Interview with Nancy Martin, November 2, 2002

Partial Transcript: This is Kay Jones. Today’s date is November 2nd, 2002.

Partial Transcript: Nancy, you’ve brought a beautiful log cabin quilt.

Segment Synopsis: Martin discusses the construction of her log cabin quilt, a traditional quilt design. She talks about the specific fabrics and designs she used in creating the quilt. Martin also talks through the process of creating a quilt border. She discusses her preferred method of machine piecing her quilts, though she hand quilts them. Martin then talks about why she brought the quilt to the interview, because it is her current favorite quilt for its unique aspects. She discusses her future plans for the quilt with the interviewer. She talks about the quilt technique book she has written, called "Beyond the Blocks," in which the log cabin quilt is featured.

Keywords: Hand quilting; Log cabin quilts; Machine piecing; Mixed fabric quilts; Quilt blocks; Scrap quilts; Traditional quilts

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

Partial Transcript: How did you get interested in quilting?

Segment Synopsis: Martin recalls becoming involved in a bicentennial quilt in 1976 in her New Jersey town, since she had experience as a seamstress.

Keywords: American quilts; Bicentennial quilts; First experiences; Seamstresses

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

Partial Transcript: Did, uh, you have quilts in your childhood? Do you have quilt memories?

Segment Synopsis: Martin does not recall having quilts in her childhood, though her grandmother had made a quilt in her life and shared it with Martin. She tells the interviewer she keeps her grandmother’s quilt at the foot of her bed. Martin talks about how her mother does not know how to sew, so she taught herself to sew in order to make her own clothes for college.

Keywords: Antique quilts; Family heirlooms; Family quilts; Traditional quilts; Utilitarian quilts

Subjects: Artists; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts in interior decoration; Textile artists; Textiles

Partial Transcript: So you didn’t major in clothing and textiles in college?

Segment Synopsis: Martin talks about majoring in elementary education in college, which she believes serves her in teaching quilting classes and writing books about quilting.

Keywords: Elementary education; Quilting books; Teaching quilting

Subjects: Artists; College majors; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Quilting; Quilts; Textile artists; Textiles

Partial Transcript: How--what kind of impact does quilting have on your family?

Segment Synopsis: Martin discusses her husband, who has a textile background from working for Dupont. She tells the interviewer they opened a quilt shop together in 1977, as well as wrote publications which taught people to quilt. She talks about what the business sold, which were kits for patchwork projects. Eventually, their business sold fabrics and kits for quilts. She talks about her son’s experience with packing kits for the business, as well as his proficiency in sewing.

Keywords: Adult night school; Family businesses; Family quilts; Quilt kits; Teaching quilting

Subjects: Artists; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabric arts; Fabrics; Families; Family-owned business enterprises; Quilting; Quilts; Textile artists; Textiles

Partial Transcript: And how did you get to Washington?

Segment Synopsis: Martin talks about moving with her husband to Seattle, Washington from New Jersey in 1977. She discusses how she quit teaching and began her quilting business full-time. She tells the interviewer about giving her parents her quilting books, which her father gives to a neighbor so he can hunt on the neighbor’s land.

Keywords: Anecdotes; Family businesses; Family stories; Moving cross-country; Quilting books

Subjects: Artists; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Families; Family-owned business enterprises; New Jersey; Quilting; Quilts; Textile artists; Textiles; Washington

Partial Transcript: What, uh, is the best part of quilting for you, Nancy?

Segment Synopsis: Martin discusses how designing a quilt is her favorite part of quilting. She talks about the fabric line she created, though she says she enjoys writing books and creating quilts more than creating fabrics. She talks about how hand quilting is her least favorite aspect of quilting, though she sends many of her quilts to someone else to be quilted in order to spend more time writing her book or creating other quilts. She talks about the people she hires to quilt her quilts, including many Amish women.

Keywords: Binding; Hand quilting; Machine piecing; Quilt sleeves; Quilting processes

Subjects: Amish; Artists; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabrics; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design; Textile artists; Textiles

Partial Transcript: What is the source of your inspiration for design for all those quilts?

Segment Synopsis: Martin talks about the themes of her books. She talks about one in particular, "Beyond the Blocks," which is about unique quilt borders. She discusses other influences, including color patterns and the people she makes specific quilts for, especially the 10-year employees she makes quilts for.

Keywords: Creative processes; Designing quilts; Quilt inspirations

Subjects: Artists; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabrics; Gifts; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design; Textile artists; Textiles

Partial Transcript: We’re going to change a little bit from you, personally, and your quilts, to the larger quilt scene. What do you think makes a great quilt?

Segment Synopsis: Martin talks about how “great quilts” make her feel enlightened and inspired. She talks about the importance of personal feelings in quilts.

Keywords: Great quilts; Personal enjoyment; Qualities of great quilts; Quilt shows

Subjects: Art; Artists; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabrics; Quilting; Quilts; Textile artists; Textiles

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

Segment Synopsis: Martin discusses enjoying seeing antique and historical quilts in museums, though she also enjoys contemporary quilts in museums as well. She believes exhibiting old and new quilts are important, as new quilts need to be archived as well as old quilts.

Keywords: Antique quilts; Contemporary quilts; Museum quilts; Quilt exhibits; Traditional quilts

Subjects: Artists; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabrics; Museums; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts in art; Textile artists; Textiles

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

Segment Synopsis: Martin talks about the qualities of a great quilter, which includes a love of sharing knowledge about quilting. Martin discusses the importance of home economics classes in schools, which she believes are lacking. She talks about the prominence of retired women in quilting and how quilting can be for a good cause, including making quilts for premature babies in hospitals.

Keywords: Charity quilts; Creating quilts; Quilting communities

Subjects: Artists; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabrics; Home economics; Quilting; Quilts; Textile artists; Textiles; Women

Partial Transcript: What role do you think guilds and bees play in, uh, the--

Segment Synopsis: Martin tells the interviewer how she enjoys the excitement and community aspect of quilting. She talks about the importance of quilting guilds bringing in teachers from around the United States to lecture and teach quilting, which shares knowledge with women who might not be able to travel to quilting shows. She also talks about her membership in Quilters Anonymous as well as the Monday Night Bowling League, both quilting guilds. She tells the interviewer about the activities of the guilds as well as the importance of the community aspect.

Keywords: Community groups; Creating quilts; Quilting bees; Quilting guilds; Teaching quilting

Subjects: Artists; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabrics; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design; Textile artists; Textiles

Partial Transcript: Do you have some strong ideas about the best way to, to teach a beginning quilter?

Segment Synopsis: Martin talks about her experience teaching beginning quilters, including placing an emphasis on finding one’s individual work process. She talks about how younger quilters enjoy using machine sewing and piecing as well as rotary cutting for their quilts.

Keywords: Beginning quilters; Machine piecing; Machine quilting; Rotary cutting; Teaching quilting

Subjects: Artists; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabrics; Quilting; Quilts; Textile artists; Textiles

Partial Transcript: Is there a difference in region in terms of, of color selection, kinds of, uh--approaches to quilting?

Segment Synopsis: Martin discusses how, over the decades, quilting has become more popular and fabrics more accessible. She also talks about how metropolitan quilts are more “sophisticated”, but quilts in small towns and the Midwest are more “country” and “subdued”. Martin also talks about how her quilt designs have become more eclectic as time as gone on, though she prefers traditional quilt designs and colors.

Keywords: Art quilts; Metropolitan quilts; Regional differences; Traditional quilt designs; Traditional quilts

Subjects: Artists; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabrics; Quilting; Quilts; Quilts--Design; Textile artists; Textiles

Partial Transcript: Uh, what part do you think quilting has played, or does play, in American life?

Segment Synopsis: Martin talks about the importance of quilting in everyday American life, particularly in history. She discusses how people in the present day value quilts more, as they are present in museums and exhibits more frequently than ever before.

Keywords: American quilts; History quilts; Quilts in education; Quilts in museums

Subjects: Artists; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabrics; Quilting; Quilting today; Quilts; Quilts in art; Textile artists; Textiles; Women

Partial Transcript: The quilts that you’ve made for family and friends, Nancy, what happens to them?

Segment Synopsis: Martin talks about how she gives her quilts freely to family and friends, without stipulations for how they should personally use the quilts.

Keywords: Proper quilt care; Quilt care; Quilts as gifts; Uses for quits

Subjects: Artists; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabrics; Gifts; Quilting; Quilts; Textile artists; Textiles

Partial Transcript: Do you have some feelings about quilt preservation?

Segment Synopsis: Martin tells the interviewer about her beliefs about quilt preservation. She discusses individual quilt preservation, including proper care of antique wall quilts as well as proper quilt storage. She also talks about planning for giving quilts away to various museums and exhibits after her death, though she is unsure where exactly they will go.

Keywords: Antique quilts; Proper quilt care; Quilt preservation; Quilt storage; Wall quilts

Subjects: Artists; Crafts & decorating; Decorative arts; Fabrics; Museums; Quilting; Quilts; Textile artists; Textiles

Partial Transcript: Is there anything we haven’t covered that you would like to talk about?

Segment Synopsis: Martin talks about how quilting has provided many women with the ability to self-express, as well as the ability to have a career or a business. She discusses how there are men in quilting, but the opportunities which have opened up are most beneficial to women.

Keywords: Creative expression; Men in quilting; Self-expression; Women in quilting

Subjects: Artists; Crafts & decorating; Creativity; Decorative arts; Fabrics; Quilting; Quilts; Textile artists; Textiles; Women; Women’s voices