Shirley Ogden Holcomb Wilson
Photos
Title
Shirley Ogden Holcomb Wilson
Identifier
MI49016-027
Interviewee
Shirley Ogden Holcomb Wilson
Interviewer
Joyce Rupp
Interview Date
2011-10-12
Interview sponsor
Moda Fabrics
Location
Battle Creek, Michigan
Transcriber
Eleanor Wilkinson
Transcription
Joyce Rupp (JR): This is Joyce Rupp. This interview is being conducted for the South Central Michigan QSOS, a project for The Alliance for American Quilts. Today I am interviewing Shirley Ogden Holcomb "Wilson. We're at Westlake Presbyterian Church in Battle Creek, Michigan. Today's date is October 12, 2011, and the time is 11:36 [a.m.]. Thank you for agreeing to do our interview, Shirley.
Shirley Wilson (SW): You're welcome.
JR: Tell me about the quilt you brought in today.
SW: This is one of my very, very favorite quilts. In our circle we have what we call a birthday quilt, and when you have a zero birthday the girls make you a block and then you put them together. I don't do appliqués so I asked for appliqué blocks, and these are jewel tones, and they are just beautiful. I'm very, very fond of this quilt.
JR: And that goes to my next question, what special meaning does this quilt have for you?
SW: This one has a lot. It was, I believe, my eightieth birthday and I just love it. I don't even use it. I just keep it on the quilt rack and show it when people come.
JR: What do you think someone viewing your quilt might conclude about you?
SW: I don't know. I'm kind of old fashioned with my quilts. I really enjoy doing the traditional quilts. I'm sorry, I'm not into the modern stuff, [laughs.] although some of the girls in our circle are very good at it.
JR: Do you have plans for this quilt?
SW: Just, it's a saver.
JR: Tell me about your interest in quilt making.
SW: My interest goes back to when I was a child. My mother was a quilter. She did everything by hand, and she used to have these wonderful, she called them quilting bees, where she'd have a top ready and she'd have her friends into hand quilt it. And that was always fun for us because we'd get to play underneath that, like a tent.
JR: Tell me your mother's name.
SW: Nora Ogden.
JR: At what age did you start quilt making?
SW: I used to cut blocks for my mother, but I never really quilted until I joined the guild in 1984.
JR: How did you cut those blocks for your mother?
SW: By hand, always by hand with the tiny little cardboard pattern.
JR: Template, huh?
SW: Uh huh.
JR: From did you learn to quilt?
SW: My mother. My mother, um hmm.
JR: How many hours a week do you quilt now, or did you quilt when you were in your prime of quilt making?
SW: I used to quilt, I couldn't tell you how many hours, every chance I got. And I used to work, of course, and every evening I'd quilt. Now I don't do as much, now that I'm retired and lazy, I'm just not into quilting as much as I used to be.
JR: Are there other quiltmakers among your family or friends.
SW: I have one daughter that quilts. I have many, many friends that quilt and that started me in quilting. In one person, especially, she was manager of Readmore and her name was Jean Johnson. She was the one that was contacted first about the quilt guild and so she got me into it. Pat Horsman was one of the originals, too.
JR: What is your daughter's name.
SW: Barbara Sansom.
JR: How does quilt making impact your family?
SW: Oh, my gosh. I'd start a quilt and I'd have somebody in the family say, 'That one's mine.' So, before I'd even get it finished it was gone.
JR: Tell me if you've ever used quilts to get through a difficult time.
SW: Yes, when my second husband died, I really went into quilting hard because, and also knitting. It was an outlet.
JR: Your therapy. [both at the same time, SW: for grief, uh hmm.] Can you tell me of an amusing experience that has occurred from your quilting? Your friends or your classes that you've been in, or--
SW: Well, I can't think of anything really funny. We used to do a lot of quilting in my basement. Jean and Pat Horsman and I used to tie quilts. We used to quilt quilts and we did a lot in the basement and those are very fond memories.
JR: What do you find pleasing about quilt making?
SW: It really keeps your mind busy, and you don't have to think about your health or anything else. It keeps your mind going and that's wonderful.
JR: Are there aspects of quilt making that you do not enjoy?
SW: I do not enjoy appliqué. [laughs.]
JR: What quilt groups do you or have you belonged to?
SW: I've always belonged to the quilt guild [Cal-co Quilters' Guild, Battle Creek, Michigan.] and the Ladies of the Lake, and we used to have the Monday night quilt circle. I don't even know if we had a name. That's all that I belong to. I've been a member of the guild ever since '84, '83-'84, when it started.
JR: Have advances in technology influenced your work?
SW: Yes. Yes. Where we used to cut everything by hand now these rotary cutters are wonderful.
JR: Describe the place that you create.
SW: That I create?
JR: Your sewing area.
SW: I live in a very small apartment. It is all over. [laughs.] My machine is in one room and my cutting table is in another room and it's just very crowded.
JR: When you lay out blocks and you've got them done, do you use a design wall or how do you do it?
SW: I don't have a design wall. I use the floor; use the floor and I have a space that's quite big by my sewing machine so that I can lay it out there. And if it gets too big for that then I lay it out on the bed.
JR: [paper turns, faint conversation is heard.] Do you make wearable art?
SW: I have, yes. I've made some jackets and I've enjoyed them so much. I've had so many compliments on them. That's quite a thing to wear a quilted jacket and somebody come, a stranger come up and say, 'Oh, I love your jacket.' That's nice.
JR: Do you sleep under a quilt?
SW: Yes, I do. I sleep under every quilt I make before I give it away.
JR: Oh, what a nice, thoughtful thing to do. What do you think makes a great quilt?
SW: Actually, the colors more than anything. I think the colors, yes.
JR: What makes it artistically powerful in your mind?
SW: I don't know how to answer that except that I always pick a pattern that I enjoy. If you get a pattern that you don't enjoy, then it just kind of flounders and you don't really work on it and you put it aside. But if you use a pattern that you enjoy, you would enjoy the whole thing. And, also, I always, if I'm making a quilt for somebody, I think of that person all the time I'm working on it. That's kind of fun because I've made so many for my grandchildren and 'Oh, Grandma, I love it.'
JR: What makes a great quiltmaker?
SW: Talent.
JR: Perseverance?
SW: Yes. Um hmm.
JR: Are there people, either nationally or locally, whose works that you are drawn to?
SW: Yes, we have several in our circle, Joyce Rupp, and we also have Shirley Palmer, and her appliqué is just out of this world. When I first started, I got a Georgia Bonesteel book and I used her patterns and she was very, very explicit. I actually learned more from those books than I did from--I don't think I ever took a class except for a jacket.
JR: And I have your Georgia Bonesteel books.
SQ: Yes, you do.
JR: How do you feel about machine quilting versus hand quilting or long arm machine quilting?
SW: I used to love hand quilting. In fact, I did quite a lot of it myself when I first started. But I found out that my children and grandchildren were washing those quilts every week and hand quilting does not hold up, so I went to machine quilting.
JR: So, you appreciate both things?
SW: Yes, I do.
JR: Why is quilt making important to your life?
SW: It's a hobby that you can drop and pick up. It actually keeps your mind busy and when you're retired you need that. I'm sorry, but you do. [laughs.]
JR: In what ways do your quilts reflect the community in which you live?
SW: Oh, I don't know how to answer that.
JR: You mentioned that you really like traditional quilts and I'm sure that this region, overall, is more traditional.
SW: Right.
JR: In what ways do you think quilts have special meaning for women's history in America?
SW: Oh, I'm sure that many girls make quilts that are like historical quilts of their own family, and they have photos in them and so forth, and I think that's wonderful because it's almost like writing a diary.
JR: How do you think quilts can be used?
SW: Anyway, you want them. Any way you want them. I want my quilts to be used and I see that the grandchildren and the children use their quilts all the time.
JR: Do you think quilts need to be preserved for our future?
SW: I think some of them should be, yes.
JR: And why do you think they should be?
SW: It's just part of life.
JR: What do you think is the biggest challenge confronting quiltmakers today?
SW: Maybe the cost. The cost is so much greater than it used to be. And for retired people that's pretty hard. But as far as a challenge for me it would be appliqué. [both laugh.]
JR: As always, huh? [unidentified snapping sound.]
SW: As always.
JR: Shirley, [SW coughs.] thank you for taking the time for me to interview you.
SW: Well, you're welcome.
JR: And the time is 11:50.
Shirley Wilson (SW): You're welcome.
JR: Tell me about the quilt you brought in today.
SW: This is one of my very, very favorite quilts. In our circle we have what we call a birthday quilt, and when you have a zero birthday the girls make you a block and then you put them together. I don't do appliqués so I asked for appliqué blocks, and these are jewel tones, and they are just beautiful. I'm very, very fond of this quilt.
JR: And that goes to my next question, what special meaning does this quilt have for you?
SW: This one has a lot. It was, I believe, my eightieth birthday and I just love it. I don't even use it. I just keep it on the quilt rack and show it when people come.
JR: What do you think someone viewing your quilt might conclude about you?
SW: I don't know. I'm kind of old fashioned with my quilts. I really enjoy doing the traditional quilts. I'm sorry, I'm not into the modern stuff, [laughs.] although some of the girls in our circle are very good at it.
JR: Do you have plans for this quilt?
SW: Just, it's a saver.
JR: Tell me about your interest in quilt making.
SW: My interest goes back to when I was a child. My mother was a quilter. She did everything by hand, and she used to have these wonderful, she called them quilting bees, where she'd have a top ready and she'd have her friends into hand quilt it. And that was always fun for us because we'd get to play underneath that, like a tent.
JR: Tell me your mother's name.
SW: Nora Ogden.
JR: At what age did you start quilt making?
SW: I used to cut blocks for my mother, but I never really quilted until I joined the guild in 1984.
JR: How did you cut those blocks for your mother?
SW: By hand, always by hand with the tiny little cardboard pattern.
JR: Template, huh?
SW: Uh huh.
JR: From did you learn to quilt?
SW: My mother. My mother, um hmm.
JR: How many hours a week do you quilt now, or did you quilt when you were in your prime of quilt making?
SW: I used to quilt, I couldn't tell you how many hours, every chance I got. And I used to work, of course, and every evening I'd quilt. Now I don't do as much, now that I'm retired and lazy, I'm just not into quilting as much as I used to be.
JR: Are there other quiltmakers among your family or friends.
SW: I have one daughter that quilts. I have many, many friends that quilt and that started me in quilting. In one person, especially, she was manager of Readmore and her name was Jean Johnson. She was the one that was contacted first about the quilt guild and so she got me into it. Pat Horsman was one of the originals, too.
JR: What is your daughter's name.
SW: Barbara Sansom.
JR: How does quilt making impact your family?
SW: Oh, my gosh. I'd start a quilt and I'd have somebody in the family say, 'That one's mine.' So, before I'd even get it finished it was gone.
JR: Tell me if you've ever used quilts to get through a difficult time.
SW: Yes, when my second husband died, I really went into quilting hard because, and also knitting. It was an outlet.
JR: Your therapy. [both at the same time, SW: for grief, uh hmm.] Can you tell me of an amusing experience that has occurred from your quilting? Your friends or your classes that you've been in, or--
SW: Well, I can't think of anything really funny. We used to do a lot of quilting in my basement. Jean and Pat Horsman and I used to tie quilts. We used to quilt quilts and we did a lot in the basement and those are very fond memories.
JR: What do you find pleasing about quilt making?
SW: It really keeps your mind busy, and you don't have to think about your health or anything else. It keeps your mind going and that's wonderful.
JR: Are there aspects of quilt making that you do not enjoy?
SW: I do not enjoy appliqué. [laughs.]
JR: What quilt groups do you or have you belonged to?
SW: I've always belonged to the quilt guild [Cal-co Quilters' Guild, Battle Creek, Michigan.] and the Ladies of the Lake, and we used to have the Monday night quilt circle. I don't even know if we had a name. That's all that I belong to. I've been a member of the guild ever since '84, '83-'84, when it started.
JR: Have advances in technology influenced your work?
SW: Yes. Yes. Where we used to cut everything by hand now these rotary cutters are wonderful.
JR: Describe the place that you create.
SW: That I create?
JR: Your sewing area.
SW: I live in a very small apartment. It is all over. [laughs.] My machine is in one room and my cutting table is in another room and it's just very crowded.
JR: When you lay out blocks and you've got them done, do you use a design wall or how do you do it?
SW: I don't have a design wall. I use the floor; use the floor and I have a space that's quite big by my sewing machine so that I can lay it out there. And if it gets too big for that then I lay it out on the bed.
JR: [paper turns, faint conversation is heard.] Do you make wearable art?
SW: I have, yes. I've made some jackets and I've enjoyed them so much. I've had so many compliments on them. That's quite a thing to wear a quilted jacket and somebody come, a stranger come up and say, 'Oh, I love your jacket.' That's nice.
JR: Do you sleep under a quilt?
SW: Yes, I do. I sleep under every quilt I make before I give it away.
JR: Oh, what a nice, thoughtful thing to do. What do you think makes a great quilt?
SW: Actually, the colors more than anything. I think the colors, yes.
JR: What makes it artistically powerful in your mind?
SW: I don't know how to answer that except that I always pick a pattern that I enjoy. If you get a pattern that you don't enjoy, then it just kind of flounders and you don't really work on it and you put it aside. But if you use a pattern that you enjoy, you would enjoy the whole thing. And, also, I always, if I'm making a quilt for somebody, I think of that person all the time I'm working on it. That's kind of fun because I've made so many for my grandchildren and 'Oh, Grandma, I love it.'
JR: What makes a great quiltmaker?
SW: Talent.
JR: Perseverance?
SW: Yes. Um hmm.
JR: Are there people, either nationally or locally, whose works that you are drawn to?
SW: Yes, we have several in our circle, Joyce Rupp, and we also have Shirley Palmer, and her appliqué is just out of this world. When I first started, I got a Georgia Bonesteel book and I used her patterns and she was very, very explicit. I actually learned more from those books than I did from--I don't think I ever took a class except for a jacket.
JR: And I have your Georgia Bonesteel books.
SQ: Yes, you do.
JR: How do you feel about machine quilting versus hand quilting or long arm machine quilting?
SW: I used to love hand quilting. In fact, I did quite a lot of it myself when I first started. But I found out that my children and grandchildren were washing those quilts every week and hand quilting does not hold up, so I went to machine quilting.
JR: So, you appreciate both things?
SW: Yes, I do.
JR: Why is quilt making important to your life?
SW: It's a hobby that you can drop and pick up. It actually keeps your mind busy and when you're retired you need that. I'm sorry, but you do. [laughs.]
JR: In what ways do your quilts reflect the community in which you live?
SW: Oh, I don't know how to answer that.
JR: You mentioned that you really like traditional quilts and I'm sure that this region, overall, is more traditional.
SW: Right.
JR: In what ways do you think quilts have special meaning for women's history in America?
SW: Oh, I'm sure that many girls make quilts that are like historical quilts of their own family, and they have photos in them and so forth, and I think that's wonderful because it's almost like writing a diary.
JR: How do you think quilts can be used?
SW: Anyway, you want them. Any way you want them. I want my quilts to be used and I see that the grandchildren and the children use their quilts all the time.
JR: Do you think quilts need to be preserved for our future?
SW: I think some of them should be, yes.
JR: And why do you think they should be?
SW: It's just part of life.
JR: What do you think is the biggest challenge confronting quiltmakers today?
SW: Maybe the cost. The cost is so much greater than it used to be. And for retired people that's pretty hard. But as far as a challenge for me it would be appliqué. [both laugh.]
JR: As always, huh? [unidentified snapping sound.]
SW: As always.
JR: Shirley, [SW coughs.] thank you for taking the time for me to interview you.
SW: Well, you're welcome.
JR: And the time is 11:50.
Collection
Citation
“Shirley Ogden Holcomb Wilson,” Quilters' S.O.S. -- Save Our Stories, accessed May 8, 2024, https://qsos.quiltalliance.org/items/show/2180.