand.

Keywords: Artistic expression; Homespun quilts; Quilts as art; Quilts as creative outlets; Women and crafting

Subjects: American women, 1600-1900; Artists; Arts & crafts; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabric arts; Fabrics; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design.; Sewing; Textile artists; Textiles; Women; Women’s history

Partial Transcript: What do you think makes a quilt appropriate for a museum or, um, an archive?

Segment Synopsis: Horton talks about how quilts for museums and archives can have many different qualities to them, depending on the museum. She believes museums should have a variety of quilts representing the total body of work, particularly quilts created by working-class women as opposed to only wealthy women’s quilts.

Keywords: Creative expressions; Hand pieced quilts; Quilt applique; Quilt piecing; Women and crafting

Subjects: Artists; Arts & crafts; Crafts & decorating; Crazy quilts; Decorative arts; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design.; Sewing; Textile artists; Textiles; Women; Women’s history

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

Segment Synopsis: Horton talks about how quilts can be properly preserved in museums, though they might not be displayed often by the museum. She also discusses how local quilters should assist museums in preserving quilts and how families can preserve the quilts which have been passed down to them.

Keywords: Bed quilts; Museum preservation; Quilt preservation; Textile preservation; Wall quilts

Subjects: Artists; Arts & crafts; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design.; Sewing; Textile artists; Textiles; Women; Women’s history

Partial Transcript: What do you see happening to this quilt? How do you see it being used?

Segment Synopsis: Horton tells the interviewer that the quilt she brought for the interview is currently stored on her “quilt bed” at home. She discusses how quilts should be preserved by specialists for future generations.

Keywords: Art quilts; Quilt beds; Traditional quilts; Utilitarian quilts; Wall quilts

Subjects: Artists; Arts & crafts; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design.; Sewing; Textile artists; Textiles; Women

Partial Transcript: Where do you see your quilt-making going?

Segment Synopsis: Horton discusses her possible future quilt projects, wanting to further her knowledge of quilts, particularly European traditional quilts. Horton discusses the difficulties in finding non-American fabrics in other countries, as America exports many fabrics to other countries. She talks about her interest in visiting Sweden and Wales, as she is impressed with their design skills and the Welsh quilts, which she says look like early Amish quilt designs.

Keywords: American quilts; Cultural textiles; European quilts; International quilts; Quilt traditions; Traditional quilts

Subjects: Artists; Arts & crafts; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design.; Sewing; Textile artists; Textiles; Women

Partial Transcript: In what way do you think your quilts reflect the area where you live?

Segment Synopsis: Horton talks about San Francisco, where she lives, and how it has influenced the design of her quilts. She discusses the ethnic and cultural diversity of San Francisco and how this diversity is reflected in her designs.

Keywords: American culture; Cultural diversity; Cultural identities; Diverse American cities; San Francisco cultures

Subjects: American culture; Artists; Arts & crafts; Crafts & decorating; Cultural pluralism.; Decorative arts; Group identity; Quilting; Quilts; San Francisco (Calif.); Sewing; Textile artists; Textiles

Partial Transcript: You mentioned your sister was a quilter.

Segment Synopsis: Horton discusses her relationship with her sister, who also quilts. She talks about their differences in terms of creative processes and design interests. She tells the interviewer a few anecdotes in regard to her sister and their shared passion for quilting.

Keywords: Anecdotes; Creative processes; Family quilters; Personal stories; Siblings

Subjects: Artists; Arts & crafts; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Families; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design.; Sewing; Sisters; Textile artists; Textiles; Women

Partial Transcript: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about this quilt that came from your experiences in Germany?

Segment Synopsis: Horton continues to talk about the quilt which she brought to discuss in the interview. She tells the interviewer about her experience of sharing the quilt with her German students after she completed the quilt.

Keywords: Art quilts; Cultural quilts; German quilts; International quilts; Quilt designs; Quilt teachers; Quilting classes

Subjects: Artists; Arts & crafts; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Germany; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design.; Sewing; Textile artists; Textiles; Women