Laura Hartwell

Laura Hartwell

04/23/03

DE-19711-007

2019oh0436_qsosde0023

audio

Oral History

Laura Hartwell

Linda Brammer

4/23/03

Kerstin Lanham

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<ROOT xmlns="https://www.weareavp.com/nunncenter/ohms" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="https://www.weareavp.com/nunncenter/ohms/ohms.xsd">
<record id="36846" dt="2025-12-15">
<version>6.0</version>
<date value="2003-04-23" format="yyyy-mm-dd"/>
<date_nonpreferred_format>04-23-2003</date_nonpreferred_format>
<cms_record_id/>
<title>Laura Hartwell</title>
<accession>2019oh0436_qsosde0023</accession>
<duration/>
<collection_id/>
<collection_name/>
<series_id/>
<series_name/>
<repository>Quilt Alliance</repository>
<funding/>
<repository_url>quiltalliance</repository_url>
<interviewee>Laura Hartwell</interviewee>
<interviewer>Linda Brammer</interviewer>
<format/>
<file_name/>
<transcript_alt_lang>Undefined</transcript_alt_lang>
<translate>0</translate>
<media_id/>
<media_url>https://quiltalliance.net/qsos-audio/2019oh0436_qsosde0023_hartwell_acc001.mp3</media_url>
<mediafile>
<host>Other</host>
<avalon_target_domain/>
<host_account_id/>
<host_player_id/>
<host_clip_id/>
<clip_format>audio</clip_format>
</mediafile>
<kembed/>
<language/>
<user_notes/>
<index>
<point>
<time>0</time>
<title>Touchstone quilt</title>
<title_alt/>
<partial_transcript>This is Linda Brammar, today's date is April 23rd, 2003 at 5:30pm. I'm conducting an interview with Laura Hartwell for Quilters S.O.S - Save Our Stories project in Elkton, Maryland. Laura, tell me where you're from.</partial_transcript>
<partial_transcript_alt/>
<synopsis>Laura Hartwell currently resides in Elkton, Maryland, though she has lived all over the United States. She brought an in-progress quilt to discuss, which she is making for the Vermont Quilt Festival. It involves her favorite technique, hand-applique, as well as cutwork applique. She discusses fabric selection, as well as taking a class at the Williamsburg Quilt Festival which covered design, folding techniques, and more, informing this current quilt. While she took inspiration from a book by that instructor, this quilt is her own pattern. Hartwell describes her process for cutwork applique, which involves creating the design with freezer paper before cutting into the fabric.</synopsis>
<synopsis_alt/>
<keywords>Hand applique; fabric selection; Design process; quiltmaking classes; unfinished objects (UFO)</keywords>
<keywords_alt/>
<subjects>Quilts; Quilting</subjects>
<subjects_alt/>
<gpspoints>
<gps/>
<gps_zoom>0</gps_zoom>
<gps_text/>
<gps_text_alt/>
</gpspoints>
<hyperlinks>
<hyperlink/>
<hyperlink_text/>
<hyperlink_text_alt/>
</hyperlinks>
</point>
<point>
<time>365</time>
<title>Interest in quilting / Quilting practice</title>
<title_alt/>
<partial_transcript>Tell me about your interest in quilting. What age did you start quilting?</partial_transcript>
<partial_transcript_alt/>
<synopsis>Hartwell says that she had always been interested in quilts and sewing, and first attempted a quilt when she was about 11 years old using the Grandmother's Flower Garden design. She returned to it during her late 20s, by taking a class through the Cecil Community College Continuing Education program, taught by Joan King. Now, she says that she quilts about 10 hours a week, trying to make time for at least an hour each evening and more over the weekends. Hartwell doesn't remember exactly when she developed her early interest in quilts, though she does recall seeing quilts when her and her family visited the Amish country while living in Pennsylvania.</synopsis>
<synopsis_alt/>
<keywords>quiltmaking classes; Quilt memory; Amish quilts; Amish quiltmakers; Quilt Purpose - Personal enjoyment</keywords>
<keywords_alt/>
<subjects>Quilts; Quilting</subjects>
<subjects_alt/>
<gpspoints>
<gps/>
<gps_zoom>0</gps_zoom>
<gps_text/>
<gps_text_alt/>
</gpspoints>
<hyperlinks>
<hyperlink/>
<hyperlink_text/>
<hyperlink_text_alt/>
</hyperlinks>
</point>
<point>
<time>579</time>
<title>Family &amp; friend quilters</title>
<title_alt/>
<partial_transcript>So, your mom wasn't a quilter, um, but are there any other quilters in your family or among your friends?</partial_transcript>
<partial_transcript_alt/>
<synopsis>Hartwell discusses the formation of the "Black Cats," a quilting group her and her classmates started after their community college class ended. It has evolved over the years, but her and one other original classmate are still involved in it 12 years later. Other than that, her sister and her sisters-in-law both quilt as well, and she enjoys discussing quilting-related topics with them at family holidays.</synopsis>
<synopsis_alt/>
<keywords>Quilt guild; Quiltmaking for family; Guild activities; Quilt Purpose - Personal enjoyment</keywords>
<keywords_alt/>
<subjects>Quilts; Quilting</subjects>
<subjects_alt/>
<gpspoints>
<gps/>
<gps_zoom>0</gps_zoom>
<gps_text/>
<gps_text_alt/>
</gpspoints>
<hyperlinks>
<hyperlink/>
<hyperlink_text/>
<hyperlink_text_alt/>
</hyperlinks>
</point>
<point>
<time>689</time>
<title>Impact of quiltmaking on the family</title>
<title_alt/>
<partial_transcript>How does quilting impact your family?</partial_transcript>
<partial_transcript_alt/>
<synopsis>Hartwell emphasizes that quilting allowed her to become closer with her sisters-in-law, through traveling together to quilt-related events, discussing their projects, or shopping for fabric together. When it comes to life with her immediate family, she finds that quilting is her creative outlet, giving her balance and an interest outside of her job. She also says that her many nieces and nephews have benefited from her making and gifting baby quilts, and she estimates that she has made about 15 of them overall. Hartwell has also observed the different ways that people handle gifted quilts. One of her sisters treats her children's quilts as heirlooms, not allowing them to be used in order to maintain their condition, while her other sister does let her children use them, washing them frequently and valuing function over preservation. Hartwell doesn't particularly mind either way.</synopsis>
<synopsis_alt/>
<keywords>Quiltmaking for family; Quilt preservation; Quilts as gifts; Children's quilts; Quilt Purpose - Bedcovering</keywords>
<keywords_alt/>
<subjects>Quilts; Quilting</subjects>
<subjects_alt/>
<gpspoints>
<gps/>
<gps_zoom>0</gps_zoom>
<gps_text/>
<gps_text_alt/>
</gpspoints>
<hyperlinks>
<hyperlink/>
<hyperlink_text/>
<hyperlink_text_alt/>
</hyperlinks>
</point>
<point>
<time>842</time>
<title>Quilting during a difficult time / Likes and dislikes of quilting</title>
<title_alt/>
<partial_transcript>Tell me if you've ever used quiltmaking to get through a difficult time.</partial_transcript>
<partial_transcript_alt/>
<synopsis>Hartwell doesn't think she has had a particularly emotionally difficult time since she started quilting. However, she has found that quilting allows her to cope with stressors and anxieties from her job, giving her an outlet to express herself. She finds that the process brightens her day, and that finishing a project gives her a sense of accomplishment outside of her work. Hartwell says that she enjoys nearly every part of quilting, and adds that sometimes just the act of thinking about and contemplating quilting brings her pleasure. She finds that basting the layers together and quilting itself are her least favorite aspects of making a quilt, mostly due to technical issues with using a machine. She also talks about machine quilting vs. hand quilting. While she enjoys the act of hand quilting, she prefers machine quilting her baby quilts in order to give them more stability.</synopsis>
<synopsis_alt/>
<keywords>Quilt Purpose - Artistic expression; Hand quilting; Machine quilting; Quilt Purpose - Comfort; Children's quilts</keywords>
<keywords_alt/>
<subjects>Quilts; Quilting</subjects>
<subjects_alt/>
<gpspoints>
<gps/>
<gps_zoom>0</gps_zoom>
<gps_text/>
<gps_text_alt/>
</gpspoints>
<hyperlinks>
<hyperlink/>
<hyperlink_text/>
<hyperlink_text_alt/>
</hyperlinks>
</point>
<point>
<time>1118</time>
<title>What makes a great quilt or quilter</title>
<title_alt/>
<partial_transcript>What do you think makes a great quilt?</partial_transcript>
<partial_transcript_alt/>
<synopsis>Hartwell believes that the initial reaction of interest or awe is an indicator of a quilt being considered great. She says that a quilt is artistically powerful due to the use of color, contrast, and fabric selection, rather than subject matter or pattern choice. Regarding what makes a quilt well suited for a museum or special collection, she thinks that some kind of historical value or learning opportunity likely plays a factor. Hartwell believes that a great quilter is someone who loves what they do, and that great quilters learn by taking risks, and accepting trial and error. When asked about hand quilting vs. machine quilting, she says that every technique is valuable and has a role to play. While she enjoys hand quilting, she would love to improve her machine quilting skills.</synopsis>
<synopsis_alt/>
<keywords>Learning quiltmaking; Quilt preservation; Aesthetics; Hand quilting; Machine quilting</keywords>
<keywords_alt/>
<subjects>Quilts; Quilting</subjects>
<subjects_alt/>
<gpspoints>
<gps/>
<gps_zoom>0</gps_zoom>
<gps_text/>
<gps_text_alt/>
</gpspoints>
<hyperlinks>
<hyperlink/>
<hyperlink_text/>
<hyperlink_text_alt/>
</hyperlinks>
</point>
<point>
<time>1348</time>
<title>Importance of quilting in life</title>
<title_alt/>
<partial_transcript>How is quilting important in your life?</partial_transcript>
<partial_transcript_alt/>
<synopsis>Hartwell sees quilting as an important creative outlet in her life. While she says she isn't artistic in any other way, she thinks that it is important for everyone to have some kind of creative interest or practice. When asked about the importance of quilts in American life generally, she says that they are very important for recording history, and that they offer an interesting perspective on the lives of people in each era. In terms of women's history, she believes that up until recently, it was one of the only ways women were able to leave their own creative mark on the world. It allowed women to display their creativity and technical sewing skills, while making a major contribution to their families. She also mentions album quilts as significant way of seeing what was important to women in history, and what they valued the most.</synopsis>
<synopsis_alt/>
<keywords>Quilt history; Quilt Purpose - Artistic expression; Quilt Purpose - Utilitarian; Album quilts; Female quiltmakers</keywords>
<keywords_alt/>
<subjects>Quilts; Quilting</subjects>
<subjects_alt/>
<gpspoints>
<gps/>
<gps_zoom>0</gps_zoom>
<gps_text/>
<gps_text_alt/>
</gpspoints>
<hyperlinks>
<hyperlink/>
<hyperlink_text/>
<hyperlink_text_alt/>
</hyperlinks>
</point>
<point>
<time>1478</time>
<title>Preserving quilts for the future</title>
<title_alt/>
<partial_transcript>[inaudible] preserved for the future?</partial_transcript>
<partial_transcript_alt/>
<synopsis>Hartwell mentions again that she doesn't have a great understanding of what makes a quilt worth preserving within a museum or special collection setting. However, on a personal level, she thinks that quilts can be preserved by passing ones quilts down to children, relatives, or friends. She gives almost all of her finished quilts away, either to her nieces and nephews, or to the children of her friends. She has also given decorative quilts as wall hangings to her sisters' families. She repeats that one of her sisters lets her children use their quilts freely, allowing wear and tear, while her other sisters preserves the quilts as family heirlooms.</synopsis>
<synopsis_alt/>
<keywords>Quilt preservation; Quilt Purpose - Gift or presentation; everyday use; Quiltmaking for family; inherited quilt</keywords>
<keywords_alt/>
<subjects>Quilts; Quilting</subjects>
<subjects_alt/>
<gpspoints>
<gps/>
<gps_zoom>0</gps_zoom>
<gps_text/>
<gps_text_alt/>
</gpspoints>
<hyperlinks>
<hyperlink/>
<hyperlink_text/>
<hyperlink_text_alt/>
</hyperlinks>
</point>
<point>
<time>1598</time>
<title>Entering quilts into quilt shows</title>
<title_alt/>
<partial_transcript>Oh, tell me about your experience in-- in entering shows, and entering your quilts in shows?</partial_transcript>
<partial_transcript_alt/>
<synopsis>Hartwell shares that she entered a quilt into a guild show, and that it received an honorable mention. She also entered one a year prior in the Vermont Quilt Festival, and received third place. She enjoys entering quilt shows because of the constructive feedback she receives, and she enjoys applying that feedback to become a better quilter.</synopsis>
<synopsis_alt/>
<keywords>Quilt competitions; Quilt shows/exhibitions; Learning quiltmaking; Guild activities; Quilt guild</keywords>
<keywords_alt/>
<subjects>Quilts; Quilting</subjects>
<subjects_alt/>
<gpspoints>
<gps/>
<gps_zoom>0</gps_zoom>
<gps_text/>
<gps_text_alt/>
</gpspoints>
<hyperlinks>
<hyperlink/>
<hyperlink_text/>
<hyperlink_text_alt/>
</hyperlinks>
</point>
</index>
<type/>
<description/>
<rel/>
<rights/>
<fmt>audio</fmt>
<usage/>
<userestrict>0</userestrict>
<xmllocation>https://quiltalliance.net/ohms-viewer-master/render.php?cachefile=</xmllocation>
<xmlfilename/>
<collection_link/>
<series_link/>
</record>
</ROOT>