Interview with Elsie Thomas Houston, September 20, 2005

Partial Transcript: We are interviewing Elsie Thomas Houston, No. 20002-016, during a Daughters of Dorcas meeting in Washington, D.C. on September 20th, 2005. The interviewer is Evelyn Salinger.

Segment Synopsis: Houston brought two touchstone quilts to the interview. The first quilt is a wall hanging depicting a Native American Hopi dancer. When Houston made this quilt, it was the first time she used three-dimensional elements, including feathers and beads, to embellish the surface. The border is wavy rather than being straight. Houston saw a similar design for a border in a quilting magazine, but the basic pattern she used for the quilt was created by Arlene Walsh. [Walsh's name was not recorded during the interview, but the transcript was annotated to include it.] Houston used a combination of machine quilting and hand work for this project. Salinger and Houston discuss the colors and techniques she used. Houston made the quilt for herself and plans to hang it in her home.

Keywords: Applique; Borders; Daughters of Dorcas; Embellishment techniques; Evelyn Salinger; Hand applique; Machine quilting; Quilt purpose - Home decoration; Techniques; Arlene Walsh

Partial Transcript: Okay. And could I ask you about your second item you brought today?

Segment Synopsis: Houston's second touchstone item is the first quilted jacket she made. Houston and several other members of the Daughters of Dorcas made jackets after seeing Karen Boutte demonstrate a similar project on television. Houston used what she learned from the demonstration to create a jacket inspired by her African American heritage. The jacket is jungle-themed and is constructed from several layers of fabric. Houston used fusible applique to add illustrations of plants and animals to the top layer of the fabric.

Keywords: Applique; Fabric - Fused; Fusible applique; Fusing; Karen Boutte; Wearable art; Christine Bradford

Subjects: African American quiltmakers

Partial Transcript: You certainly enjoy your quilting, don't you?

Segment Synopsis: Houston likes quilting, but she does not quilt as much as she would like to. She doesn't consider herself to be a traditional quilter. Instead, she prefers to make projects that challenge her, which means her projects are very different from each other. Hand applique is the part of quiltmaking that she likes the most. Houston spent her childhood in Southeast Washington, D.C. She learned how to sew from her mother, along with some crocheting and knitting. Her mother gave Houston a sewing machine when she turned twenty. However, she didn't use it until she began working and realized that it was expensive to buy clothing. She did not need dressy clothing as much when she retired, so Houston started making much less of it. She began quilting around the same time. Houston and her husband visited a museum in Annapolis, Maryland with a quilt exhibit, which is where she learned about the Daughters of Dorcas and the Uhuru Quilters Guild. Later, she contacted the Charles Sumner School, who put her in touch with a Daughters of Dorcas member, Ruth Hamlin Stokes, who gave her information about the guild's meetings.

Keywords: Hand applique; Home sewing machine; Quilt shows/exhibitions; Ruth Hamlin Stokes; Time management; Uhuru Quilters Guild, Inc.; Daughters of Dorcas

Subjects: Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives; Charles Sumner School (Washington, D.C.)

Partial Transcript: I guess I wanted to know if you had, what is your earliest memory of quilting and quilters?

Segment Synopsis: Houston doesn't remember seeing her mother or grandmother quilting. She thinks the family quilting tradition started with her. Houston worked in several different departments of the District of Colombia government. She started her career as a nurse, but began doing administrative work after an injury. She was married for twenty-three years before being widowed. Her mother is ninety-three years old and still lives on her own and sews.

Keywords: Family; Mothers; Home sewing machine

Partial Transcript: You said your favorite aspect of quilting is the applique. What other things have you made over the years?

Segment Synopsis: Houston's first two quilts were three dimensional. She says, "Everyone told me I'd picked the hardest thing to do, but like I said, I like a challenge, so..." She showed those quilts in exhibits at the Charles Sumner School and also in a show organized by her other guild. Houston points out that quilting does not need to be done with a sewing machine and it can be done anywhere. Houston keeps pictures of her quilt projects and says, "I try to remember to date them." She mentions sewing two quilts as commissions, but Houston usually makes them either for herself or as charitable projects sponsored by her quilt guilds.

Keywords: Applique; Nine Patch - quilt pattern; Quilt Purpose - Charity; Quilt guilds; Quilt shows/exhibitions; Daughters of Dorcas

Subjects: Charles Sumner School (Washington, D.C.); Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives

Partial Transcript: I was going to ask you, you seem to have a fascination, I know from before, with Native American? Would you tell me what your interest is there?

Segment Synopsis: Houston heard from her mother that Houston's grandmother said their family had Mohawk ancestry from around the Hudson River. Houston never discussed that with her grandmother, but she says that her grandmother's features looked Native American. Houston later became interested in Native American culture. For roughly a decade starting in 1994, she had recurring dreams about living and running a bookstore in New York state. She started researching African Americans with mixed Native American ancestry and found an article in Native American magazine about a bed and breakfast in New York state. Houston then went to a pow wow on the National Mall and started reading more material about Native Americans.

Keywords: Family; National Museum of the American Indian; Native American Magazine; Grandmothers

Subjects: Mall, The (Washington, D.C.); Mohawk Indians

Partial Transcript: You said you have a lot of other interests, too, what else do you do, besides reading?

Segment Synopsis: Houston read a lot when she was younger, but then stopped reading as much. She started reading again after being widowed, because it keeps her mind occupied in the evenings. She also started taking graphic design classes at the University of Maryland. Houston has never taken quilting classes, but she taught herself to quilt by reading.

Keywords: Hobbies; Learning quiltmaking; University of Maryland

Partial Transcript: Oh, you know what I'm doing now? I'm dyeing fabric and selling it.

Segment Synopsis: Houston and Mary Jo Dolphin bought supplies and started dyeing fabric in Houston's basement. Houston decided the dyeing process was too much work, so she has started painting and selling fabric as fat quarters instead. When asked if she has made anything using the fabric, Houston says that she created one quilt in a multi-color design on a black background. Houston and Salinger discuss the quilt's design briefly.

Keywords: Mary Jo Dolphin; Painting; Quilt purpose - Personal income; Fabric dyeing

Subjects: Textile painting

Partial Transcript: How has quilting had meaning for the American woman?

Segment Synopsis: Houston says quilting became a form of expression for women who didn't have many expressive outlets. She is impressed by contemporary and traditional quilts, as well as by the talents of quiltmakers. Houston thinks that quiltmaking is an art form. Houston advises beginning quiltmakers to start by learning how to make traditional quilts. Once quilters have learned the basic skills, they can follow their intuition, even if it means breaking the rules. Houston adds that she has a pad for jotting down images or ideas that she wants to eventually incorporate into quilts.

Keywords: Nine Patch - quilt pattern; Quilt history; Quilt purpose - Art or personal expression; Quilt purpose - Artistic expression; Traditional quilts; Four Patch - quilt pattern

Partial Transcript: So, this has been a great hobby for you since your retirement.

Segment Synopsis: Houston thinks she needs to find some new interests during her retirement, but she's not sure what they would be. She does want to start designing her own quilts. Houston is becoming more interested in abstract contemporary quilts than traditional quilts. Houston says she was mentioned in the newspaper and on the local news for features about the Daughters of Dorcas. Houston mentions she is also interested in carpentry, but she thinks that she is too old for it. Salinger encourages Houston to try carpentry and woodworking anyway.

Keywords: Hobbies; J.C. Hayward; Quilt design; Daughters of Dorcas