Interview with Hazel Canny, November 3, 2001

Partial Transcript: Today's date is November 3rd, 2001 and it is ten minutes after two in the afternoon.

Segment Synopsis: Canny is known for her whole-cloth quilts. The quilt in front of them is a white whole-cloth quilt. Canny describes the awards she has won, how her quilting has evolved to reach this point, and some of the construction process of this quilt. Canny is a part of some quilting organizations in Houston. She also describes how she preserves her quilts.

Keywords: Applique quilts; Awards; Community; Construction; Cotton satin; Covered; History; Houston (Tex.); Piece quilts; Preservation; Quilting bees; Quilting guilds; Quilting organizations; Uses; Whole-cloth quilts

Subjects: Appliqué--Patterns.; Craft and art; Quilting.; Quiltmakers--United States.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--Exhibitions.; Quilts.; Wholecloth quilts.

Partial Transcript: So, um, well ha--what is your first memory about quilts?

Segment Synopsis: Growing up, Canny's family were poor cotton farmers in Missouri. Her mother would make string quilts and turn them into comforters.

Keywords: Comforters; Cotton farmers; Flannel; Memory; Missouri; Mothers; Newspapers; Quilters; Recycling; String quilts

Subjects: Craft and art; Family history.; Quilting.; Quiltmakers--United States.; Quilts.

Partial Transcript: So you said that you design the designs that are going to go onto these whole-cloth quilts yourself?

Segment Synopsis: Canny's inspiration for her whole-cloth quilts comes from the old whole-cloth quilts from the 1800s. Canny then describes how she sketches her design, transfers that design to cloth, and creates the whole-cloth quilt.

Keywords: 1800s; Art; Design; Drawing; Fabric; Individual stuffing; Marking; Medallion; Painting landscapes; Patterns; Sewing; Translation; White fabric

Subjects: Quilting.; Quiltmakers--United States.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts.; Wholecloth quilts.

Partial Transcript: So why is quilting important in your life?

Segment Synopsis: For Canny, quilting fulfills her desire to be an artist. She talks about her teaching engagements and her thoughts on how to preserve quilts.

Keywords: Artists; Classes; Festivals; Guilds; Handmade; Lecturing; Methods; Preservation; Quilt care; Quilting; Quilts; Teaching; Uses; Washing; Workshops

Subjects: Craft and art; Fabric arts; Quilting.; Quiltmakers--United States.; Quilts in art; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--Exhibitions.; Quilts.; Textile artists; Wholecloth quilts.

Partial Transcript: Well, the question that always comes to you when people see your quilts is "Oh my gosh, how was that done?" and you say by hand. How, how do you feel about machine quilting?

Segment Synopsis: For Canny, machine quilting is encouraged if you have the money for a good sewing machine. Her machine is older, so she just sews and quilts by hand. She talks about her appreciation that quilting has expanded to younger generations, and that the younger people are producing artistic and quality quilting.

Keywords: Artistic; Hand quilting; Machine quilting; Older people; Popularity; Quality; Younger generations

Subjects: Quilting today; Quilting.; Quilts--Design.; Quilts--United States--Exhibitions.; Quilts.; Sewing machines.; Textile artists