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The text is provided by each interviewee and is unabridged and unedited.
1) How do you prefer to be described, within the field
of textile history?
"I'm a writer and editor who started my career in the field of home
sewing, working with such companies as Simplicity, Coats & Clark, and
Singer in New York City. My primary interest is publishing, but as my
knowledge of antique quilts has deepened, I have been hired to appraise
quilts and quilt collections, to do some quilt restoration, and I've curated
a few quilt exhibitions."
2) When and where did you begin your serious interest
in the history of quilts?
"In 1975, when I was living and working in New York City, a friend
named Mary Roby (who is now the managing editor of Country Living magazine)
and I made a quilt that was featured in Family Circle magazine. I had grown
up watching my mother piece quilts, and I guess, at that time in my quilt
awareness, I thought quilting was something that everybody did. When I moved
back to Alabama (to Birmingham) in 1975 to kick off a crafts book program
for Oxmoor House, the first book I wrote was called "Prize Country
Quilts." It featured the winners of a quilt contest sponsored by
Progressive Farmer magazine; the fact that there had been more than a
thousand entries in the contest only reinforced my notion that everybody
quilted. It wasn't until the late 1970s or early 1980s that I really woke up
to the fascinating story that antique quilts have to tell."
3) What "known" individual (or group)
influenced you most and why?
"One was Joyce Gross, because she invited me, as the author of
"Prize Country Quilts," to go out to San Francisco and be a part
of a quilt festival/seminar she was organizing sometime around 1977. It was
when I went to her house, and she began bringing out fabulous antique quilts
and introducing them to me like treasured old friends, that I finally
"got" it! I realized that we, our own personal selves, could have
relationships with antique quilts-there were plenty yet to be
discovered-they weren't all squirreled away in museum collections. It was
entirely possible that one could encounter a significant quilt almost
anywhere, if one just knew how to recognize it.
"About the same time, I met Hazel Carter, who was organizing the
Continental Quilting Congress, and I was amazed at her energy and her
dedication to antique quilts. I also got to know Jeanne Ray Laury, and her
artistry and commitment to the different styles of quiltmaking was
fascinating to me."
4) Who became your personal mentor as you began your
learning?
"There were two people. One was precious Mary Grunbaum, who had a quilt
shop named the Great American Cover-up in Dallas. She and her husband, Rick,
were early, early collectors, and she was very active in the quilt world in
the late 70's and early 80's. She was generous with her collection and her
knowledge, and steered me to some really outstanding quilts that made their
way on to the pages of my books.
"The other quilt mentor was Charlotte Hagood, a remarkably talented and
thoughtful woman whom I persuaded to come work with me when I became editor
of Decorating & Craft Ideas magazine in 1979-80. Charlotte is a
wonderful artist, and she has always had the ability to recognize superior
workmanship and creativity in the artistic endeavors of other people. She
taught me how to really look at quilts, and she also introduced me to the
study of Alabama's own historic quilts."
5a) What aspect of study were you most passionate about
at first?
"In the beginning, my estimate of the value of a antique quilt was
based on whether or not I could publish in some way, in one of my books or
in the magazine, so I was passionate, first, about the way the quilt looked,
and second, about its provenance, and third, about whether or not I could
write instructions for how to make it. After all, it was the company for
which I worked that footed the bill for my being able to travel and see all
the great quilts I was seeing. I was obligated to turn that experience into
something finite for the company."
5b) How has this changed over time and why?
"Now that I don't have the pressure to produce books and magazines for
a corporation, I can study quilts for my own personal pleasure. I used to
feel apologetic about my commercial objectives when I was in the presence of
those whom I considered to be truly "pure" quilt scholars, those
who were untainted by the need to produce a product and who could afford to
devote their hours to research, whether they earned any money from it or
not. Now I'm over that guilt, and I'm just grateful that I've had the
opportunity to see so very, very many antique quilts, because, after all,
it's the actual study of the object that makes us "quilt experts!"
6) What is your current "pet project"? 
"The Alabama Quilt
Book Project continues to be my main interest. We have held ten
quilt-sharing days since we began field research in 2003 and have
recorded and photographed at least 1500 quilts. We had defined the span
of time that we could accommodate as 1750 to 1950, but we decided to
relax our rule a bit when we discovered a beautifully-documented piece
from 1689! Of course, it was not made in Alabama, but came here with its
people more than two centuries ago.
"As news of the Project gets around the state, we are invited by art
museums, libraries, historic homes, and quilt guilds to conduct
quilt-sharing days in their community, and we are currently planning
five more events. We should complete the field research in the spring of
2007, and the book should be out no later than 2009. I have one
full-time partner, Carole King, who is curator of Old Alabama Town in
Montgomery. Otherwise, the project is staffed by volunteers in the
different towns we visit. Members of the Kudzu Quilt Guild here in
Montgomery pitch in to help with the hours of paperwork and filing that
result from a successful quilt documentation day.
 "Since
the publication of Mississippi Quilts in 2004, I have been asked to
write two more books on quilts of that state. "Threading the
Generations: A Mississippi Family’s Quilt Legacy" was published in
October 2005 by University Press of Mississippi. Four generations of one
family, the Shaifers, of Port Gibson, Mississippi, are featured with
their photographs, homes, and quilts. The quilts trace the evolution of
favored styles in this family's corner of the world, which is on the
Mississippi River, halfway between Natchez and Vicksburg. It is a
compelling story, of interest to quilters and non-quilters alike.
"A third book on Mississippi quilts is underway, and will feature the
story of one of Mississippi's most outstanding quilters, Martha Skelton
of Vicksburg. Although Mrs. Skelton retains 153 of the quilts she has
made, her actual production has been much higher, and might be found to
total 200, if an accurate count could be taken of the ones she has given
away. In addition to producing this almost unbelievable quantity of
quilts, nearly all of which are bed-size and completely hand-stitched,
Mrs. Skelton has found time to share her knowledge with thousands of
people through classes, demonstrations, participation in quilt
documentation days, and shows. Although she has taken many awards and
has her work in the permanent collections of many outstanding quilt
museums and organizations, her real claim to fame in Mississippi is the
number of devoted friends and fans she has drawn into quilting.
"Alabama's neighbor to the east, the state of Georgia, is soon to have
its state quilt book. Although I had nothing to do with the book, I did
have the privilege of reading it in manuscript form, and am looking
forward to its publication, which is scheduled for December of 2006. It
was edited by Anita Weinraub, who was one of the primary movers behind
the Georgia Quilt Project, which began in 1990 and documented more than
9,000 quilts. (They set no limitations on the age of the quilts they
would document, so contemporary as well as historical pieces are
included.) The book is "Georgia Quilts: Piecing Together a History," and
is published by The University of Georgia Press.
"So, with "Mississippi Quilts" as the leader, the "Deep South" states
are, through their state quilt books, revealing more of the history of
these beloved artifacts than has been known before."
7) What aspect of your research or contribution to
textile studies has satisfied you the most?
"It's hard to say-I'm very proud of having started the crafts book
program at Oxmoor House, because it has become the standard against which
other quilt book publishers have measured themselves. (I hasten to add that
I worked with mail-order marketing geniuses, and there was one of the
greatest trade book salesmen ever at Oxmoor House at that time. They were
responsible for getting the books out to the public.)
"I'm proud that my books were resources for Barbara Brackman's,
Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns and Encyclopedia of Appliqué.
"However, I'm also very proud of the work I did on "The American
Quilt," with Rod Kiracofe, and of "Mississippi Quilts.
 "But
the project I've just flat-out enjoyed the most is 'Quilt Inspirations
from Africa,' because it gave me the opportunity to learn so much about
a completely new subject-Africa. And, it was my first partnership with Kaye
England, who is a very talented quilt and fabric designer and a whole bunch
of fun! We have had very favorable comments from Carolyn Mazloomi and other
African-American quilters and quilt scholars about our work on the book,
although it is not about African-American quilting. It is about using
African art as inspiration for quilt designs. I am also delighted to have
learned, just recently, that the book has been cited in Weaving through
Words: Using the Arts to Teach Reading Comprehension Strategies, by Mantione
& Smead. The book is listed under Appendix D: "Art and Literary
Resources." (Newark, DE: International Reading Association, 2003). We,
as quilters, know that many of the skills we use in our favorite art form
are applicable to many other disciplines, and it's very satisfying to have
that fact recognized in a book that teaches teachers.
8) Within this arena, what would you like to do, but
haven't done yet?
"Of course, the first answer is "Alabama Quilts," which is
now underway. Here's the other:
"Kaye and I planned a quilt book to be published by Habitat for Humanity,
but then 9/11 came along, and Habitat cancelled our project as their
fund-raising efforts post-9/11 produced less income. Kaye had spearheaded a
project in Indianapolis for Habitat's 25th anniversary celebration; the city
had been chosen as Habitat's national anniversary city. Habitat built 25
houses there, and Kaye coordinated the making of a
quilt for each of the owners of the new homes. (She also donated a new
sewing Bernina sewing machine from her shops to each of the houses.) We
documented the quilts and the delivery of them to the new homeowners, but,
alas, the book was not to be. We had planned to include research on the
development of the house as a theme for quilt designs, and I'm sorry I
didn't get to do that research. Maybe one day Kaye and I will be able to
produce the project in another form."
9) Any further comments are invited.
"I feel like one of the "old women" of the quilt world,
although I'm only in my mid-fifties (which most would agree is still pretty
young!). I was lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time (in
the mid-1970s) when the "current quilt revival" (as it is so
frequently called) came along. I was able to turn my education and
experience in textiles to the study of quilts, and I cannot imagine a more
satisfying career."
Please describe (in a list) the contributions you have
made via books, exhibits, presentations, contests, articles, fabric lines,
research papers and the like.
Books I have written:
Journey to
Jericho (2003), with Kaye England; Kaye England Publications;
Mississippi
Quilts (2001); University Press of Mississippi;
224 pp; 4/c throughout.
Quilt
Inspirations from Africa (2000), with Kaye Eng2land;
Contemporary Books, a division of McGraw Hill; 192 pp; 4/c throughout
The
American Quilt (1993), with Roderick Kiracofe; Clarkson N.
Potter, a division of Random House; 296 pp; 4/c throughout. French and
German editions also published. Reviewed in the New York Times and named
one of the paper's Notable Books in 1993.
Star Quilts (1992); Clarkson N. Potter/Random
House; 176 pp; 4/c throughout; an edition for Great Britain also
published. Re-issued by Contemporary Books in 1997 as softback; Last
printing 2000
A Garden of Quilts (1984); Oxmoor House; 162 pp;
4/c & b/w; last printing 1994
NatureCrafts: Seasonal Projects from Natural
Materials (1980); Oxmoor House; 160 pp; 32 pp 4/c; Last printing
1990
Rugs: Designs, Patterns, Projects (1979); Oxmoor
House; 192 pp; 96 4/c, 96 b/w. Last printing l985
Pillows: Designs, Patterns, Projects (1978);
Oxmoor House; 192 pp. Last printing 1985
Prize Country Quilts (1977); Oxmoor House; 240
pp; 32 4/c, 208 b/w; 6th printing (1982).
Country Quilt Patterns (c. 1978); Oxmoor House;
80 pp. 16 pp 4/c, 64 b/w
Needlecraft Designs from Our Best Quilts (1978);
Oxmoor House; 80 pp; 16 pp 4/c, 64 b/w.
Books I have edited/produced:
- The Making of a Baltimore Album Quilt, by
Frances Benton (1995). A Mary Elizabeth Johnson Book published by Black
Belt Press, Montgomery; 64 pp; 4/c throughout
- Screen Printing for Quilters, by Hallie O'Kelly
(1995). A Mary Elizabeth Johnson Book published by Black Belt Press,
Montgomery; 80 pp; 12 4/c pp; 68 b/w
- My Quilts & Me: The Diary of An American Quilter,
by Nora Ezell (1999). Black Belt Press, Montgomery; 192 pp; 4/c
throughout
- Times Down Home: 75 Years with Progressive Farmer (1978;
compiled from back issues of PF to celebrate 75th anniversary); Oxmoor
House; 216 pp; b/w with 24 color plates. Last printing 1978.
Books to which I have contributed:
- Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing (1976);
The Reader's Digest Association; 528 pp; 4/c & b/w.
- Fabled Flowers, by Kumiko Sudo (1996); Quilt
Digest Press; 140 pp; 4/c & b/w.
- Dyeing to Quilt, by Joyce Mori and Cynthia
Myerberg (1997); Quilt Digest Press; 120 pp., 4/c & b/w.
- Shoreline Quilts, compiled by Cyndy Rymer
(2003). C & T Publishing; 96 pp., 4/c throughout.
Thank you, Mary, for sharing your personal history and future aspirations
with us today. You have contributed so much to quilt history research,
including many facets of American quilts and patterns for reproducing them.
It seems you were ahead of your time and WE are the ones who are lucky you
were in the right place at the right time. Good luck with the Alabama
Project. Here's one for the project's suggestion box; please include some
interior shots of the gorgeous stately homes found there. We look forward to
the findings. If any one with an Alabama quilt is reading this, I hope you
get in touch with Mary or the Project to have your quilt included.
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