David White

David White

CO80922-003

David White

Jeanne Wright

09/10/15

Dorry Emmer

South Portland, Maine

Jeanne Wright

Note: This interview is the third of three interviews with David White conducted by Jeanne Wright on September 15, 2010. See also: CO80922-001 and CO80922-002.

Jeanne Wright (JW): This is Jeanne Wright. Today's date is September 15, 2010. It's 5:30 in the afternoon. I'm conducting an interview with Dave White at the South Portland Public Library in South Portland, Maine. This is the third part of a series of three tapes that we are speaking with Dave. He is a full-time professional driver for a trucking company [Don Hummer Trucking.] He is also a quilter. He quilts in his truck. He comes from Colorado Springs, Colorado. We are here in Maine. His company helped him design a trip so that he could come here and speak with us. This is for the Quilters S.O.S. - Save Our Stories' project. David, thank you for coming back here to the subject of quilting with us. This is our third tape that we've done [this afternoon.] and we are going to explore a little more. Are you all set?

Dave White (DW): We are ready to go.

JW: Okay. What's one of the things that you have seen that has inspired your quilting the most?

DW: Well, as I had talked about on the previous tapes, the patterns of fabric, anything from the Batiks, now I don't particularly like the Batiks because they are just too mellow, but I like patterns and vivid patterns and colors. They really help me bring the design of the quilt together, with a visual focal point to them, so that when people look at them, they can sit there and say, 'Ooh.'

JW: I know that your wife helped get you started in this. Is there anyone else who's inspired you?

DW: My Mom has told me, she says, 'It's not normal, but as long as you enjoy it, I guess that's normal.' [JW laughs.] She understands, once again, my wife and my mom have been my inspiration points because they realize that driving a truck, it's a solitude life. I'm away from home for work for 4 to5 weeks at a time. They know that it's important that I stay active and creative, because if I don't, it's going to get real boring. When you get bored, you don't enjoy what you are doing.

JW: You told us in a previous tape that your company is really behind you in this effort, that they support their employees who have these outside interests.

DW: As I may have mentioned and I'll mention it again, their particular role in this is that they have found that the drivers that have outside interests typically are better adjusted and happier, safer drivers in a very stressful job. If you've never been in downtown Philadelphia with 70 foot of truck with nothing but little cars around you that are trying to cause accidents, it's very stressful. If you are looking forward to getting in the back of the truck and working on a quilt, that stress is not nearly as incapacitating as it would be without that kind of release.

JW: Your employer is Don Hummer.

DW: Yes.

JW: And where are they located?

DW: It's Don Hummer Trucking and they are located in Oxford, Iowa, which is about 15 miles west of Iowa City.

JW: How long have you been driving?

DW: January I will have been driving eight years.

JW: And before that, just briefly, you were--

DW: I worked in computers as an IT Implementation Contractor, several big firms there. Before that a short stint with the Post Office and then before that a 20-year Veteran with the Air Force.

JW: The subject was not quilting.

DW: No. Nothing in my past even described cloth.

JW: [laughs.] Okay. What do you think about the importance of quilts in America?

DW: Quilting has got a long and colorful past. Some of the times when I'm out on the road I have the ability to get on the Internet. I usually try to seek information about American quilting, as well as worldwide quilting. It's not just an American activity. It has roots all the way back in written history, there is evidence of quilts and quilt making. What's unique about it is that here in America, we see it as strictly, or primarily, as a female activity. But in history it's shown that there's many, many instances where men had been involved in the industry.

JW: In America?

DW: Not necessarily in America. But Egypt and Europe during the Middle Ages, the men did quilting. It's an interesting history lesson if you are into learning history, that you can go out onto the Internet and find this information.

JW: Was it you who told me about certain times of the year, in the winter, that it was against the law for women to quilt?

DW: It was an interesting fact. There was one website that brought up a little synopsis of, in Ireland when the winter would set in, the men, to make money to pay for food and fuel for the stove and such, they would actually do the sewing. They actually had laws on the books which prohibited women from sewing during the months of October to February.

JW: Interesting. Now it's not common for men to quilt, but it seems to be gaining in popularity. Would you say that's true? [noise in the background is someone knocking on and trying to open a locked door.]

DW: I believe it is true. The reason I believe it is true is that men are seeing it as maybe not necessarily a non-typical male activity, but it's one that they can derive a lot of pleasure from, making something. [Paused the tape.]

JW: There. We've just had a knock on the door, but we are back.

DW: The question is, is quilting gaining some popularity. What I was trying to point out was that in my conversations with other men, they are starting to see or realize that it is an activity they can become involved with and share those experiences with their partners. You know, it's no more, 'She's going to the fabric shop.' They are actually enjoying that experience also.

JW: Not necessarily as a couple going. You, yourself, enjoy going to a fabric shop.

DW: I talk to men in the fabric shops that actually enjoy going with their wives. Some of them are reserved. They are finding chairs, you know, not quite as involved as I am, but at the same time I think that they realize that it is an activity that a couple can do. It gives them a connection to an activity.

JW: Do you think they find the importance of it in America, in the sense that it's not just a hobby that the wife has that there's an importance to it? Do you think they see that at all?

DW: I think they see it as a value added to supporting their partners instead of complaining about, 'She's going to the fabric shop,' that they can actually have some input. It's appreciated to have input. To a level of cutting the cloth, or even sewing or doing the quilting portion of it, I still think there is some stereotypical resistance there. I'm hoping that maybe if somebody was to hear or listen to my story, that they would feel a little more empowered to say, 'Well you know if he can do it, why can't I?'

JW: Do you know another professional driver who is a quilter?

DW: I know of one individual who had come forward and said, 'Yes, I do quilting.' He hand quilts small display quilts.

JW: Hand quilts or hand pieces or both?

DW: Both. He hand pieces it and then hand quilts it. He said that at this point he has only done six of them and he wasn't willing to really share any of the results and, why, I don't know. But I commended him on the fact that he had found an activity that he enjoyed. It didn't cost a lot. What's a needle, thread and pair of scissors? In his case, if he's hand piecing, he doesn't need the box of notions that I've got. But it's something that allows him to experience quilting and the enjoyment of looking at a completed project when he is done.

JW: What general area of the country was he from?

DW: Midwest.

JW: Midwest. So quilting is a big thing in the Midwest evidently.

DW: As I mentioned before, it's kind of quilt central. There's lots of fabric stores and there are a lot of people in the Midwest who do it. That's not to say that any other--you can go any place and find a fabric store or, you know, a sewing store that are willing to talk to you and work with you when it comes to quilting. But the Midwest is typically very active in that regard.

JW: You had mentioned earlier about reading some of the magazines and some books. Have you met any of these authors of either articles or books and have they shed an extra light on the subject for you?

DW: I haven't met what I would refer to as really famous people. I would like to someday. As a matter of fact, I had mentioned a little earlier that I would like to teach. It kind of goes back to my Air Force history.

JW: At what level?

DW: I would like to show individuals, male and female, techniques that I have learned and talk to them about getting involved.

JW: Is this a classroom setting, or you said individuals?

DW: Either one. I kind of like the small groups because you can have more interaction, but you know--

JW: What about the Adult Ed classes at a high school? Does something like that interest you?

DW: Well, I--it's interesting that you are saying this. I have bought a, the new machine that I'm going to put on the truck, I had an opportunity to talk to the owner, not the owner but the manager, of the Rocky Mountain Sewing and Vacuum Center in Colorado Springs [Colorado.] and he has cleared it and wants very much to get me involved in kind of a meet and greet. He has several ladies who have heard about me in the Colorado Springs area and he's going to be setting up a meeting with them on the 19th of October at his shop front. That will give me the ability to talk to some of these people. Now, some of them I'm hoping I know. Some of them I hope I don't know. At the same time what we can do is talk about this passion of mine called quilting.

JW: So, would you be looking to do seminars or working with like a state guild to do speaking engagements, something like that?

DW: I like the idea of the speaking engagements.

JW: What's the message you would want to get across?

DW: I've kind of mentioned it in a couple of the other tapes. I keep coming back to it because I think it is something that's lacking in our society, and that's inspiration and empowerment. Many of the fabric stores are successful today because within 30 seconds of you walking in the door they say, 'Hi. How are you doing? Why are you here? What can we help you with?' Those are the kind of stores I love to be in because they've got a very open staff that you can talk to them about, you can show them pictures. They love show and tells. Most of them, like I said, will meet you at the door and say, 'How are you doing?' If you've got a project underneath your arm, it won't be five minutes and they are asking to see what you've done. That's enthusiasm. That's inspiration. Those are the kind of activities that young or old, when somebody walks into a shop front, they are there for a purpose. Some people would refer to it as window shopping. But they have an idea why they are going to spend 5 minutes, 10 minutes or an hour in the shop.

JW: You mean people only spend that much time sometimes? [laughs.]

DW: I have seen--

JW: It's hard for me to do. [both laugh.]

DW: I have seen people, I don't know the dedication to quilting or to sewing, but I have seen people walk in, walk through, look at a few things, touch a few things and less than 10 minutes later walk out the front door. What bothers me from just an observation standpoint is they may have had an idea, or they may have a project or the possibility of just needing some assistance, but once they walk out the door, that experience ends. Inspiration comes at all different levels. I hope that I can inspire people that have limited time, limited space, or limited funds that they can be involved in quilting.

JW: How do you think you can get the message across?

DW: These interview processes are part of it. As you mentioned, the seminars and working with the guilds and forums. At this particular time, I'm not doing this for any monetary gain. And the reason for that is that I really want people to understand that this can be a very enjoyable, lifelong activity.

JW: You mentioned at some point about community, sense of community. I think that fits in with this too.

DW: Once again, one of the things you find out on the Internet with history and the lessons of American quilting guilds and sewing bees, was that that was the ability for a small group of women, primarily women, because in those days, in our recent past anyway, that's who did a lot of the sewing. They would get together and they would have the ability to talk about what was going on in the community--who was having a baby, who was getting married, who was having marital problems. And not do it in a religious connotation or with any type of, other than a shared community concern. If people needed some help, a lot of these quilting bees and quilting guilds--if somebody was getting married, they would make them a quilt for their beds. If they were having children, they would make them a quilt so that the kids were cared for in the wintertime. I think if I mentioned to a quilter about a Wedding Ring Pattern, they would understand that that was a very traditional American design for the celebration of somebody getting married.

JW: Would you say that the sense of community then has decreased for the population as a whole?

DW: I think our population has moved into individualism. What they are doing now is seeing their activities as only their activities and not necessarily one to link or get back into a community.

JW: What do you think would be a jumpstart to get people back into quilting?

DW: I'm concerned about the average age of quilters nowadays; at least what the statistics tell us. Of course, we know everything about statistics, they can be off by a little bit. But most quilters are 50 and up in age. What about a 20-year-old? An interesting little scenario in between our interviews here was, we are doing this in a library. There was a young lady. I would put her maybe 20 years of age. I was sharing with her that I quilt. Of course, Jeanne [interviewer.] was kind enough to introduce me. But the young lady was rather enthusiastic about it. She said, 'Really? You do that?' She was mentioning, 'I would like to do that someday.'

JW: What started the conversation? Do you remember? She was, about what she was wearing.

DW: What was interesting [laughed.] was that she had a very colorful set of tennis shoes on, and we got to talking about where did you find those shoes. She said that she likes to be an individual. She didn't like to be like everybody else. She actually went out online to find these special shoes. Well, that gave me the opening to talk to her about quilting and the ability to say you can express yourself as an individual in this activity also.

JW: And you brought out your famous Papa's Pictures. [pictures of his quilts from his phone.] You were already to show her some on your phone, I guess it was.

DW: And once she saw what I was actually talking about, she was very, very enthused. What I was hoping was that she would be able to take that enthusiasm and maybe go home and say to her mom, 'You know, I talked to this guy in the library, and he says that he quilts on his truck. Could you teach me?' That's the level of message that I would like to get out.

JW: Now if her mother said no [or wasn't able to.], what are her options? What would she do if she could still maintain this bit of inspiration and enthusiasm? Where would she turn? How would she know?

DW: There's many, many sources for information. If you give up at the first no, it's kind of defeating the purpose, but if you have a little tenacity, go into one of the fabric shops and say is there anybody they know about that teaches or that you could ask questions about? Most fabric shops realize that people come into the fabric shop because they are looking for inspiration or they have questions about a project they have in place. So that really is the first place I would go to is a local fabric shop. I'm not talking Joann's or Michael's or even Wal-Mart. The little ladybug fabric shops with small store fronts. They typically have a fairly large network of people they know or can get you in touch with to help you through tough times or questions.

JW: For them it's not just selling fabric.

DW: No, it isn't. Most of them, it's a passion. If you ask most of the shopkeepers if they like to make money, it's yes. But at the same time a lot of them do it for little to no money.

JW: As we have discussed here, perhaps more than once, quilters seem to like to share. There are very few quilters that need to keep their own secret information. So, I would think being in a shop, going there for questions, is as fulfilling to them as selling the fabric.

DW: I would tend to agree with that statement. The point that I was trying to get at was that those people have usually been in the same place as the person walking through the door.

JW: How do you think quilts can be used?

DW: You know, with the colorful patterns and the different designs of the cloth, they really are showpieces if properly constructed and with time and energy and effort. They can be quite interesting conversation pieces. Quilts come in all different sizes. I mentioned that I have made a couple of quilts as display quilts, but I like to stick more to the functional quilts, something that I can curl up on the couch with, or that I can lay on the bed. I don't particularly like wall hangers [hangings.] but they do have their place.

JW: We talked a few minutes ago about it not being common, perhaps, for men to quilt, but what do you think is the special meaning for men's history and quilting in America?

DW: I was asked at a previous interview, 'Well you're a man, why would you want to take up quilting?' I go back to history. It was less than 100 years ago if you wanted a nice fitting pair of trousers you went to a tailor. That particular little part of history has been glazed over and forgotten. Men have always sewn. Modern day men don't sew because of the stereotypical reaction. It's not football, beer or women. If you really have a limited scope in your life around three subjects, how rich is your life? What kind of, and I hate to put it this way, but what kind of person are you? Are you a well-rounded person or are you limiting yourself and your ability to accept life on life's terms?

JW: You have been around to so many different states. You meet so many different people. With this subject that you have of quilting, this must make you a really well-rounded person, because you hear so many things. You help each other out. I mean it's really a huge sense of community I would think. Some of the stereotypical things that men do, may be somewhat limited? I guess one could speak about football for many, many hours with anybody, so it's probably the same with your hobby. You could speak for a long time about it.

DW: Right. Right.

JW: What do you think about preserving quilts for the future? We've talked about how you've gotten this far. What do you think about that?

DW: I think it's very, very important that as quilters, that there is a heritage. I don't know if I brought that point across with this interview, but there is a heritage that is associated to quilting, not only in America, but around the world. People associate a quilt as a gift that somebody has made for them and it's a treasured heirloom. You don't treat a quilt that anybody makes for you the same as you would a Wal-Mart product. So, understanding that it's a very special gift and that it was made for you or for a purpose, when somebody gets that gift, it draws you a little closer to them.

JW: Do you think because it's handmade they would be more likely to preserve it?

DW: I believe they are more interested in how it was made, the purpose behind it. We need to preserve quilting from the standpoint of our young people also. Getting them involved at a level they are comfortable being involved with.

JW: You talked a little bit about this, but the function of quilts, as we are talking about preserving it, sometimes it's a fine line between receiving a quilt, loving it, wanting to use it and wrapping yourself up in it for 15 years and your kids use it and so forth and putting it away so that it will be preserved and handed down. What do you feel about the contrast? People who [say.], 'I want to use it all the time.' And people who [say.], 'I wouldn't touch it. I use it like the first born [child.].' What do you have to say about that, how you feel about your quilts?

DW: Well, it's, my particular quilts, and I think that most quilters do have some emotional attachment to them. You can look at it and say, 'There's no flaws in this' and I can point out that, boy, you haven't been looking at this particular area then. Because I made it, I know all the faults and all the imperfections within it. But because it was a gift made specifically for you, it's going to be preserved as that gift. Now what do I feel about somebody using and wearing it out versus putting it away and it never seeing the sun? There has to be a balance. When you make a quilt and whoever you give it to, if they want to use it and wear it out, it's not really my place to sit there and say, 'Don't do that.' But at the same time if they have a feeling of 'Oh, I want to preserve it and I'm going to pass it along to my grandkids and down the lineage because Uncle Dave did this for you,' that's appropriate also.

JW: Okay. That's fair. What about the quilts you have made for your friends and your family?

DW: I've got them standing in line. [both laugh.] There is what I call a honeymoon period because most of them, when I told them I was doing this, were like, 'Oh that's nice.' Then they started seeing some of the products. I didn't get to show you one that I did for my mother-in-law. It was a Sudoku pattern in purples. She's a Red Hat lady and I couldn't find enough reds to really do it justice, so I did it in purple, her second favorite color. She, every time I go home, I get the question, so when's my quilt going to be done? [JW laughs.] So, I know she's looking forward to receiving it.

JW: You expressed to me earlier on in the day that you have some things you'd like to say. This would be a good point for you to do some thoughts of yours and you've expressed them through parts of this interview, but share some of your other thoughts, like what would you like to learn, what would you like to teach, what would you like to have the next generation know?

DW: Well one of the things that bothers me, once again, in conversation with women about why they have not finished projects that they started years ago or they bought cloth, but they haven't found a pattern. That goes back to, as you mentioned, what I've already discussed a little bit about. That is, enthusiasm. It's a contagious emotion that if somebody was to say, 'You, know, I really like those colors together.' All of a sudden, your decision to use those colors has been validated. There's no doubt anymore. It only takes one person to show you a little enthusiasm and you can start working towards results. I feel that there is young and old in our society that don't get enough positive reinforcement in our daily lives and our daily activities. Quilting allows us a small little fraction, a little part of it, to feel a little pride and enthusiasm to taking our time and taking our efforts in finishing a project. If the capacity is just to piece the top, there are a number of people who could take that top and give you suggestions on what kind of backing material to use, what kind of batting material to use and who will do the quilting for you. Most longarm quilters have got an arsenal of, 'What would you like it to be? Would you want it to be a piece of artwork, or do you want it to be functional? Do you want a lot of stitching on it or just a little stitching?' The longarmers, in my opinion, are the people who really bring a lot of modern-day quilting to the forefront as very special gifts because of the efforts that they put into the finished product. That's not to say that hand quilters are not putting that same effort in. It's hundreds of hours of hand quilting versus the time and the waiting for the longarmer to finish it. So, to me, I'm trying very hard to get a message across that male or female, young or old, if this is something you'd like to do or even have an inkling of an idea, start simple. Ask a lot of questions. There is a lot of help out there to get you to a point where you have a finished product and you can sit back and say, 'I did that.' As I told one lady in a store one day, she was just having a quandary over one particular fabric versus the other because it wasn't exactly what she wanted. There really wasn't a whole lot of choices. Like I told her, 'It really doesn't matter which one you go with. You choose one. If you don't like the results, donate the quilt, somebody will love it, even though you don't love it as the creator of it. Somebody else will love what you have done.' She kind of smiled and said, 'Yeah, you're right.' A little bit of enthusiasm. The other point that I wanted to bring up was empowerment. Empowerment is something that, you know, there are a lot of people that will tell you that you can't do that. I've run across it in my particular point, because I'm male and I'm a truck driver. I don't follow 'I can't do that.' Ingenuity in my case was necessary because I had to figure out my workspace and how I was going to store things and how I was going to organize a project, how many quilt tops I keep on the truck, the level of activity and even to my learning skills. Those are, some people are on fast learning curves and others are on slow learning curves, but it boils down to empowering yourself to succeed. Once again, in our society we've got all kinds of people telling us, 'You can't do that, you'll never finish it, why did you ever do this?' and all that does is drag you down. I'm just the opposite. If you tell me I can't, I will probably figure out a way that I can do it. You know, if it takes me as an example, quilting in a little confined space in my truck for hours at a time to show you that it can be done, I'm more than willing to share with you how I did it. I think we need more people [clears his throat.] excuse me, I think we need more people that have the attitude of, 'Yes, you can do that,' empowering other citizens or other people that have an interest to be able to do things instead of just sitting in front of the TV with a 'clicker.'

JW: What about someone in your industry? What thoughts do you have for them if they think they might like to quilt? Maybe they don't feel like they have time to stop at a quilt shop or go somewhere and learn it. What tips would you give to someone in your [quilting.] interest if you sat down in a coffee shop somewhere and another trucker sat down beside you and had a little interest?

DW: I've had some conversations with truckers about that, that they can do this, and it is something that they can derive some level of enjoyment from. Specifically, what I try to tell them is, it really doesn't cost a lot of money, so it's not a big monetary drain on the wallet. The equipment is based upon what you feel you need to accomplish it, as simple as needle and thread to rotary cutters and all kinds of different notions. You can get carried away [DW chuckles.] and some of us do. But at the same time, that keeps our enthusiasm up because it's something new, something we have to learn. But we are empowering ourselves to succeed in that whole activity. Other drivers, the ones that are really seeking to kind of come out of the mold and figure out that's there's other things to do than eat, sleep and drive, they found it refreshing. Some of them say, 'That's good that you're doing it. I might be able to see me doing it, but I don't think so.' I can respect that, but if they never ask the question or I was not forward enough to give them some answers to the questions, [they.] eat, sleep and drive.

JW: What do you think is the biggest challenge confronting quilters today, quilters as a whole, not just drivers?

DW: That's an interesting question. I've always found in conversations when I tell people that I quilt, somebody will say, 'Oh, my mom does that.' People identify with quilting and quilters, one quilter to another, but it's right under the surface. It's not like you're wearing a badge that says, 'I'm a quilter.' Some of us, you know, I'm still looking for a baseball cap that says, 'I'm a quilter.' Haven't found one yet. But it is a noble activity. It's not something that I particularly feel should be under the surface. It should be on top of the surface.

JW: The challenge then is--

DW: To let people know what we are doing and that it's a good thing, not a bad thing. We can be role models. We can inspire our youth. It has the ability to enrich our lives.

JW: What's something that you would like to learn?

DW: Oh, we have talked about this before. I guess my biggest challenge is to look at a Bargello [style of quilt.] and someday think that I might be able to accomplish that. They are beautiful when they are done and done correctly with the right colors and such, but way--

JW: Done so that you can have one, or done so that you can learn the process of doing it?

DW: I like the process part of it. Because if I can learn the process, then I can teach you how to do it. That's my attitude, as we talked about before. I like the experience of doing it, but in the military, I was a professional instructor for 16 years. It's something you don't give up very easy. I would like to, very much, teach people techniques that I have learned, either self-taught or that other people have taught me. I had another young lady there in Colorado Springs. She showed me how to nest a seam. Now if I say, "esting the seam'" to a guy on the sidewalk, he sits there and says, 'Hmm?' But if I say that to a quilter, they know exactly what I'm doing. I'm putting two points together and either pinning it or sewing it. That kind of knowledge is only gained through exposure. It's only passing that exposure and experience on, that people will learn how to do something and grow confident in it. As a person that would like to do that. You betcha. If I can learn it, I can show you how to do it.

JW: It sounds like you would be a good guest speaker at some point.

DW: Well not only speaking. I like to speak, but I also like to do things.

JW: So, teaching?

DW: Teaching. My wife is my best student at this point. She hasn't told me no yet. I have had to convince her that she can do some things because she's in the defeatist type of mode when she looks at the pattern and it looks too complicated. Okay, let's break it down by the steps you are going to go. Most of the instructions on the patterns, or even in the magazines are very explicit if you can follow a written word. It's not difficult to do with some pretty complex patterns. It really helps if you've got somebody showing you that. [JW: Mm-mm.] That's where I'd like to go. I would like to work in smaller groups so that I can have that contact.

JW: It sounds like you endorse guilds, quilt guilds.

DW: Absolutely. The guilds are carrying on the American tradition of the sewing bees and some of the tradition of community. Once again, if you say "guild" to a man or woman on the street, most of them go, 'Huh?' They have no idea what it really is. But they [the guilds.] are a very important part of the quilting community and they allow us to be able to talk to our passions of making quilts.

JW: Are there any other comments you would like to add to this last, this third part of our 3-part interview?

DW: Well, the last thing I'd like to say is a personal thanks to Jeanne Wright for taking her time.

JW: Well, you are welcome.

DW: You mentioned that it was my company and myself getting up here to do this interview, but it takes volunteers like yourself to have the avenue to be up here to do this.

JW: Well, it's definitely been my pleasure. I love to speak with people, and I love to learn new things. And if it's in the quilting arena, I'm in seventh heaven. Any other comments, or do you think we are all done?

DW: We are all done.

JW: I would like to thank Dave, of course, for his lengthy interview today, having gone through three tapes. This last one we are ending the tape at 6:15 p.m. This is September 15, 2010, and we are working on the Quilters' S.O.S. - Save Our Stories project.

Interview concludes.