Quilters' S.O.S- Save Our Stories
2002
Quilters' S.O.S. - Save Our Stories
By Karen Musgrave
Published in Blanket Statements, Newsletter of the American Quilt Study Group
Spring 2002
Don't miss the opportunity to participate in Quilters' S.O.S. - Save Our Stories (Q.S.O.S.), an oral history project of The Alliance for American Quilts in partnership with the Regional Center for the Quilt at the Center for American Material Culture Studies, University of Delaware. We will be offering a Pre-Seminar Study Center Workshop at the AQSG Conference in Rockford, Illinois on Friday, October 5, 2002. For those who cannot attend the seminar on Friday but would like to learn about Q.S.O.S., we will also be leading a round table discussion on Saturday, October 6.
Q.S.O.S. is a remarkable national grassroots project that you can successfully implement in your quilting community. We have been collecting, preserving and publishing online the stories of today's quiltmakers for over three years.
Learn hands-on how to conduct an oral history project that is simple, inexpensive and inclusive. The morning session introduces you to the fundamentals of Q.S.O.S. In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to participate in actual interviews that will be included in the project.
"We never stop to wonder until a person's gone. We never yearn to know him 'til he's packed and traveled on. When someone is around us, we never stop to ask," wrote Dory Previn, singer/song writer. Q.S.O.S. wants to ensure that we also document and preserve the memories and feelings of present day quiltmakers through tape-recorded interviews. Each interview is intended to run approximately forty-five minutes and to stand as a recorded conversation about observations and questions springing from a quilt or related object. These interviews are not intended to record comprehensive biographies but to create a broadly accessible body of information for anyone interested in quiltmaking. Each quiltmaker interviewed is asked to bring one "touchstone" object (this can be a quilt or quilted garment) that she considers significant to her own quilting practice, preferably a quilt of her own making. The touchstone object serves as both a point of departure and reference for the interview. Tape recorders and techniques are designed to be easily acquired and used by individuals with minimum training.
Because quilts matter, The Alliance for American Quilts, a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization since 1993, brings together quiltmakers and designers, the quilt industry, quilt scholars and teachers, and quilt collectors in the cause of documenting, preserving, and sharing our great American heritage. The Alliance is committed to collecting rich stories that historic and contemporary quilts tell about the nation's diverse people and communities.
Q.S.O.S. is managed by a task force of volunteers from all over the country. The task force consists of Dr. Bernard Herman and Le Rowell (co-chairs) with Dr. Patricia Crews, Marcie Ferris, Jan Gessin, Amy Henderson, Paul and Kay Jones, Patricia Keller, Judy Kreihn and Karen Musgrave.
Last year in Williamsburg, three Q.S.O.S. interviews were conducted by Amy Henderson. In one of the interviews Teddy Pruett shared,
"I had to think this up several years ago for an artist's statement for something and it always stands me in good stead. The fact that I started as most quiltmakers with lessons and follow all the rules and make my points pointy and my corners match and all like that. And I really worked hard at it and harder and harder at it. And I am really not a great technician. Once I came to terms with that and I thought well if I can't follow the rules then I'll break them and not worry. And once I quit worrying about it, it's been phenomenal. The joy is back and the fun is back. And if you don't care what people think, then it's no holds barred quilting and that's what I like. Just follow your instincts."
Teddy Pruett's interview with "The Eggplant that Ate Baltimore" has been transcribed and is available online. Her words convey the spirit of what Q.S.O.S. is trying to accomplish. There are over 80 interviews in six different projects with more being posted all the time. Online is also a comprehensive Manual, containing everything you need to know to conduct your own Q.S.O.S. project. To learn more, check out the interviews and manual at www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/qsos/
We are also looking for volunteers to be interviewed. You will need to bring a quilt that has significance to you. If you are interested or have any questions about Q.S.O.S., please contact either Amy Henderson (202-237-2088) or Karen Musgrave (630-579-1024).
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