Emily Martinez
Photos
Title
Emily Martinez
Identifier
CA95415-15
Interviewee
Emily Martinez
Interviewer
Karen Musgrave
Interview Date
3/6/07
Interview sponsor
The Nat'l Quilting Assn
Location
Boonville, California
Transcriber
Kim Greene
Transcription
Karen Musgrave (KM): This is Karen Musgrave. I'm doing a Quilters' S.O.S. - Save Our Stories interview with Emily Martinez. It is March 6, 2007, it is 4:08 in the afternoon, and I'm in Boonville, California. Emily, tell me about the quilt that you brought today. When did you make this quilt?
Emily Martinez (EM): When I was two.
KM: How old are you now?
EM: Five.
KM: Five years old. Can you tell me what the quilt is about?
EM: That's a flute and there is frogs and it is raining.
KM: It is raining and there is a flute and frogs.
EM: This is just a little wave, and this is all the puddles and this is the little frog that it's got.
KM: Did you cut it out?
EM: Yeah.
KM: Did you put it together?
EM: Yeah, my mom sewed it for me.
KM: Does it have a title?
EM: What is that?
KM: The title is what it is called.
EM: Called the "Frog Flute."
KM: Is there a story behind it.
EM: No, because no.
KM: No story?
EM: No story.
KM: That is okay. Is this the only quilt you have made?
EM: I made other ones but I didn't, I didn't get to sew them yet.
KM: Do you like quilting?
EM: A little. I just have to sit around and do nothing and I just have to sew. It is kind of boring you know.
KM: You think it is boring?
EM: Yeah, sometimes.
KM: Do you like quilts though?
EM: Yeah, I think they are beautiful.
KM: Do you want to talk a little bit about what your mom does with quilts?
EM: No.
KM: Do you ever. Do you have quilts in your house?
EM: This one and my mom's. I can show you my mom's if you want.
KM: I saw your mom's quilt. Could you tell me about it? You are in it, aren't you?
EM: Yeah.
KM: What are you in it?
EM: A mermaid.
KM: You are a mermaid.
EM: My mom is a mermaid too.
KM: Your mom is a mermaid too? It is about you and her?
EM: Yeah.
KM: Do you like it? Is it your favorite quilt?
EM: No not my favorite.
KM: What is your favorite quilt?
EM: There is a woman holding a baby and she has her shawl on and she has like real hair and it looks like, it's like it is wet but it is just like dry, but it looks like kind of shiny.
KM: Who made that?
EM: Carmela made it.
KM: Carmela made it and that is your favorite quilt? Why is it your favorite quilt?
EM: I don't know. I just like the hair.
KM: You like the hair?
EM: Yeah.
KM: That is good. Do you think quilts are important?
EM: No. Most things that are, most things that I think is important is money.
KM: Is money--that is the most important thing?
EM: Um, hum.
KM: Do you think you will sell your quilts?
EM: My mom says that I can't sell this.
KM: Do you want to?
EM: Yeah.
KM: But she says you can't?
EM: I know but I like it.
KM: This is the first one you made.
EM: Yeah.
KM: So you can kind of understand why your mom would want you to keep it so when you get all grown up you can show your children. "This is the first quilt I every made, what do you think, with my mom." Right?
EM: What?
KM: With your mom.
EM: Yeah.
KM: That would be good.
EM: I thought the stick went through here, but.
KM: That is the sleeve. That is the sleeve of the quilt and that helps it hang very nicely.
EM: It hangs like that.
KM: It is suppose to hang like that. Does it ever hang in your house? Have you ever had this up in your house?
EM: Yeah.
KM: Where in your bedroom?
EM: No, in my living room. It is like on that side, but it is on this side there.
KM: It hangs up there.
EM: You saw it before?
KM: No.
EM: Oh.
KM: I didn't see it before. Today is the first day I saw it. It is very nice. Has it been in shows?
EM: Yeah, almost all the shows.
KM: Almost all the shows it goes and hangs? Does that make you feel special? It is pretty wonderful to have a quilt that you made when you were two. Yes. Pretty cool.
EM: Do you like this kind of thing?
KM: Yes I do. I like that kind of texture. Do you like it? It is very nice.
EM: It is like rough. It is like your jacket.
KM: You think my jacket is rough?
EM: No not that one, the other one [she's talking about a wool coat that KM had one when they met at the airport.].
KM: The other one is not rough though, it is soft.
EM: No it is like [scratching sound.] this kind.
KM: This has toile on it. Do you know what toile is?
EM: No.
KM: It is, it is a fabric that goes over top of the fabric, is toile. It keeps things in place. It is very pretty. Are these your favorite colors? Do you like blues and purples and pinks?
EM: I like pink?
KM: Is pink your favorite color?
EM: Yeah, and I like brown and I like white, I like most all of the colors, but I don't like that one.
KM: Why don't you like that fabric now?
EM: Because it's just not my color.
KM: It's just not your color?
EM: No.
KM: You like blue.
EM: I like this kind of blue and this kind of blue.
KM: You like darker colors, not so pale.
EM: I like that.
KM: Really pale blue but not medium blues.
EM: I like that color and I don't like that. I like the blue color and I like the silver part, but this is kind of scribbly.
KM: You don't like the pattern on it.
EM: No.
KM: You would do that differently if you did another one? You won't use that fabric.
EM: Yeah. But now I feel bad because.
KM: What would your next quilt look like?
EM: When I'm bigger I'm going to do a nicer one.
KM: What will it look like?
EM: I don't know.
KM: You don't know?
EM: No.
KM: Do you like to draw?
EM: Yeah.
KM: Have you ever thought of taking your drawings and making them into a quilt?
EM: I wanted to write my story, but my mom didn't let me.
KM: Oh dear. You can tell me your story.
EM: I just told you.
KM: I know, so see you have your story and now it will be available for other people to read.
EM: Yeah, I know. Mine is number six.
KM: Your's has a number six on there for the show. Have you gone to the shows?
EM: Yeah.
KM: What do you think of them, when all the quilts are hanging?
EM: I just think it is kind of boring.
KM: You don't like it?
EM: I don't really get to do that much.
KM: You just have to stand around?
EM: I stand around and just like give people quilts.
KM: Do they talk to you at all?
EM: Yeah.
KM: Do they ask you about your quilting? No.
EM: My quilting didn't go. Only one trip. No only one trip, it was like close to when I just got.
KM: So it went to Long Beach. That is why I didn't see it it was in the pile of quilts at your house.
EM: It was there I think.
KM: I think so. It is pretty. I like it. It is very nice.
EM: I like this kind [pointing to the quilt.].
KM: I like that color [pointing to a different place on the quilt.].
EM: Do you like this color?
KM: Yes I do like that color. I can understand why maybe it is not your favorite, but I do like it.
EM: I don't really like this kind of texture. I wish I can do that. It looks like ice cream. It looks like part of rainbow sherbet.
KM: It does look like rainbow sherbet.
EM: Yum.
KM: Do you like rainbow sherbet?
EM: I like vanilla, chocolate. I don't know what else.
KM: Is there anything else you want to share about quilting with me?
EM: I don't think so.
KM: Thank you for sharing with me. I hope you make more quilts.
EM: I am.
KM: Because they are nice.
EM: When I'm bigger I'm not going to work because when I have a baby I want to cuddle with him or her.
KM: Will you make your baby a quilt?
EM: I don't know.
KM: Baby's like quilts.
EM: I don't think so.
KM: You don't think so? Do you ever want to sleep under a quilt?
EM: No. Feels kind of rough.
KM: Well it wouldn't be like this, you would make it soft. What do you think of that?
EM: Sure.
KM: I sleep under a quilt.
EM: [laughs.]
KM: I do, even at your house I sleep under a quilt.
EM: Why?
KM: Because it is there on my bed.
EM: You put it on there?
KM: No your mom did. You need to go look in my room at your house.
EM: It's not your room.
KM: Well, your mom's room. It is my room while I'm here. Right?
EM: Yeah.
KM: Thank you for sharing with me. Can we take your picture now?
[EM shakes her head 'yes' and tape is turned off.]
Emily Martinez (EM): When I was two.
KM: How old are you now?
EM: Five.
KM: Five years old. Can you tell me what the quilt is about?
EM: That's a flute and there is frogs and it is raining.
KM: It is raining and there is a flute and frogs.
EM: This is just a little wave, and this is all the puddles and this is the little frog that it's got.
KM: Did you cut it out?
EM: Yeah.
KM: Did you put it together?
EM: Yeah, my mom sewed it for me.
KM: Does it have a title?
EM: What is that?
KM: The title is what it is called.
EM: Called the "Frog Flute."
KM: Is there a story behind it.
EM: No, because no.
KM: No story?
EM: No story.
KM: That is okay. Is this the only quilt you have made?
EM: I made other ones but I didn't, I didn't get to sew them yet.
KM: Do you like quilting?
EM: A little. I just have to sit around and do nothing and I just have to sew. It is kind of boring you know.
KM: You think it is boring?
EM: Yeah, sometimes.
KM: Do you like quilts though?
EM: Yeah, I think they are beautiful.
KM: Do you want to talk a little bit about what your mom does with quilts?
EM: No.
KM: Do you ever. Do you have quilts in your house?
EM: This one and my mom's. I can show you my mom's if you want.
KM: I saw your mom's quilt. Could you tell me about it? You are in it, aren't you?
EM: Yeah.
KM: What are you in it?
EM: A mermaid.
KM: You are a mermaid.
EM: My mom is a mermaid too.
KM: Your mom is a mermaid too? It is about you and her?
EM: Yeah.
KM: Do you like it? Is it your favorite quilt?
EM: No not my favorite.
KM: What is your favorite quilt?
EM: There is a woman holding a baby and she has her shawl on and she has like real hair and it looks like, it's like it is wet but it is just like dry, but it looks like kind of shiny.
KM: Who made that?
EM: Carmela made it.
KM: Carmela made it and that is your favorite quilt? Why is it your favorite quilt?
EM: I don't know. I just like the hair.
KM: You like the hair?
EM: Yeah.
KM: That is good. Do you think quilts are important?
EM: No. Most things that are, most things that I think is important is money.
KM: Is money--that is the most important thing?
EM: Um, hum.
KM: Do you think you will sell your quilts?
EM: My mom says that I can't sell this.
KM: Do you want to?
EM: Yeah.
KM: But she says you can't?
EM: I know but I like it.
KM: This is the first one you made.
EM: Yeah.
KM: So you can kind of understand why your mom would want you to keep it so when you get all grown up you can show your children. "This is the first quilt I every made, what do you think, with my mom." Right?
EM: What?
KM: With your mom.
EM: Yeah.
KM: That would be good.
EM: I thought the stick went through here, but.
KM: That is the sleeve. That is the sleeve of the quilt and that helps it hang very nicely.
EM: It hangs like that.
KM: It is suppose to hang like that. Does it ever hang in your house? Have you ever had this up in your house?
EM: Yeah.
KM: Where in your bedroom?
EM: No, in my living room. It is like on that side, but it is on this side there.
KM: It hangs up there.
EM: You saw it before?
KM: No.
EM: Oh.
KM: I didn't see it before. Today is the first day I saw it. It is very nice. Has it been in shows?
EM: Yeah, almost all the shows.
KM: Almost all the shows it goes and hangs? Does that make you feel special? It is pretty wonderful to have a quilt that you made when you were two. Yes. Pretty cool.
EM: Do you like this kind of thing?
KM: Yes I do. I like that kind of texture. Do you like it? It is very nice.
EM: It is like rough. It is like your jacket.
KM: You think my jacket is rough?
EM: No not that one, the other one [she's talking about a wool coat that KM had one when they met at the airport.].
KM: The other one is not rough though, it is soft.
EM: No it is like [scratching sound.] this kind.
KM: This has toile on it. Do you know what toile is?
EM: No.
KM: It is, it is a fabric that goes over top of the fabric, is toile. It keeps things in place. It is very pretty. Are these your favorite colors? Do you like blues and purples and pinks?
EM: I like pink?
KM: Is pink your favorite color?
EM: Yeah, and I like brown and I like white, I like most all of the colors, but I don't like that one.
KM: Why don't you like that fabric now?
EM: Because it's just not my color.
KM: It's just not your color?
EM: No.
KM: You like blue.
EM: I like this kind of blue and this kind of blue.
KM: You like darker colors, not so pale.
EM: I like that.
KM: Really pale blue but not medium blues.
EM: I like that color and I don't like that. I like the blue color and I like the silver part, but this is kind of scribbly.
KM: You don't like the pattern on it.
EM: No.
KM: You would do that differently if you did another one? You won't use that fabric.
EM: Yeah. But now I feel bad because.
KM: What would your next quilt look like?
EM: When I'm bigger I'm going to do a nicer one.
KM: What will it look like?
EM: I don't know.
KM: You don't know?
EM: No.
KM: Do you like to draw?
EM: Yeah.
KM: Have you ever thought of taking your drawings and making them into a quilt?
EM: I wanted to write my story, but my mom didn't let me.
KM: Oh dear. You can tell me your story.
EM: I just told you.
KM: I know, so see you have your story and now it will be available for other people to read.
EM: Yeah, I know. Mine is number six.
KM: Your's has a number six on there for the show. Have you gone to the shows?
EM: Yeah.
KM: What do you think of them, when all the quilts are hanging?
EM: I just think it is kind of boring.
KM: You don't like it?
EM: I don't really get to do that much.
KM: You just have to stand around?
EM: I stand around and just like give people quilts.
KM: Do they talk to you at all?
EM: Yeah.
KM: Do they ask you about your quilting? No.
EM: My quilting didn't go. Only one trip. No only one trip, it was like close to when I just got.
KM: So it went to Long Beach. That is why I didn't see it it was in the pile of quilts at your house.
EM: It was there I think.
KM: I think so. It is pretty. I like it. It is very nice.
EM: I like this kind [pointing to the quilt.].
KM: I like that color [pointing to a different place on the quilt.].
EM: Do you like this color?
KM: Yes I do like that color. I can understand why maybe it is not your favorite, but I do like it.
EM: I don't really like this kind of texture. I wish I can do that. It looks like ice cream. It looks like part of rainbow sherbet.
KM: It does look like rainbow sherbet.
EM: Yum.
KM: Do you like rainbow sherbet?
EM: I like vanilla, chocolate. I don't know what else.
KM: Is there anything else you want to share about quilting with me?
EM: I don't think so.
KM: Thank you for sharing with me. I hope you make more quilts.
EM: I am.
KM: Because they are nice.
EM: When I'm bigger I'm not going to work because when I have a baby I want to cuddle with him or her.
KM: Will you make your baby a quilt?
EM: I don't know.
KM: Baby's like quilts.
EM: I don't think so.
KM: You don't think so? Do you ever want to sleep under a quilt?
EM: No. Feels kind of rough.
KM: Well it wouldn't be like this, you would make it soft. What do you think of that?
EM: Sure.
KM: I sleep under a quilt.
EM: [laughs.]
KM: I do, even at your house I sleep under a quilt.
EM: Why?
KM: Because it is there on my bed.
EM: You put it on there?
KM: No your mom did. You need to go look in my room at your house.
EM: It's not your room.
KM: Well, your mom's room. It is my room while I'm here. Right?
EM: Yeah.
KM: Thank you for sharing with me. Can we take your picture now?
[EM shakes her head 'yes' and tape is turned off.]
Collection
Citation
“Emily Martinez,” Quilters' S.O.S. -- Save Our Stories, accessed April 16, 2024, https://qsos.quiltalliance.org/items/show/1526.