Interview with Pat Sloan, March 18, 2022

Partial Transcript: Designer, author, lecturer, and YouTuber Pat Sloan truly is the voice of quilting.

Segment Synopsis: Frances O'Roark Dowell introduces Pat Sloan. Dowell discusses Sloan's work in the quilting world, including designing and publishing patterns, traveling and teaching quiltmaking, writing quilt books, designing fabric lines, and developing online quilting communities through Facebook and YouTube.

Keywords: Frances O'Roark Dowell; Online quilt communities; Published work - Patterns; Quilt business; Teaching quiltmaking

Subjects: Quiltmakers--United States; Sloan, Pat

Partial Transcript: And I'm excited - I'm very excited to start by talking about this beautiful quilt behind you.

Segment Synopsis: Sloan introduces the touchstone quilt, "Times Remembered," a folk art applique quilt she made. She talks about moving to Northern Virginia and joining a guild that had many quilters interested in applique. Sloan learned to applique and explains the kinds of quilts she wanted to make. She describes the influence of traditional quilting, especially Baltimore Album quilts, in the area where she learned to quilt. Sloan describes a quilt show she saw in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and its influence on her. She talks about the process of designing her touchstone quilt and mentions why the quilt is important to her.

Keywords: Applique; Baltimore Album quilts; Lancaster; Learning quiltmaking; Pennsylvania; Quilt design; Quilt guild; Quilt shows/exhibitions; Times Remembered; Traditional quilts

Subjects: Quilts--Design

Partial Transcript: And speaking of stories, I want to know, when did you make your first quilt, and why?

Segment Synopsis: Sloan briefly describes the first quilt she made in 1978. She explains how a friend convinced her to make a second quilt by taking a quilting class. After taking the quilting class, Sloan was hooked on quilting and knew she wanted to make many more quilts.

Keywords: Hand quilting; Learning quiltmaking; Quilt Purpose - Bedcovering; Quiltmaking classes

Partial Transcript: Now this next question, it's kind of a wild one, because it's "what have been some of the most important moments for you as a quiltmaker," but you have had such a long and varied career as a quiltmaker, I'm going to be very interesed to hear which ones you pick out.

Segment Synopsis: Sloan discusses some of her first big moments in her quilting career, including publishing a quilt book and designing a fabric line. She goes into more detail about starting a live Internet radio channel, which was an early version of a podcast. She also discusses traveling to teach quiltmaking in other communities where quilters live.

Keywords: Published work - Patterns; Quilt business; Quilt podcasts; Traveling for quilt shows

Subjects: Internet radio broadcasting

Partial Transcript: Now, I want to back up a little bit, because there is that moment that you were a, I don't know if you were a computer tech person or a programmer. I mean, you started that career back in the day, when people were like "what's a computer?"

Segment Synopsis: Sloan describes her transition from being a computer coder for twenty years to starting her own quilting business. She talks about always wanting to have her own business and deciding to switch careers at the age of 40, as well as her husband's involvement in the business. She alludes to some challenges early in the life of the business and mentions the first kinds of work she did, including publishing quiltmaking patterns and working with magazines.

Keywords: Published work - Patterns; Quilt business; Teaching quiltmaking

Partial Transcript: And then I would love to talk about the teaching, because again, you know, you are a, it sounds funny, like a quilting personality.

Segment Synopsis: Sloan discusses what she enjoys about teaching quiltmaking. She explains how traveling impacted the types of classes that she developed and taught. She also talks about her transition from teaching in person to making videos on YouTube. She often talked about her personal quiltmaking history while traveling and teaching classes.

Keywords: Teaching quiltmaking; Traveling for quilt shows

Partial Transcript: Um, I want to talk about, it's funny, obviously, you are an amazing quiltmaker, and you actually had an exhibit of your quilts at the Virginia Quilt Museum, which is a really big deal.

Segment Synopsis: Sloan describes her experience with creating a one-woman quilt show about her quiltmaking history at the Virginia Quilt Museum. She describes why it is important for museums to do single-person exhibits, because it shows an artist's development over time. Sloan mentions an early quilt that she wasn't excited to include in the exhibit, but it helped to show her quiltmaking progress.

Keywords: Quilt Purpose - Exhibition; Quilt shows/exhibitions

Subjects: Museums; Virginia Quilt Museum

Partial Transcript: Well, when, have you gone to similar exhibits of other people's work, or certainly I'm sure you've gone to a lot of quilt shows.

Segment Synopsis: Sloan shares her opinions about what kinds of quilts grab her eye at museums. She makes a distinction between showing quilts in a quilt show compared to a museum. Sloan focuses on design impact and color combination more than workmanship.

Keywords: Aesthetics; Quilt design; Quilt shows/exhibitions

Subjects: Museums; Quilts--Design

Partial Transcript: Let's move on, because I want to talk about something that I think is really important to you, and that is creating community.

Segment Synopsis: Sloan explains how she first began looking for other quilters online around 1998. She discusses how the Internet is useful for creating community. She mentions why she thinks she has been successful in creating online communities and explains how much time she spends online. She talks about how she keeps her communities from dividing over political or other controversial topics.

Keywords: Friendships through quilting; Online quilt communities

Partial Transcript: Yeah, that's another thing I want to talk about, because in our discussion before the interview, I was like you know, "talk about quilts in American society," or whatever, and you're just like "we're bigger." Your audience is not just American. It is global, and that is important to you.

Segment Synopsis: Sloan describes how she and others are part of a global community of quilters. She thinks quilting is its own language, and quilters can communicate by showing their quilts to each other. Online translations for posts on Facebook also eliminate language barriers. Sloan wants quiltmakers across the world to see each other's work and celebrate each other, which is why she wants to be part of the global quilting community.

Keywords: Online quilt communities

Subjects: Quiltmakers

Partial Transcript: And I would love it, I know you, I believe you've taken a group of quilters to China?

Segment Synopsis: Sloan talks about taking a trip to China with other quilters organized through McCall's magazine. The tour group went to textile destinations including to see silk being made and to visit fabric stores. Sloan mistakenly purchased Laura Burch fabric from a store because she didn't recognize the design. She also taught classes for the quiltmakers attending the trip. On a similar trip to Ireland, Sloan arranged visits with two quilt guilds in Killarney and Dublin. She also learned that there are not many quilt shops in Ireland.

Keywords: China; Dublin; Fabric/Quilt shops; Fiber - Silk; Ireland; Killarney; Laura Burch; Quilt guild; Teaching quiltmaking

Subjects: McCall Publishing Company

Partial Transcript: Well, I want to talk -- again, this is -- we're talking in March 2022, and you are doing a fundraiser for Ukraine.

Segment Synopsis: Sloan describes her reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and how she developed a fundraiser to support Ukrainians. She talks about how much support there has been for the fundraiser from the global quilting community. At the time of the interview, the fundraiser has raised $200,000 from twenty-one countries. Sloan mentions how she has incorporated quilting into the fundraiser by designing a quilt block people can make at home and organizing a quilt drive that will send quilts to Ukraine. She also discusses the process of organizing something that is totally new to her and how it is stressful.

Keywords: Donating quilts; Quilt Purpose - Charity; Quilt Purpose - Fundraising; Ukraine

Subjects: UNICEF

Partial Transcript: Pat, it's been amazing to talk to you.

Segment Synopsis: Sloan talks about how she enjoys the social and talking aspects of what she does. She likes the community part of quiltmaking and being able to communicate with other quilters.

Keywords: Online quilt communities; Social quiltmaking activities

Partial Transcript: Is there anything that you wish I'd asked you?

Segment Synopsis: Sloan encourages listeners to join her YouTube channel and Facebook group, Quilt Along With Pat Sloan. Dowell and Sloan then conclude the interview.

Keywords: Online quilt communities; Quilt Along With Pat Sloan

Subjects: Facebook (Electronic resource); YouTube (Electronic resource)