Interview with Mary Andrews, March 6, 2008

Partial Transcript: This is Karen Musgrave, and I'm doing a Quilter's S.O.S. - Save Our Stories interview with Mary Andrews. Today's date is March 6th, 2008. It is 12:21 in the afternoon. And Mary is in Grand Block, Michigan, and I'm in Naperville, Illinois, so we're conducting this interview by telephone. We're also doing a special Quilter's S.O.S. - Save Our Story, which is based on the exhibition Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece by Piece, and Mary's quilt "Violets for Irene" is in the exhibition.

Segment Synopsis: Andrews' mother had a form of dementia in the 1960s and 1970s. There was not a name for the disease at that time, but she thinks that the symptoms of Alzheimer's correspond with her mother's symptoms. The Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece by Piece project was an opportunity to create "a tribute to my mother, because she was the one who taught me how to sew," a skill essential to Andrews' development as a quilter. Andrews' mother also encouraged her creativity in other ways. The color purple and violets, both of which Andrews' mother was quite found of, were significant aspects of the quilt design. The crazy quilting in the border is reminiscent of a family quilt and also hints at the mental changes which are part of Alzheimer's.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece by Piece; Ami Simms; Crazy quilts; Family; Quilt design; Sewing; Violets for Irene

Subjects: Quilts--Design

Partial Transcript: And it helps that you have, um, fiber running through it also.

Segment Synopsis: The features Andrews contributed to the quilt (as opposed to those features based on her mother's preferences) include the fibers incorporated into it and the hand-dyed cloth she used in the background. When asked if the touchstone quilt is typical of her work, Andrews says, "Um, sort of, I guess, I dabble in everything." Because her work is so varied, Andrews does not think she has an identifiable style. She admits, however, that some people can identify her work, because she likes to use bright colors and hand-dyed fabric. Andrews is not sure what she will do with the quilt in the long-run, but is leaning towards donating it to something related to Alzheimer's.

Keywords: Aesthetics; Fabric - Hand-dyed; Fabric dyeing; Quilt Purpose - Charity; Quilt Purpose - Memorial; Quilt design; Quilt purpose - Disease/illness; Techniques

Partial Transcript: Have you seen the exhibit?

Segment Synopsis: Andrews has not yet seen the Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece by Piece exhibit, although she has seen some of the individual quilts when helping Ami Simms with some of the preparations for the show. The exhibit has not yet been shown in Simms' area, and she is anticipating that she may have to go elsewhere to view it. Andrews also transcribed written comments left by visitors to the show, so she has some idea of its impact. When asked about her experience recording her artist statement for the CD put out in conjunction with the show, Andrews said it was difficult. She practiced reading it multiple times and, even so, had to read it multiple times before she got it right.

Keywords: Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece by Piece; Ami Simms; Artist statement; Quilt shows/exhibitions

Partial Transcript: Um, tell me about your interest in, in quiltmaking. Talk about it being in your family.

Segment Synopsis: Although Andrews' great-grandmother made a quilt, Andrews never met her. No one in Andrews' family quilted while she was growing up, although her grandmother and mother engaged in other fabric crafts. Following her mother's death, Andrews found some Sunbonnet Sue quilt squares in her attic. Andrews asked a quilter how to quilt the squares, and she spent five years hand quilting them. This experience nearly put an end to her quilting, but when she wanted to buy a quilt and realized how much they cost, she became seriously interested in quilting. Andrews took classes and became involved in a guild. Hand-dyeing is one of Andrews' favorite techniques, and she recently tried snow dyeing. She describes a couple of recent snow dyeing projects in detail. Andrews also likes working with surface design. She considers herself an artist rather than a traditional quilter. She tried traditional quilting, but that felt it had too many rules.

Keywords: Art quiltmaking; Fabric - Hand-dyed; Fabric dyeing; Family; Grandmothers; Hand quilting; Learning quiltmaking; Mothers; Sunbonnet Sue - quilt pattern; Techniques

Partial Transcript: You mentioned belonging to a guild. Do you belong to any other art or quilt groups?

Segment Synopsis: After a post-retirement period when Andrews joined more groups than was compatible with working on her art, she narrowed her participation down to two art quilt groups. Andrews also annually curates a travelling exhibit of art quilts, the Michigan Quilt Artist Invitational, which involves rotating a set of dozens of art quilts through different display venues in hospitals and libraries across Michigan. The impetus for the show was a desire to demonstrate to the general public that quilts are art that can be displayed on walls, not just put on beds. The organizers found the original venues through the arts council in their area and expanded from there. Andrews reports that the quilts are well-received. The Invitational chooses a different theme every year.

Keywords: Art quilts; Michigan Quilt Artist Invitational; Quilt shows/exhibitions

Partial Transcript: So, you consider yourself an art quilter. Do you think of yourself more as an artist, or a quiltmaker, or do you make that distinction?

Segment Synopsis: Andrews currently considers herself to be an artist, rather than a quiltmaker. Despite initial hesitancy about the term, she now describes herself as an artist who creates quilts that are displayed on walls. She says that if she describes herself as a quilter, people assume that she makes quilts for beds. Whereas if she describes herself as an artist, people will ask her about the type of art she does. Andrews thinks that the biggest challenge now for quilters, in general, are that there are so many possible choices and directions that it is not possible to try all of the options. For art quilters, the biggest challenge is competition with other art quilters, as the quality of many quilt artists and their quilts is quite high. This is especially true for artists interested in entering shows and competing for prizes and for artists hoping to sell their work.

Keywords: Art quiltmaking; Art quilts; Quilt Purpose - Exhibition; Quilt purpose - Personal income

Partial Transcript: Describe your studio.

Segment Synopsis: Andrews' studio is in her very large bedroom. She has cabinets for fabric and books. Typically she works on several projects simultaneously. For messy tasks, such as hand-dyeing, she has an additional and quite messy studio in the basement. Andrews is not sure how many hours a week she spends on quilting, but does some art-related work every day. The time she has varies from day to day, but she prioritizes her art when under a deadline.

Keywords: Home studio; Time management; Work or Studio space

Partial Transcript: Whose works are you drawn to and why?

Segment Synopsis: Andrews is particularly drawn to art quilts. She also likes traditional quilts, but finds them much less varied than art quilts. She does not think she has a favorite artist. She credits Ami Simms with having been a major influence on her work. Andrews handled the arrangements to have Simms present and teach at her quilt guild, so that she could meet Simms. Shortly after that, Andrews volunteered to make two quilts for Simms' book on classic quilts [probably Classic Quilts: Patchwork Designs from Ancient Rome]. Andrews was still a relatively new quilter at that point and found Simms very helpful as she worked on the quilts. Andrews learned about photo transfer from Simms. Andrews had many family photographs, which she used as the basis of a photo transfer quilt. Simms included a picture of it in her book Creating Scrapbook Quilts. Andrews went on, with encouragement from Simms, to enter that quilt in the American Quilter's Society (AQS)'s show. Andrews also learned a lot from Simms by helping with her own work. The other big influence on Andrews has been Nancy Crow, with whom she has taken classes.

Keywords: American Quilter's Society (AQS); Ami Simms; Classic Quilts: Patchwork Designs from Ancient Rome; Creating Scrapbook Quilts; Nancy Crow; Photography/photo transfer; Quilt National

Partial Transcript: Is there anything about quiltmaking that you don't like?

Segment Synopsis: Andrews initial response when asked if there is anything about quilting she does not like is "I don't like, machine quilting big bed quilts." Later she says she enjoys everything about quiltmaking, although she often has some trouble figuring out how she will handle the quilting. Andrews has contributed perhaps five or six quilts to the Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt Challenge and has a few more awaiting completion of the paperwork. Andrews likes working on a small scale, anyway, and is impressed by the amount of money the priority quilts have raised for Alzheimer's. Andrews and the interviewer are both pleased that the money will be going to research. Andrews expresses her fears of getting Alzheimer's.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Machine quilting; Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilt Challenge; Quilt Purpose - Charity; Quilt Purpose - Fundraising

Partial Transcript: What do you think makes a, a, an, artistically powerful quilt?

Segment Synopsis: Andrews identifies artistically powerful quilts as those that elicit a response of "wow." She adds "if the quilt, makes you look and look some more, and, you walk away, and then you want to walk back and look at it again, I think that's an artistically powerful quilt." When she is at quilt shows, she is attracted to some quilts much more than others, but is not sure which features or mixture of features account for that. Andrews' primary advice to quilters is to learn the maximum amount possible and to spend time with other quilters. More specifically, she advises taking classes, learning by doing, reading books, and going to quilt retreats. When asked how her family feels about her quiltmaking, Andres says, "Oh, they're, they're just, used to it." There are many quilts both in the houses of her family members and in her own house.

Keywords: Family; Learning quiltmaking; Quilt design; Quilt shows/exhibitions; quilting retreat

Partial Transcript: So why is quilting important to you?

Segment Synopsis: Andrews thinks that the importance of quiltmaking for her lies in the fact that it is what she likes doing. Her happiness arises from making quilts. She has always done fiber crafts of some kind. When she goes on vacation, she finds a quilting retreat, where she can make things with her hands and learn new things, is ideal. When asked why she works with fabric, instead of some other medium, Andrews says that she has dabbled with other mediums, but returns to fabric again and again. In childhood, Andrews' mother would take her to the fabric department of a store, and Andrews would watch her mother sewing, and desire to learn sewing skills. She adds, "I've just always been around, fabric and I love working with it."

Keywords: Fabric art; Family; Mothers

Partial Transcript: I always give people an opportunity before we close to, um, share anything else I, I haven't touched on.

Segment Synopsis: When given a chance to comment on any topics not covered in the interview, Andrews talks about Ami Simms. Andrews knows not only Simms, but Simms' mother. Andrews and some other people used to go to a tapdancing class with Simms and her mother, when the mother was living with Simms. Andrews says, "I've always found what, the things that Ami does amazing, but this Alzheimer's exhibit is really the most amazing thing that I think that she's done..." Andrews praises the amount of time and energy Simms has devoted to this project. Andrews also notes how supportive Simms' family has been. Andrews' two favorite quilts from the exhibition are "Unforgettable" and "Alzheimer's Thief." Musgrave identifies the creators of those pieces as Tammie Bowser and Sonia Callahan, respectively.

Keywords: Alzheimer's Disease; Alzheimer's Thief; Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece by Piece; Ami Simms; Family; Sonia Callahan; Tammie Bowser; Unforgettable

Partial Transcript: Well, I want to thank you for taking time out of your day to do this with me and to talk about the exhibition and Ami especially. We are going to conclude our interview, and it is now 1:04, so thank you.

Segment Synopsis: Musgrave concludes the interview. Andrews thanks Musgrave for interviewing the quilters from the Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece by Piece exhibition. Musgrave says that it is her way of contributing to the project and "to broaden the stories behind the quilts."

Keywords: Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece by Piece; Karen Musgrave; Quilt documentation