% >>> THROUGHOUT BLACK HISTORY MONTH WE ARE TAKING TIME TO CELEBRATE OUR HISTORY AND CULTURE. TODAY A DEEP DIVE INTO QUILTING, A PRACTICE WITH A RICH HISTORY DATING TO SLAVERY. NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY HAS AN ENTIRE EXHIBIT ON DISPLAY. VIEW IT FROM NOW UNTIL MARCH 4th AT THE STUDENT UNION. WE HAVE A TREAT WITH US. JOINING US IS ONE OF THE ARTISTS FEATURED IN THE QUILT EXHIBIT. >> HAPPY TO BE HERE. >> I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THIS TOPIC. >> YOU ARE THE PERFECT PERSON TO TALK ABOUT HOW QUILTING AND THE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE TELLS SOME STORIES OF BACK THEN AND NOW. CAN YOU SHARE MORE ABOUT THAT? >> QUILTING IN ITS ORIGINS, PARTICULARLY BLACK WOMEN ENSLAVED WAS A MATTER OF TAKING WHAT THEY HAD TO MAKE DUE TO BRING WARMTH AND COMFORT TO THEIR HOMES AND FAMILY. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WOMEN WHO WERE CULTURED OF A CERTAIN CLASS TO SHOW THAT YOU WERE WORTHY TO BE DOMESTIC GODDESS THAT YOU KNEW HOW TO QUILT AND EXERCISE PRECISION IN SEWING. >> WHAT DO THE QUILTS THAT YOU CREATE MEAN TO YOU? WHAT IS YOUR INSPIRATION AND WHAT DO YOU DRAW FROM? >> FROM EVERYTHING AND EVERYWHERE. THERE IS ONE QUILT FEELING ORANGE AGAIN BUT BLUES SOMETIMES. THAT WAS INSPIRED BY A SONG I WAS HEARING AND I WAS LIKE ORANGE AND BLUE, THAT WOULD BE PRETTY AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS THERE. THERE IS A QUILT IN THE EXHIBIT THAT I MADE TO CELEBRATE THE FIRST BIRTHDAY OF MY NIECE, AMBER. I WANTED TO MAKE A QUILT THAT SHE COULD LOOK AT AS SHE WAS AN ADULT AND SAY THIS IS SOMETHING MY AUNT MADE FOR ME. IT'S AMBER AND PURPLE BECAUSE BIBLICALLY PURPLE IS ROYALTY. I PUT IN WISDOM AND CREATIVITY. I AM GIVING FOR HER AS I WISH HER LIFE TO BE. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS FOR INSPIRATION. THERE IS ONE BY MISS BETTY BONDS. SHE WANTED TO CAPTURE HER CHILDHOOD MEMORIES IN RURAL TENNESSEE WITH HER SISTER. IT'S WHAT WE CALL A NARRATIVE QUILT. IT TELLS A STORY. SOME ARE NARRATIVE, SOME ARE JUST EXPRESSIONS IN COLOR, PATTERN AND TRY TO SEE WHAT WORKS. THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE AFRICAN FABRICS TO CELEBRATE THE AFRICAN CONNECTION. THERE ARE A VARIETY OF QUILTS AND A VARIETY OF INSPIRATIONS THAT ARE REFLECTED IN THEM. >> I LOVE THAT YOU PULLED FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS TO BRING THIS TOGETHER. WE WERE LOOKING AT THE VIDEO AND PICTURES OF THE QUILT IN THE EXHIBIT WHILE YOU WERE TALKING. HOW DID YOU PICK THIS ART UP? >> IT'S FUNNY. GROWING UP I HAD NO DESIRE TO SEW, HATED SEWING. I HOPE I'M NOT DATING MYSELF BUT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL WE HAD TO TAKE HOME ECONOMICS. I LOOKED THE COOKING PART. I DIDN'T LIKE TO SEW. I WAS TEACHING ASSISTANT PROFESSORSHIP AT SMITH COLLEGE. A COLLEAGUE WAS A QUILTER AND I STUM TBLED AND TRIED NOT TO YAWN. WHEN I WENT TO HER HOME I SAID IS THIS WHAT YOU DO? YOU HAVE TO TEACH ME DHOW THIS. THE MINUTE I PUT THE NEED LETTER TO THE FABRIC I TAPPED INTO THIS INSPIRATION FROM MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER AND MOTHER WERE SEWED AND I FELT THE CONNECTION AND WAS HOOKED. >> THE FIRST THING YOU TALKED ABOUT, THE ANCESTRY OF THIS, I LOVE THAT YOU BROUGHT THAT TO NOW. >> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STOOD OUT ABOUT HEARING YOUR STORY, YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO SEW BY HAND INSEED OF A MACHINE. >> I PUT THOUGHT INTO -- BEING ONE THAT KNOWS THE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY -- I TEACH LITERATURE IN OUR DEPARTMENT. I LOOKED AT THE WAY BLACK WOMEN WRITERS USED IT. AT THAT TIME THEY HAD NO TECHNOLOGY, NO SEWING MACHINES. THEY HAD THEIR THREADS AND -- A HANDMAID QUILT HAS A CERTAIN PATINA, A RICHNESS THAT IS TRANSFERRED FROM THAT MAKER TO THAT OBJECT THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN WHEN IT'S DONE WITH A MACHINE. I LOVE THAT RICHNESS. I LOVE THE TIME THAT IT TAKES AND THE CARE THAT IT SHOWS. THAT IS SIGNIFICANT TO ME. I WANT TO KEEP THAT TRADITION ALIVE. IF ANYONE WANTS TO LEARN FROM ME, THE FIRST QUILT HAS TO BE DONE BY HAND. >> THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT WITH US. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> AND INTERESTING TO LEARN THE HISTORY. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. DELIGHTED TO MEET YOU. >> GREAT TO MEET YOU AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. >>> AGAIN, YOU CAN VIEW QUILTS
