QSOS Interview with Estella Spates

Pam Schultz (PS); Im Pam Schultz. Its about 12:35 and Im here to

interview Estella Spates. How are you, Estella?

Estella Spates (ES); Im well, thank you.

PS; Im Pam Schultz and Im interviewing Estella Spates at her home in

Battle Creek [Michigan. ]. This interview is being conducted for South Central

Michigan Quilters Save Our Stories project of the Alliance for American

Quilts. It is February 12 [2010.] and its about 12:35. How are you today, Estella?

ES; Im well, thank you.

PS; Tell me about the quilt you brought today.

ES; Okay, this quilt is called Three Dancers. The center of the quilt is

African women dancing. Actually that was a panel. The center of the quilt is a

panel. The parts that I want to emphasize are the borders. I did a braided

border on this quilt and I think it was fantastic. I enjoyed working on a

braided border. It makes the quilt just stand out. And so, I found this border

in a magazine and I really wanted to try it on something and this magazine had

a picture of an animal. Well, Im not animal friendly, so when I saw this

panel I said, Thats just the thing. And so I did the braided border on

this quilt and thats what, to me, makes this quilt stand out.

PS; What special meaning does this quilt have for you?

ES; Well, it really doesnt have a special meaning. I just like it because of

its beauty, its bright colors.

PS; It is beautiful. Why did you choose this quilt to bring to the interview?

ES; I chose this quilt because of the color. It is bright. It is an African-American quilt and I have felt myself, on occasion, getting into

African-American arts.

PS; What do you think about what this quilt says about you?

ES; That I am an African-American person.

PS; How do you use this quilt?

ES; Actually, I havent used this--well, I do use this quilt. I use this

quilt for displays and exhibits.

PS; And what are your plans for this quilt?

ES; I dont have any real plans for this quilt other than to exhibit it.

PS; Tell me about your interest in quilt-making.

ES; Well, my interest in quilt-making started, I would say, with Barbara Mason.

She was my neighbor. She was into quilting and I just sort of--she just sort

of tweaked my interest, so far as quilting is concerned. And so, I had found

these panels, not panels, these blocks and I said, Barbara, can I make a

quilt out of this? She said, Yeah, you can make it. Well what do I

do? She said, Sew them together. So I did and she came down and she

helped me to put the quilt together, to tie it and we ended up folding the

backing over for the binding. And so thats how I got started. But, she

continued my interest by giving me a gift certificate for a class taught by Ruth

Dean at her quilt in a day shop, quilt in a day quilt. [Qui lt N Go.] And she

continued my interest in quilting that way. And so I just really got into

quilting.

PS; How old were you when you started quilting.

ES; Oh. [laughs.] It was about ten years ago. Okay?

PS; And from whom did you learn to quilt?

ES; Well, from Barbara and from Ruth Dean.

PS; How many hours a week do you quilt?

ES; I dont have a schedule for quilting. I just do it when I have the time.

PS; And what is your first quilt memory?

ES; My first quilt memory goes back to when I was a child. I can remember lying

on top of a quilt and it had a lot of yellow in it. It kept my interest because

my fingers kept following the pattern of the quilt. And so, thats my first

memory of a quilt.

PS; How old do you think you were then?

ES; Oh, I was young. I was about first or second grade.

PS; Are there other quilt memories among your families or friends?

ES; There are lots of quilt-makers among my friends, but, my family, they

dont have the bug, yet.

PS; How does quilt-making impact your family?

ES; Oh, they like to receive them.

PS; Tell me if you have used quilts to get through a difficult time.

ES; I would say no, but I use quilts as a relaxation and they seem to calm me

down. When Im m aking a quilt I find it very peaceful. I find that Im

relaxed. I find that--I even sing when Im quilting because Im enjoying myself.

PS; Tell me about an amusing experience that has occurred from your quilt-making.

ES; An amusing, I dont know. I dont really have too many. I dont know.

I dont think I have any. Ill think of something later, probably.

PS; If you think of something well come back to that. What do you find

pleasing about quilt-making?

ES; Relaxation.

PS; What aspects of quilt-making do you not enjoy?

ES; Well, I think I pretty much enjoy everything. I guess the worst part is

basting a quilt, getting ready, making the sandwich, pin basting to get it ready

to be quilted.

PS; What art or quilt groups do you belong to?

ES; I belong to Cal-Co Quilters, quilt guild, I believe its called. Ladies

of Soul, [S.O.L.S.] a quilt circle, and Hospice Quilters. And I work with a

group at church thats called Quilt and Be Done.

PS; Have advances in technology influenced your work? And, if so, how?

ES; I think; that ever since Ive been quilting that it has been new things

coming out and one of the things that I did was, when I first started,

everything that came out, I was buying it. So, how have new advances influenced

my quilt-making? Made me poor because I was trying to buy everything that was

available. Now, Im at t he point--well what do I do with this? I

didnt know what to do with it when I bought it. I dont know how to use it

now. And so, its just one of those things.

PS; What are your favorite techniques and materials?

ES; Techniques and materials? Okay. Of course, cotton would be bright colors,

cotton would. Technique would be just sewing. I like piecing because that where

I get the most joy. Thats where I think Im more creative.

PS; Describe your studio or the place you create.

ES; Well, its a bedroom and it has a sewing machine and, of course, it has

some windows so I can peep out, keep an eye on the neighborhood. And my ironing

board a little ways away from the machine, and a cutting table and I have a

futon that can change into a bedroom if need be, and some book shelves.

PS; Tell me how you balance your time.

ES; I balance my time by trying to cut out stuff ahead of time and when I have,

like ten minutes in between, Ill go to the sewing machine, sew something.

And then put it away and next time I have another ten or twenty minutes, I can

do some more. I dont try to make a whole quilt in one setting.

PS; Do you use a design wall?

ES; No.

PS; Well, I just knocked out my next question. How do you go about designing

your quilts?

ES; It is called putting things on the bed.

PS; Okay, well then that would be your design wall.

ES; I just sort of--if I need to see it, I just put it out on the bed and look

at it that way.

PS; What do you think makes a great quilt?

ES; The colors, the pattern and whatever the quilter is trying to express.

PS; What makes a quilt artistically powerful?

ES; Hmm. Just the beauty of it. When its finished, to stand back and see it.

It makes it powerful, because all quilts, I think, have a certain amount of

beauty and thats found in the eye of the quilter or the eye of the person

thats looking at it. And so, if its powerful is because the colors are coming at you.

PS; What makes a quilt appropriate for a museum of a special collection?

ES; I think it is what it represents and the purpose of the exhibit. And so, if

I had a quilt in a museum then whatever the cloth was that I made it from,

whatever the colors were, then, yeah, that would make it appropriate for that.

But it has to be within the theme of the museum. Or, the exhibit , I should say.

PS; What makes a great quilt-maker?

ES; I think a great quilt-maker is a person who enjoys quilting and whos

recognized for her skill.

PS; Whose works are you drawn to, and why?

ES; I am really drawn to the Gees Bend Quilters. Now, why? Its like they are

utilitarian quilers. They are, to me, they are just so natural. Ive seen one

of their exhibits and I have one of their coffee-table books. And, I just like

what I see.

PS; Which artists have influenced you?

ES; I dont think that I have any--yes, lets say that Eleanor Burns. I

just like Eleanor Burns, the way that she demonstrates quilt-making on

television. I purchase her books. I just like what she does.

PS; How do you feel about machine quilting versus hand quilting?

ES; Well, I am not a hand quilter. And, so therefore, I would say machine

quilting is wonderful.

PS; What about long-arm quilting?

ES; Thats wonderful, too. As long as I dont have to do it by hand.

PS; Why is quilt-making important in your life?

ES; I guess it goes back to relaxation. It is a hobby that I find is calming,

relaxing and that I can see the creativity as I progress in making something.

PS; In what ways do your quilts reflect your community or your region?

ES; Well, I think that being an African-American person, that my quilts

reflect--some of my quilts reflect that I am an African-American person, and

that I enjoy making quilts.

PS; What do you think about the importance of quilts in American life?

ES; I think that it brings us together and that it connects us to our past as

well as lead us to our future.

PS; In what ways do you think quilts have special meaning for womens history

in America?

ES; Because I believe its an art that started with women and that women can

look at and say, Hey, this is ours. This is mine. And so, when you can do

that its very important to women in Am erica.

PS; How do you think quilts can be used?

ES; Oh, other than bedcovering? Table runners, table toppers, placemats, pot

holders. I get the greatest kick out of saving my little pieces, putting my

little pieces together and making potholders out of them. Wall hangings, couch

covers, oh, and garments and purses. Just many, many ways.

PS; How do you think quits can be preserved for the future?

ES; You know, Im not real sure that they need to be preserved for the future.

But, with careful washing, not letting them dry in the sun, by refolding them

every now and then, and keeping them in cotton bags or cotton pillow cases, they

might be preserved. But to me, I think quilts should be used and not put aside

so that the next generation can have them or see them, because who knows, the

next generation might just pass them on and give them away or just use them for

the dog or something else.

PS; What has happened to the quilts that you have made, or those of friends and family?

ES; Okay. Most of my nieces and nephews have received quilts and they use them.

I have, one of my sisters, she used hers and I have another sister whom I helped

to make one. She puts hers away because she doesnt want anybody to mess with

her quilts yet. But most of my quilts have been used and thats the reason

that I make them. Thats the reason why I give them away, is because I want

them to be used.

PS; What do you think is the biggest challenge confronting quilt-makers today?

ES; Not enough time. Theres so many things Id like to do, so many quilts

that I would like to make, but it takes time. And theres not enough time in

the day to do all the many, many things that I would like to do.

PS; Is there anything else youd like to talk about?

ES; No, I think Ive exhausted my thoughts.

PS; Okay. Well, thank you Estella.

ES; Youre welcome.