0:00:01.3 Jean Hatch (JH): Your address? This is Nell Flohrs. And your address is.

0:00:08.4 Nell Flohrs: 610 East 1st Street South in Truman, Minnesota.

0:00:14.9 JH: And your telephone number?

0:00:20.2 NF: 776-2053.

0:00:22.3 JH: That's area code 507.

0:00:25.5 NF: 507.

0:00:26.8 JH: And your schooling experience?

0:00:29.4 NF: Only went to the... Through the eight grades.

0:00:33.5 JH: And was that a rural school?

0:00:36.4 NF: I started in a rural school until in the second grade. Then I went to the... To Welcome School for six years.

0:00:42.5 JH: Oh. Okay.

0:00:43.0 NF: And then I finished my last year in a grade school again.

0:00:51.0 JH: In the country.

0:00:52.0 NF: In the country. Yeah.

0:00:56.1 JH: And did you do some work, outside the home before you were married?

0:01:03.3 NF: Yes, I did housework for various people. I was three summers and one winter at Babe and Ray Miller's.

0:01:15.2 JH: Oh, and they had little kids then?

0:01:23.3 NF: Yes, the first four.

0:01:25.5 JH: Okay. Well, that prepared you well, didn't it.

[laughter]

0:01:28.9 NF: Well, I was the oldest of six at home, so always around little kids.

0:01:39.4 JH: I don't think I asked you your birth date. Did I?

0:01:43.8 NF: March 10th, 1919. I was born in Cass County, Iowa.

0:01:49.7 JH: Cass county.

0:01:51.2 NF: Cass County.

0:01:51.8 JH: And that, what town would that...

0:01:54.1 NF: The nearest town was Griswold.

0:01:58.6 JH: Okay. Now, what other interests do you have besides quilting?

0:02:08.8 NF: Oh, I've done lots of sewing through the years, and gardening and flowers.

0:02:17.1 JH: I saw your garden as I came in, and I can see from the window here. Very active in your Garden club, I know.

0:02:28.6 NF: Yes. My garden club.

0:02:32.1 JH: And Minnesota Horticulture Society, your area. Well, you have a broad range of interests. Keeps life...

0:02:45.3 NF: Keeps you busy. We were married.

0:02:50.8 JH: Now how old were you when you...

[overlapping conversation]

0:02:53.3 NF: Oh, I probably was 14, 15, like that.

0:02:56.7 JH: Okay.

0:02:56.7 NF: When I first started.

0:02:58.2 JH: How old were you when you lost your own mother?

0:03:01.0 NF: I was 10.

0:03:04.6 JH: Yeah, do you remember your own mother quilting?

0:03:08.1 NF: No, I don't think she ever quilted.

0:03:10.8 JH: But your...

0:03:11.3 NF: We used to do the tied quilts.

0:03:12.8 JH: Okay. So it was really your Iowa family who got you started.

0:03:19.0 NF: Started just making a quilt, then my mother-in-law didn't quilt much, but she liked to make quilts. She put quilts together, and then she'd do feather stitch on the edges of the blocks and just tie 'em. Then she made some baby quilts and we daughter-in-laws would help her quilt those. That's my first quilting by hand.

0:03:51.2 JH: I think I interrupted you when you were talking about the neck tie quilt. Did I understand you to say that you got that finished before you were married?

0:04:04.1 NF: Yes. I had that all sewn together before we were married, and right after we were married, I went to my folks and Mom helped me tie it. And that's the quilt we used when we were first married. So it's had a lot of wear.

0:04:20.5 JH: Did you ever make another neck tie quilt?

0:04:21.0 NF: No, [laughter] Always have to try a different pattern.

0:04:27.6 JH: Oh, good. That's interesting to know that you always used a different pattern. You mentioned that this one you tied, did you then later do quilted quilts, hand-quilted quilts?

0:04:47.3 NF: Well, the first one I really quilted for myself was the quilt top that my step grandmother gave me before I was married.

0:04:56.9 JH: Okay. Maybe to get a time perspective on this, what year were you married?

0:05:02.9 NF: 1940.

0:05:04.2 JH: 1940, all right.

0:05:04.9 NF: And she made quilt tops, many of 'em, and then she'd give them away to relatives. And so she gave me one before we were married. So it laid for probably 20 years before I finally decided to go get some material put on the back and then we had a quilting party of the neighbors.

0:05:27.0 JH: All right.

0:05:29.6 NF: And that's the first one I really quilted.

0:05:33.3 JH: Those were your neighbors out here in Galena?

0:05:36.5 NF: Yeah, like Eunice and I remember Marlene the first time she had ever quilted, and Velma Winkelman. I can't think right now. Those anyway.

0:05:53.2 JH: Some of your neighbors out in Galena township.

0:05:56.9 NF: [0:05:57.3] ____ was one of them.

0:06:04.1 JH: Then how would you describe the quilts you worked on at that time? Were they quilts that your family needed for bed covers or were you making quilts for the creative satisfaction of making them?

0:06:22.2 NF: Well, I suppose that  first one was made to be used. And this one has never been used. Yes, it has been used. I've had it on my bed at times. Like a spread the one that my grandmother made.

0:06:40.9 JH: Have you made quilts kind of continuously through these last 50-some years, or have you have... Has your quilt-making been interrupted by family concerns? [chuckle]

0:07:01.7 NF: Probably so, because I didn't have time then. First year I was married, I started a butterfly quilt, which has never been finished yet. Someday I'm gonna finish that. Then I didn't do anything till these latter years, and my mother-in-law always made a quilt for when we got married. In fact, yes, I have a quilt from the great-grandmother when we got married, so then I kind of started this for my grandkids now, so that's... So I'm busy making quilts for them.

0:07:35.8 JH: Okay. So a lot of your quilt-making associations come from your husband's family.

0:07:44.1 NF: Yes.

0:07:44.9 JH: From the Flohrs family. Okay. They apparently then had been making quilts for quite a long time. You said one from his great-grandmother?

0:07:56.9 NF: No, this is from my great-grandmother.

0:07:58.7 JH: Oh, your great-grandmother.

0:08:00.3 NF: Oh, the one, yes, when we were married, got that from his grandma, Grandma Drayfahl.

0:08:07.8 JH: Oh, okay.

0:08:10.4 NF: Now, I remember we did quilt a little bit when we were first... When I was first married, I helped his mother quilt, just very simple like...

0:08:25.3 JH: Was there quite a bit of quilt-making in that community?

0:08:30.6 NF: I don't think so until those latter years. I think it's the same situation now. Eunice is my age and she's got more time, and the girls all do quilting, where they didn't the time before.

0:08:45.0 JH: Now, the earlier generation, I recall that the Kiehl women made quilts. But did you ever get involved in quilting with them, or...

0:09:00.4 NF: Yes, I think I quilted on one of Dorothy's, which her mother had made, and Nelda used to put a... put quilts together, and I quilted on a couple of those.

0:09:12.6 JH: And some of the stories I know I've heard from this community, which is where I live too, where Louise Kiehl and Emm Kiel making quilts. It's from there I heard the story about, "Well, when different people quilt on a quilt, and the stitches aren't all the same length, once you get it out of the frame, you take it from the four corners and really give it a couple of good snaps and it all kind of comes together." [chuckle]

0:09:49.3 NF: That's Sue Christensen, she always said that.

0:09:53.3 JH: Yeah. And her mother said that too. [chuckle] Then because we're interested in knowing the nationality backgrounds of quilters, how would you describe the nationality background of your community?

0:10:12.1 NF: Well, out there in Galena, we're mainly German.

0:10:18.4 JH: And about second, or third generation German-American. Where do you think the women of the earlier generations learned quilting, like Mrs. Drayfahl and some of the others?

0:10:42.1 NF: Well, you read the stories of how the pioneer women pieced all their little scraps together and made quilts, and that's how they got their bedding, was to make the quilts.

0:10:57.9 JH: Do you know of any tradition that they might have brought from Germany, or was it something that they picked up here from women who had been making quilts for more generations in this country?

0:11:13.0 NF: I don't really know. My relatives live in Southern Iowa, and so I didn't get to really see what all they made. I don't know if they did a lot of quilting or not, and I don't recall my grandmothers quilting the few times we'd go down there to visit.

0:11:40.0 JH: Now, when you would go about, or you decided you wanted to make a quilt, how did you go about it? Did you start with a pattern? Did you start with something you'd seen somewhere? Where did you get your patterns, where'd you get your materials?

0:12:01.2 NF: Well, when my two grandsons were gonna get married, well, when the first one was gonna get married, I said I had to make a quilt. So I bought materials at Penney's in St. James and I had patterns of quilts, and I took one that was small and I drew it out bigger, and that's the one I used. And then when the second one got married, I used the same pattern, used different materials, and you'd never know it was the same pattern.

0:12:32.9 JH: What was the pattern?

0:12:34.8 NF: I always forget what it's called. It's something like the Ohio Star.

0:12:39.9 JH: Oh, okay. You mentioned getting material from Penney's in St. James, what were some other sources of materials?

0:12:56.0 NF: Oh, the ones in... Ross' quilt I got in New Ulm, probably it was at Herberger's or something.

0:13:07.1 JH: Did you sometimes use scraps left over from sewing?

0:13:10.6 NF: I do now. I've got a whole box of scraps that's going to be made into quilts this winter.

0:13:19.4 JH: Now, when you quilted them, did you put them on a quilting frame?

0:13:24.1 NF: Yes. No, I have quilted a couple of them in my lap.

0:13:31.4 JH: With the hoop or just?

0:13:32.9 NF: No I don't like the hoop.

0:13:34.4 JH: Okay.

0:13:35.9 NF: I probably don't do as good a job. But I... That's a evening pastime now, 'cause I can just hold it in my lap and quilt, and I don't have to have a big quilting frame set up.

0:13:47.9 JH: How do you hold the layers together then?

0:13:50.8 NF: I first put it on the quilting frame and either baste or pin alot on it, then it holds together.

0:14:01.3 JH: What time of year do you do most of your quilting or do you do it kind of around the year?

0:14:09.5 NF: No, it's a wintertime, pastime. My problem is I make a lot of World Relief quilts, and that takes so much of my time, that doesn't leave much time to do my other good quilts but...

0:14:23.8 JH: I don't know whether I'd call it a problem. I know that's satisfying too. Now that is done in connection with your church. And how many women are involved in that, would you say?

0:14:45.2 NF: Oh, there's probably eight of us that faithfully come, there'll be a few others that come now and then.

0:14:56.0 JH: But how do you go about organizing that and getting materials for that?

0:15:01.5 NF: Everybody makes quilt tops at home, with the materials they have, or if they want to buy, or I buy a double knit type of thing at rummage sales and whatever, and I like the slacks where you can make a nice long piece and keep it in long big pieces, and you don't have to do so much sewing.

0:15:30.0 JH: And then what do you use for fillers or backing?

0:15:33.1 NF: We've used most anything for fillers and backing, like anything, a lot of drapery materials and anything old put in between, blankets and such, and now the last two years, we have used a filler that we buy. A polyester filler, which makes a very nice quilt. Then we retain some of those quilts for the county, and do not send those to World Relief.

0:16:08.7 JH: By county, is it some agency?

0:16:15.3 NF: Some are taken to St.James and some to Martin County, and I don't know exactly. Or they take it down to [0:16:23.0] ____ or the Salvation Army, or wherever they can use them.

0:16:31.5 JH: And did I ask you how many quilts a year your group turns up?

0:16:35.9 NF: Oh, we don't make quite so many anymore, probably 60 at least. And of course, those are tied ones.

0:16:45.0 JH: Yes, more a comforter type of quilt. Well, that's satisfying too. Do you know what countries some of them have gone to?

0:16:58.1 NF: Not for sure. Some, I've put names on them, and I think one time we got a reply back, but I don't remember where it was.

0:17:08.7 JH: Now, back to your own quilts and how you go about them, you say you have a whole box of scraps you're gonna work on this winter, and have you selected some patterns for that?

0:17:23.6 NF: I'm gonna make Ohio Star. The first one, that's what I'll do. I neglected to say that I've made all my grandkids tied quilts for Christmas at one time or another, they have worn out some of those, so this Christmas, I think I'm making seven more tied quilts for Christmas.

0:17:47.2 JH: Well, now that they're older.

[background conversation]

0:17:48.3 JH: Now that your grandchildren are older, you'll be able to... Well, expect that maybe they'll take care of them a little better.

0:18:01.1 NF: Yeah, they probably won't get washed quite as often as some of those were when they were littler.

0:18:06.8 JH: Have you signed any of them? So that... Signed and dated any of them?

0:18:11.9 NF: Not those tied ones, but I have the... Let's see. Two years now, anything that I make handmade, I've made so many pillow quilts and such, I put a tag on there, "Lovingly made by Grandma Flohrs".

0:18:29.0 JH: Better put the date on too.

0:18:31.0 NF: Didn't think of that.

0:18:34.2 JH: The date and where it was made, and maybe 100 years from now, that will strengthen that tie. When you were... When you think about some of the quilters you have worked with over the years, some stand out, I'm sure, in your mind as really good quilt makers, and I'm wondering what, how you arrive at that decision that they're good quilt makers. What do you look for first in a good quilt?

0:19:14.0 NF: It seems they can always make little nice stitches, which I can't do. That's the reason I don't like to quilt too well. I made... I've made some of my quilts which are sew-as-you-go.

0:19:27.5 JH: Oh, yes.

0:19:29.3 NF: Because I don't care for the quilting, hand quilting really.

0:19:33.3 JH: Well, I think almost all quilters have a preferred part of the process.

0:19:40.5 NF: Well, it's mainly because I can't make nice stitches and then I don't like making them so poorly on somebody else's quilt when I could quilt...

[laughter]

0:19:50.4 JH: Okay.

0:19:51.2 NF: On my own, I guess.

0:19:54.9 JH: Besides small stitches, are there some other things that stand out when you look at a quilt that really pleases you like in a quilt show?

0:20:06.4 NF: Well, it's the pattern, how it's put together and the colors. There's some colors that you wouldn't imagine putting together, but they will look nice.

0:20:16.2 JH: Speaking of colors, what are your preferred colors in a quilt?

0:20:23.8 NF: Well, probably always blue but then I make 'em all colors. I make different types.

0:20:29.4 JH: Would... Do you prefer pastels or strong colors or deep tones?

0:20:41.8 NF: Well, kinda a little of each maybe. I like color in it. I don't like it too pale.

0:20:50.8 JH: Have you ever made any that were whole cloth quilts we would call them, just one large plain piece of fabric quilted?

0:21:04.3 NF: No, I haven't done that. I've quilted on the one of Serene's that she made that way... They're beautiful.

0:21:11.4 JH: Yes. They are. Did you ever hear of a string quilt?

0:21:21.4 NF: No.

0:21:22.1 JH: Have you ever seen any in this area?

0:21:24.2 NF: I don't... Not that I know of.

0:21:29.0 JH: Usually, they're made of the smallest scraps put together...

0:21:35.5 NF: Oh.

0:21:37.0 JH: At randomly. As you look back on, when you were getting started in quilting, did you know anybody who had made up sample blocks? Did you ever see any that we would call sample blocks that were used for patterns?

0:21:57.4 NF: I've got supposedly to be a pillow top that was pieced together by my cousin, and it's the postcard pattern.

0:22:10.1 JH: Okay.

0:22:10.8 NF: Have you ever seen that?

0:22:13.7 JH: Yes. In fact, I know somebody from Ormsby, Jan Wassman, who grew up in the Ormsby area, said her grandmother made postcard quilts.

0:22:29.7 NF: Okay. That size of block put together. And it's really interesting.

0:22:36.1 JH: Did you ever, in your own experience, take a quilt pattern and give it a different name that personalized it for you or for the recipient if you were giving it away?

0:22:47.9 NF: I really don't name them that much.

0:23:00.6 JH: Did you ever make an embroidered quilt?

0:23:04.3 NF: Oh yes. When I was a teenager, Mom always kept us busy with embroidering which I liked to do. And I embroidered blocks. But it never was made into a quilt.

0:23:17.9 JH: Do you remember what the blocks were or the seam...

0:23:20.7 NF: Oh, I made it. They were large blocks with a vase with... What kind of flowers in it? I think they were iris flowers.

0:23:32.9 JH: Okay. The blocks were all the same pattern.

0:23:39.8 NF: Yeah.

0:23:39.9 JH: Do you still have them?

0:23:40.8 NF: I still have it.

0:23:41.7 JH: Oh, well that can be another...

0:23:42.8 NF: But it's never been made into a quilt, and I used to put it on as a spread on a bed years ago when we didn't have much.

[laughter]

0:23:50.7 JH: But they were put together into a top then?

0:23:56.1 NF: Yes.

0:23:57.7 JH: Do you collect patterns that you think you're going to use?

0:24:03.9 NF: Oh yes.

0:24:04.3 JH: Or have used over the years?

0:24:06.4 NF: Lots of them.

[laughter]

0:24:06.9 JH: Okay. Now, where do you get these?

0:24:10.7 NF: Oh, wherever I see quilt patterns whether magazines or quilt books or... Then I have the quilt patterns. I took some of the lessons that Jan had, I got those patterns.

0:24:27.6 JH: How about seeing quilts at quilt shows or at fairs? Is that a source of inspiration for you?

0:24:40.1 NF: Yes, it is. The one that Karen made for the fair this year...

0:24:47.6 JH: Karen [Frieds]?

0:24:47.7 NF: Yeah. Do you remember it?

0:24:48.5 JH: Yes, I do.

0:24:49.0 NF: It was a tulip design. I thought that was interesting.

0:24:52.8 JH: That was lovely. What is your preferred kind of batting to use?

0:25:02.2 NF: I use either Mountain Mist or the one that JoAnn Fabrics has. That's called Wonder. I think it's called wonder. That's the one I like for my tied quilts especially. I was in Northwest Fabric last week. She told me that Mountain Mist was no good for tied quilts, she says it goes to part pieces when you wash it.

0:25:33.4 JH: Really?

0:25:34.0 NF: Now, that I never had the experience of it going to pieces.

0:25:39.6 JH: That's one of the old standby battings, isn't it?

0:25:43.7 NF: Yes, it is. Well, she says it's alright for quilting 'cause you're quilting it closer together. She had a quilt batting that was come on a roll, you know, and you buy it by the yard.

0:26:00.5 JH: Yes.

0:26:01.0 NF: That's the one she uses.

0:26:02.5 JH: You started quilting early enough so you probably used some battings that predated the polyester battings.

0:26:11.5 NF: Well, yes, that first one that we tied for when we were married that had a cotton batting. That's why it has fallen apart, and I've taken it apart because it has that cotton batting in it and that never held up.

0:26:30.5 JH: Did you start quilting early enough, so you would have used feedsacks ever? Or any...

0:26:37.8 NF: I don't think you ever put feedsacks in the quilts. You use it for many other things.

0:26:44.6 JH: Did you ever dye any fabrics to get the color you wanted?

0:26:49.5 NF: No, I haven't done that.

0:26:57.0 JH: Did you ever send for samples of fancy fabrics like silk or velvet that you thought might... You might use?

0:27:11.2 NF: No, I haven't done.

0:27:12.8 JH: Now you say that you do some lap quilting, and you use frames some.

0:27:22.2 NF: Just to put the quilt material together?

0:27:31.5 JH: Okay Have you used a different types of frames? Well, where did you get your frames in the first place?

0:27:37.8 NF: Oh, my big quilt frame is the one that Leroy's mother had.

0:27:42.5 JH: Okay, I wondered if it might have been...

0:27:45.1 NF: But we've added one piece to it to make it longer, 'cause she made shorter quilts, she didn't make them as large as they do now.

0:27:54.5 JH: Do you do your own quilting primarily, or do you get together with friends now?

0:28:01.6 NF: Not in the latter years. I do my own quilting.

0:28:12.4 JH: Do you have a preferred quilting needle that you like to use?

0:28:17.9 NF: I have trouble holding on to those tiny little quilting needles but they really do work the best.

0:28:30.3 JH: And what kind of threads do you use for quilting?

0:28:35.4 NF: The regular quilting thread, although I've been told you can use any polyester thread if you need a different color for matching.

0:28:46.7 JH: So matching the colors in quilting is something that you usually do.

0:28:55.5 NF: Yes, but the one I quilted last winter, I wished I use a different color.

0:29:01.2 JH: Oh.

0:29:01.4 NF: But It's fine.

0:29:04.3 JH: What color did you use?

0:29:05.8 NF: I used the white on the blue, you know, and I maybe should have used the blue.

0:29:10.7 JH: Oh, okay, well, that's a matter of personal choice. How do you care for your quilts and comforters? What do you think is important in taking care of them so that they last a long time?

0:29:32.9 NF: Well, my... I myself don't use the quilts that I've made because I guess I've given most of them away, will be giving them away. But I know they can be washed well with the polyester in between.

0:29:54.3 JH: Do you... Like when you give them to grandchildren, do you give them any instructions on how to clean?

0:30:02.4 NF: I guess I don't.

0:30:06.6 JH: If you did give them some instruction, what do you think they should know?

0:30:12.7 NF: Well, wash them carefully. And they should dry well on the line or in the dryer, I think. With the polyester in between they should dry well.

0:30:25.3 JH: Well what about agitation? I guess I'm thinking of kids off on their own for the first time doing their laundry. You wouldn't want them to put them in a washer with their blue jeans and... Rather than the...

0:30:46.4 NF: No of course, separately I imagine. Some of my materials, I do pre-shrink and some I don't, 'cause I'm told you could do it either way. So it has been washed before. So there shouldn't be shrinkage.

0:31:00.5 JH: Or any color fading.

0:31:08.9 NF: Yeah fading and other things. Yeah.

0:31:11.0 JH: Bleeding. We've been talking about these quilts that you give away to your grandchildren. Primarily. How many grandchildren do you have?

0:31:24.9 NF: Eighteen.

0:31:25.2 JH: Okay, I can see why this keeps you busy.

0:31:30.3 NF: I think there is, let's see, four or five given away already. Four of them, And I think there's 12, and they are in there ready for them.

0:31:39.9 JH: Oh my goodness. What kinds of occasions do you use for giving them the quilts?

0:31:46.8 NF: When they get married? Okay, but then a lot of these last quilts now are the sew as you go type of thing. Yeah.

0:31:56.8 JH: Now, by sew as you go, do you mean you quilt the block and...

0:32:03.1 NF: It's so that... So you don't have to do quilting. You use a square of material with backing and the filler and the top, and then you sew it so that it holds together, and then you have to put the squares together.

0:32:20.4 JH: Okay. You don't hand quilt each of those squares, you use kind of a stitch and flip method of...

0:32:29.5 NF: Dan had a class where we used a little bias tape.

0:32:34.8 JH: Oh.

0:32:34.9 NF: You make it out of your material the same as your backing and you sew that on of course on one side, then you turn it over and then you gotta do by hand, the other edge.

0:32:43.7 JH: Okay. We'll look at those pretty soon. Again, other than the quilt making for World Relief and also for local charitable causes that you do in the church, have you done any other quilt making over the years in the church that was for like a pastor or someone in the church or your own personal quilts or memorial quilts of any kind?

0:33:23.6 NF: We did make one for the pastor 'cause he watched us make World Relief quilts, and he always said "You never make me one."

0:33:30.1 JH: Okay.

0:33:30.9 NF: So we made one for his birthday once. And let's see. We put one that was tied though for Norma.

0:33:43.7 JH: His daughter.

0:33:44.7 NF: His daughter. Yes. Then there was this quilt that they raffeled off. I didn't quilt on that one...

0:34:02.2 JH: Have you made anything like quilted banners for your church?

0:34:07.9 NF: No, we haven't done that. Pastor [Gipp?] loved to make banners, and he always wants... Know they're made of felt, and we used to always glue the felt pieces together, but he always wanted them stitched on, so we've done many banners with stitching.

0:34:29.0 JH: All right. Well, that's interesting to know. Have you... You mentioned that he like to make the banners. Have you known of any other men who got involved in quilt making or who liked to quilt or in family groups, some of the men might have quilted.

0:34:58.9 NF: I don't know if there's any men that quilted. I don't. I doubt it.

0:35:09.4 JH: Well, you're still going strong on making quilts, and you say you have one for each of your 18 grandchildren.

0:35:18.9 NF: There will be when I get a few more made.

0:35:24.5 JH: Okay. When you get the grandchildren taken care of, is there something that you really wanna do for yourself?

0:35:32.8 NF: Oh, I've got one for myself. The girls said when I got it made that, that you gotta keep one for yourself. So I have one for myself, which I have made lots of baby quilts. I forgot to tell you that.

0:35:46.3 JH: Oh, well, tell me about the baby quilts.

0:35:48.0 NF: I'll buy a material that I can stitch around the little patterns in the quilt and put binding on it. Which I have done on my pillow quilts too. The design that's on the pillow part, I quilt that.

0:36:04.2 JH: Oh yes.

0:36:06.5 NF: And then I have a quilt that I make for their first Christmas. That is appliqued, of either a rabbit or a dog. I do that all on the machine with the zigzag.

0:36:21.1 JH: Oh yes. And so every... That would be great-grandchild.

0:36:30.6 NF: Great-grands. I got 10 of them now.

0:36:33.4 JH: Okay. On their first birthdays.

0:36:35.1 NF: Their first Christmas.

0:36:36.8 JH: Or first Christmas, they get a quilt that you have made for them.

0:36:42.5 NF: It's crib size. And then it's got a large rabbit or a dog.

0:36:49.5 JH: Oh, that's wonderful. So I guess as you think about the place of quilting in your life, whether quilting played a small part in your life, whether it played a moderately important part in your life or a very important part in your life, how would you assess the place of quilting in your life?

0:37:23.4 NF: Well, as I've gotten older, I like to do it more so, 'cause I have the time or if I take the time to do it.

0:37:36.4 JH: I know you're busy. And then I'm going to read you these reasons for making a quilt, and then I'll go back over them one at a time and you can respond whether, you feel that's an important reason, a very important reason, somewhat important, or not important at all. And these are possible reasons for making quilts, as an expression of love, as a creative outlet in color and design, to fill utilitarian needs, that is for warmth and protection, as a link of past to present and continuing a tradition, as something women were expected to do, and as a showcase for skills, as a time for reflection and relaxation, as an activity that brought one together with friends, as a means of earning extra income, as a help in working through problems such as grief, disappointment, frustration, anxiety, anger, or as a comforting connection to earlier simpler times. And so, as I go through these one at a time, tell me, is this not important, is it somewhat important, or is it very important to you? You know what, it'll be different for different people. Quilts is an expression of love.

0:39:26.3 NF: Yes. What was I to answer?

0:39:29.6 JH: Somewhat, very important, or not important at all.

0:39:34.3 NF: Probably very important.

0:39:35.9 JH: Okay. As a creative outlet in color and design.

0:39:47.0 NF: It's important.

0:39:49.9 JH: To fill a utilitarian need for warmth and protection.

0:39:57.6 NF: There, I'd say I do it because I want to, because of the love.

0:40:01.8 JH: Okay. If so, it would really be not as important, I suppose. That isn't your primary concern.

0:40:11.1 NF: No, that isn't the cause.

0:40:12.7 JH: As a link to the past and continuing a tradition.

0:40:21.6 NF: Yes, important, I'd say.

0:40:24.7 JH: As something women were expected to do, or as a showcase for skills.

0:40:36.3 NF: Partly important.

0:40:37.9 JH: As a time for reflection and relaxation.

0:40:43.3 NF: Important.

0:40:46.3 JH: As an activity that brought you together with friends.

0:40:50.2 NF: Not... Partly [chuckle] important.

0:40:57.5 JH: Okay. As a means of earning extra income.

0:41:02.3 NF: No.

0:41:03.4 JH: As a help in working through problems such as grief, disappointment, frustration, anxiety, anger.

0:41:12.3 NF: No.

0:41:13.4 JH: As a comforting connection to an earlier simpler better time?

0:41:21.7 NF: Important.

0:41:23.2 JH: Okay. Well, thank you very much. Well, now that I've had a chance to see your quilts, and I'm really impressed. And I've seen some of the things that you've done over the years, from the time you were a child, different kinds of handwork, embroidery and so on, I wish you'd share what you told me about the quilts or the handwork that your step-mother got you involved in when you were a child. The... From the dish towels to the embroidered pieces that you did.

0:42:11.3 NF: Well, I always had to have something to do when I sit around, which I still do today. Mom would get us started with something in embroidery. I had embroidery blocks for quilts, and I have embroidered pillow tops and bluebird on my curtains and such things. And now that my great-grandchildren come to see me in the summer, they want to sew too. And they're only... They're under 10 years of age. I get them a piece of material, and we go through my box of patterns, they'd pick out what they want to embroidery. Some do a very good job, some not so good, but... And don't like it quite as well, but they do it. It keeps them busy. Then I make a family tree, what Do I call them pictures. Wall Hangings.

0:43:14.1 JH: I think so, they're wall pieces that you have framed.

0:43:18.5 NF: With names of the family on it. So for my 75th birthday, my great-grandchildren, great-granddaughters surprised me with a piece that has all the great grand-children on it. They did it all themselves.

0:43:34.8 JH: And how old was the one who planned it?

0:43:37.8 NF: She was just 10 last spring.

0:43:40.5 JH: Well, I've seen it and I'm impressed, not only by the piece they did, but how you are keeping the tradition of handwork going in your family. Thanks again Nell.