Interview with Karen Musgrave, August 11, 2004

Partial Transcript: This is Le Rowell, and today's date is Wednesday, August 11th, 2004, and I'm conducting an interview with Karen Musgrave for the Quilters' S.O.S. - Save Our Stories, a project of the Alliance for American Quilts. And we are in the kitchen in my home in Bethesda, Maryland. So, Karen, welcome to Bethesda... Tell me about this wonderful quilt that we're looking at.

Segment Synopsis: Musgrave collaborated with Yvonne Porcella to make the touchstone quilt. It is the second quilt in the "Voice of You and Me" series that Musgrave and Porcella are working on together. Musgrave says that someone who viewed the quilt would not think that either of the she or Porcella worked on it. She describes it as a "naive Baltimore album style quilt." The design is traditional dating from the 1840s to the 1860s. Musgrave and Porcella made the quilt using reproduction fabrics donated by P&B Textiles. The quilt is being raffled to raise funds and educate viewers about the Alliance for American Quilts (now renamed the Quilt Alliance). Musgrave describes how to buy a raffle ticket for the quilt, the Alliance's membership campaign, and the pattern given to new members as a gift.

Keywords: Collaboration; Le Rowell; P&B Textiles; Quilt Alliance; Quilt Purpose - Fundraising; Quilt series; Traditional quilts; Yvonne Porcella; Baltimore Album quilts

Subjects: Quilts--United States

Partial Transcript: You initially said that no one would believe that you and Yvonne made this quilt. Why?

Segment Synopsis: Rowell asks why Musgrave thinks no one would believe that she and Yvonne Porcella had made this quilt. Musgrave explains that they are both art quilters and don't usually make traditional quilts. When they made a quilt the year before it was a contemporary design. However, Musgrave explains that when making the touchstone quilt, she and Porcella "felt the need to honor unknown women of the past who made applique quilts." Musgrave assembled the quilt after she and Porcella both made blocks. Musgrave describes some of the features of the quilt that she thinks are more contemporary, instead of it only being a traditional reproduction. Musgrave and Porcella did not use patterns. She notes that the quilt isn't perfect because of its "naive style." Musgrave notes that she thought it was important to date the quilt with the year it was made.

Keywords: Applique; Borders; Hand applique; Quilt Alliance; Quilt design; Quilt history; Quilt labels; Techniques; Traditional quilts; Yvonne Porcella; Art quilters

Partial Transcript: Talk a minute about the fabrics, you have a wonderful array of...

Segment Synopsis: P&B Textiles donated the reproduction fabrics for the touchstone quilt, although Musgrave found some additional fabrics for the quilt herself. Although they did not talk to each other about it, both Musgrave and Porcella put hearts in all of the blocks they made for the quilt. When asked about the meaning of the hearts, Musgrave says that her interpretation is that "the quilt is made with love, so there's a lot of heart in it." She is not sure why Porcella also chose to use hearts. Musgrave explains that the quilt was fun to make, because it was different and the blocks are "kind of funky." Musgrave used a heart that was originally on one of the blocks as a label attached to the back of the quilt. She reads the information on the label out loud.

Keywords: Blocks; Quilt design; Quilt labels; Techniques; Yvonne Porcella; P&B Textiles

Subjects: Textile fabrics--Reproduction

Partial Transcript: Talk a minute about the quilting.

Segment Synopsis: Musgrave and Porcella originally planned to have a different quilter finish the quilt. When Musgrave wasn't able to get in touch with the first person, she contacted Nancy Brieschke. Musgrave first met Brieschke at an event for the Alliance for American Quilts. Musgrave asked Brieschke to do feather quilting for the quilt and explains that style "can almost look heart-like when it's done." Brieschke finished the quilting in a week, and then Musgrave was able to bind and photograph it before the quilt was revealed. Musgrave started her quilting career making more traditional quilts in the 1980s and says it was fun to go back to quilting traditional designs. She explains some of the techniques for making the touchstone quilt, including piecing the blocks on point and using dinner plates to trace the scallops along the borders of the quilt.

Keywords: Applique; Borders; Feather quilts; Nancy Brieschke; Quilt Alliance; Quiltmaking process; Techniques; Traditional quilts; Yvonne Porcella; Quilt design

Partial Transcript: And so the other pieces that you cut out, you just did them freehand?

Segment Synopsis: Musgrave explains the quilt blocks were mostly created with freehand techniques, rather than being planned out. Musgrave created a pattern for one block that did not turn out right the first time, but "the rest of it is all done by just plopping something down, cutting it, and putting it on there." The color palette was based on the donated fabrics from P&B Textiles. Musgrave and Porcella supplemented some of the donated fabrics with other selections from their fabric stashes, which Musgrave describes. Porcella came up the idea of making a traditional quilt, and Musgrave made additional suggestions about the quilt's design. Musgrave's husband photographed the quilt, but he had a difficult time getting the right lighting, because of the high contrast in the quilt. Musgrave enjoyed making the quilt back, using leftover pieces of fabric from the quilt top. Rowell points out that this approach "shows off the quilting" by Nancy Brieschke. Musgrave describes some of the fabrics in the quilt back and the importance of quilt labels.

Keywords: Applique; Fabric stash; Feather quilts; Freezer paper templates; Husbands; Nancy Brieschke; Photography/photo transfer; Quilt back/lining; Quilt labels; Quilt tops; Techniques; Traditional quilts; Yvonne Porcella; P&B Textiles

Partial Transcript: Nancy did the quilting by machine or by hand?

Segment Synopsis: Although both Musgrave and Porcella would have preferred the quilt to be hand quilted, there wasn't enough time for this project. Nancy Brieschke used a long arm machine to finish the quilt for Musgrave and Porcella. Rowell points out that for this quilt, "the machine quilting is very effective." Musgrave agrees and thinks the machine quilting has a "traditional feel to it." Musgrave adds that long arm quilting is becoming the new standard in the quilting world, and quilters will need to accept it. She was not able to find anyone who could hand quilt the touchstone quilt before it needed to be finished. Musgrave and Porcella are already starting to plan for next year's collaboration. Rowell points out that the long arm quilting uses contrasting colors. Musgrave explains that she asked for the contrast and picked out the thread. She says the thread colors are better aesthetically and one of the contemporary features of the quilt. Hobbs Quilt Batting donated the Heirloom 80/20 batting used for the quilt. All of the other materials in the quilt are 100% cotton.

Keywords: Aesthetics; Batting/wadding; Hobbs Quilt Batting; Long arm quilting; Machine quilting; Nancy Brieschke; Yvonne Porcella; Hand quilting

Partial Transcript: When you were talking about the applique, you said that you had hand appliqued and...

Segment Synopsis: Both Musgrave and Porcella do needle turn applique. Musgrave says the quilt has a patriotic feel, and she thinks that by making this quilt she is "touching the past, while I help the present, and quilt into the future." She enjoyed continuing to collaborate with Porcella and the Alliance. Although their previous raffle was a success, Musgrave hopes that this year will be an even better fundraiser. Musgrave and Porcella are discussing making a quilt that is "traditional with a twist" for their next collaboration. Rowell praises their work and highlights that Musgrave and Porcella are both volunteers. Musgrave thinks it is important for people to know that this work is "a gift of great love."

Keywords: Collaboration; Needle turn applique; Quilt Alliance; Quilt purpose - Fundraising; Yvonne Porcella; Fabric - Color

Partial Transcript: Talk just a minute about, we have just some minutes left, about the other kinds of things that you are doing with the Alliance...

Segment Synopsis: Musgrave's other projects with the Alliance for American Quilts include being co-chair of the Q.S.O.S - Save Our Stories project and helping to launch their membership drive. Musgrave points out the purpose of moving to a membership model. She is also working on an initiative "to get quilt guilds more involved in the work of the Alliance." Musgrave encourages people to get involved with the Alliance's projects. Musgrave says that she can't give a lot of money to the Alliance, but she can donate her talent instead. She says, "quiltmaking is all about giving, so why not give to a quilt organization?"

Keywords: Quilt Alliance; Quilt guilds; Quilt preservation; Quilt history