Terry Doty

Terry Doty

MI49016-039

Terry Doty

Eleanor Wilkinson

2011-03-18

Moda Fabrics

Battle Creek, Michigan

Eleanor Wilkinson

Eleanor Wilkinson (EW): This is Eleanor Wilkinson. This interview is being conducted for South Central Michigan Q.S.O.S., a project for The Alliance for American Quilts. Today I'm interviewing Terry Doty at Westlake Presbyterian Church in Battle Creek, Michigan. Today is March 18, 2011, and the time is 10:06 a.m. Let's talk first about the quilt that you brought today. Does it have a special meaning for you?

Terry Doty (TD): Yes, it does. I was inspired by a picture of an antique quilt on a calendar. That was twenty plus years ago and I saved that picture, put it on my refrigerator. Every time I moved it was on a different refrigerator. [laughs.] And then after retirement I used that picture to inspire me to do this quilt.

EW: Let's describe it.

TD: It's all hexagons, two inches. It's a mosaic setting. I look at it as a medallion because it does have a center setting and it just works out from the center. It has 4,300 and some hexagons in it. It is Civil War reproduction fabric in mainly blues, greens, purples. I prefer the cool colors for myself.

EW: Does it have a name?

TD: That was the hardest part of making it. I named it "Sara's Hexagon Medallion."

EW: And Sara is a relative of yours?

TD: My daughter.

EW: And what will happen to this quilt?

TD: Well, after I'm dead she'll get it. [laughs.]

EW: In the meantime, are you using it or you saving it?

TD: Currently I am just showing it. I have it entered in a show coming up this spring.

EW: How cool. Good luck with that. What do you think someone viewing this quilt would think of you?

TD: That I'm insane [laughs.] to cut out so many pieces from such beautiful fabric and sew it back together again. Especially when I cut out the pieces when I had one hand in a cast. I was bored silly, so I started to trace, because I trace out each piece individually. And when I trace it that line is my seam line. So I did all the tracing and gingerly cut them out. That was a little harder with one hand in a cast.

EW: I expect it was.

TD: I was bored sitting home and a surely didn't want to do housework, so it was more fun to start a project.

EW: Absolutely. So was this hand pieced.

TD: Hand pieced. [both together.] Hand quilted. I only do things by hand except for the binding and occasionally when I do one of the Old Order Amish tops. I will machine piece that.

EW: Let's talk about your interest in quilt making. The questions here say what age did you start quilt making?

TD: I was twenty-seven and pregnant and I just was inspired to make a baby quilt like so many quilters. I began--

EW: That's a lot of our first quilts.

TD: Right. And what I consider a traditional way for our generation. And I just did a simple two-inch, four block, in pink and blue.

EW: Of course, because then we didn't know.

TD: We didn't know.

EW: From whom did you learn to quilt?

TD: My great-aunt Helen Doty Fairchild. She gave me verbal directions. She didn't have anything at hand to show me at the time. She was still actively teaching in the area, so didn't have time for her crafts. She gave me the directions and I just took off from there. We were having a family reunion within four or five months of that first time we talked, and I wanted to get this piece done, so I could show it to her. And, of course, when I showed it to her, she showed me all the things I did wrong. So, from there I just picked up from books, mainly, because this was in '72. And there were no classes. Nothing, no quilt shops.

EW: We had fabric shops.

TD: No, there were no fabric shops just for quilters.

EW: Oh, no, no, not just for quilters.

TD: I had to scrounge to find cotton. It was very hard.

EW: We were making garments and not quilts.

TD: Right. It was more polyester that was available.

EW: How many hours a week do you think you quilt? Normally.

TD: Probably, I would say, forty to fifty hours now that I'm retired.

EW: I'm impressed. What do you think is your first quilt memory?

TD: Oh, my. I don't recall any in my childhood. I don't recall seeing any until I was in, probably, high school. Aunt Helen, again, had her mother's appliqué quilt with trapunto. I remember that and that was probably my first quilt that I knew that I was interested in.

EW: That was probably impressive, too.

TD: Yes. It was still in good shape. It had been used and it was made, probably early twentieth century if not before, because this grandmother was born in 1864.

EW: Are there any other quiltmakers in your family?

TD: Yes, my own grandmother, Sylvia Arnold Doty, she contracted TB in the thirties, and she made a postage-stamp quilt while in the sanitarium. I didn't even know it existed until my aunt, her eldest daughter gave it to me, probably, in '73 or '74. I was living in Texas at the time. She brought it to me and when I moved back to Michigan, Michigan State started the quilt study, and I took this to one of the appointed times that they were looking at quilts and it was accepted for it. It is in the Michigan book.

EW: Very nice.

TD: And it was in a show at the Kresge Center at MSU. [Michigan State University.] I'm just amazed at it. Of course, she didn't do it correctly. I don't think she was normally a quilter. I think this was just busy work for her.

EW: Therapy?

TD: Yes. Her stitches were really bad, and her knots were on the top of the quilt. But from what I understand, in family talk, her mother also made a postage-stamp and from what I have found out it went to another cousin, a distant cousin. I would really like to have that one, too. [laughs.] But at least I have my grandmother's.

EW: That's very nice. How does quilt making impact your family?

DT: It keeps me out of trouble. Everybody knows where to find me. I'm at home quilting. My daughter really likes it because she knows she is going to get everything, eventually. And I think my grandsons enjoy it, too. They, themselves, are becoming old enough to appreciate artistic natures. They appreciate the work I've put into it, even when I've made them a quilt and just tied it. I like that. I'm trying to promote that in them, too.

EW: Yes. Who knows, maybe you'll be promoting another famous man quilter.

DT: Oh, that would be wonderful.

EW: Wouldn't it?

DT: Yes.

EW: Have you ever used quilts to get through a difficult time?

DT: Oh, definitely, definitely. When in a bad marriage I would work in a separate room and just go hide. And to have quiet time to myself and away from the stress of situations I would stay up late on weekends. I'm naturally a night owl. I would stay up and watch old movies and quilt.

EW: And, on the other side, is there any amusing experience that you can recall, connected with quilt making?

DT: Well, when I was making one for my daughter, I was up at two in the morning watching the worst monster movie I've ever seen, cutting out pieces and realizing at two or three in the morning the piece in the pattern was supposed to be reversed [laughs.] and I hadn't so she got a smaller quilt. That's probably the funniest thing I've done.

EW: What is it you find pleasing about quilt making?

DT: Touching. I like to feel fabric. I like colors. I like playing with it, matching up the patterns, and the colors, thinking how I could use them. I enjoy seeing how other people have done it in their own work. I especially like that about quilt shows, not only appreciating the skill of others but appreciating their talent and what they've accomplished.

EW: Do you tend to favor traditional patterns?

DT: Yes, I do. I'm comfortable with it, not only because I started out that way. There was so little out there at the time that I just like making my own templates, spending a night cutting out all those pieces and getting the project ready for whatever reason. I do like to have, probably no more than three or four ready to work on at a time because I like to pick up and carry when I go to a quilt circle, or I attend a lot of meetings where I can take piecing with me. So, I've always got something at hand to work on.

EW: Do you mostly cut from templates, then?

DT: Yes. I make my own templates now that we have plastic. I started out with cardboard [laughs.] and I still have some of those.

EW: Is there any aspect of quilt making that you don't enjoy?

DT: Layering it and basting.

EW: Basting, yes.

DT: Especially now that I can't get on the floor any more to layer it out and baste it.

EW: That does get tough, doesn't it?

DT: It is a real challenge.

EW: How do you handle that?

DT: Well, fortunately in my apartment I have an area where I can pretty much lay out almost a king size. It's tight and if I can get everything layered properly with a minimum of wrinkles. I've switched from thread basting to using the little gun with the plastic tabs and I'll get end of it basted and then lift it up over my dining room table which is quite long. And I'll have a couple of card tables to support it and then I baste it and roll it as I go.

EW: Sounds like a good system.

DT: Yes, but it's still tiresome and boring.

EW: Yes, yes. So, it's much easier than to use the little guns with the plastic things?

DT: I think so. I'm not totally against high technology, as some people think, but, yeah, it saves a lot of time. And it's not that expensive.

EW: Are these readily visible when you do, for instance, if someone did machine quilting, would they have trouble running into them?

DT: I don't know, because I--

EW: You don't do that.

DT: No, I've only done a teeny, tiny bit of that and was not happy with machine quilting myself.

EW: What art or quilt groups do you belong to?

DT: I belong to the Cal-Co Quilters' Guild.

EW: Of Battle Creek, Michigan?

DT: Right. And the Spring Chixs quilt circle. And those are the only organized groups I'm in.

EW: Do you meet with any groups of friends?

DT: Yes, I'll do that occasionally. I've just taken on a student. I've had a person referred to me. We have a mutual friend, and she does want to learn hand work, hand quilting. So, as I introduce her to people, I emphasize the fact that she wants to do the hand work because there's so few of us anymore.

EW: Yes, we want to make more faster.

DT: Yeah.

EW: So, what advances in technology have influenced your work?

DT: [laughs.] Mostly the tools that have come out, I do use a rotary cutter especially for the borders and the binding.

EW: Strips.

DT: Yeah, it's very good for that. I talked about the basting gun. I think quilting thread has improved.

EW: That's true.

DT: Because when I first started, I actually had to use beeswax on it to help. And batts, too. They don't beard as much as they used to. And with this particular quilt, it was the first time I used the cotton-bamboo batting. I'm trying to go green, and I really liked it. It needled well and I have no problem with trying it again.

EW: Have you washed it yet?

DT: Yes. Oh, yes. It's done fine.

EW: Good. I'm sure people will be interested in knowing how that works out.

DT: I haven't had anyone ask me about it yet. I don't think too many have tried it. It is expensive but I like it.

EW: What are your favorite techniques and materials?

DT: [laughs.] Cotton fabric, cotton thread. I use, in piecing, probably a very small needle. It's becoming extremely hard to thread it, I've noticed, as time goes by.

EW: I've noticed that, too.

DT: I think I'm using 11 needles. I do use the smallest quilting needle, a 12, and I like Clover's. That's about it. I keep it very simple.

EW: Now, do you do mostly piecing?

DT: Piecing, yeah.

EW: Do you do appliqué?

DT: Yes, I can. I am getting a quilt top ready, a project to start working on.

EW: How do you balance your time?

DT: Oh, that's easy.

EW: You quilt.

DT: I quilt. I don't like to cook. It takes time away. I don't like to clean house because it's not fun and as soon as you turn your back the dust bunnies are back. So, I spend most of my time quilting. I'm very selfish about that.

EW: I think you can be in charge of your own time these days.

DT: Oh, I'd like to.

EW: Tell me about the studio or sewing room that you have.

DT: Okay, I don't have a dedicated room. I live in a one-bedroom apartment. Most of my fabric is in my bedroom, but my student's going to help me organize because she says I'm terrible. It's spilling over, taking over my closet. I have a walk-in closet and I can't put my clothes away, so we've got to get myself organized. I, this last winter, got rid of my couch and a couple of extra side chairs so I could move my dining room table over by a window, and that's my workstation. I turned a jelly cupboard, it's an antique cupboard, into where I keep tools. I purchased a full-sized frame from one of my fellow quilters. I'm just about ready to finish a quilt on it and I love working on that.

EW: It's nice, isn't it?

DT: Yes. Before I had a stand-up hoop and that's what I did the hexagon quilt on and, oh, my gosh, it took forever. I like the full-sized frame a great deal.

EW: I do too. Do you have a design wall?

DT: I have one blank wall in the apartment, and I use painters' tape to tape up a flannel sheet and that's what I use.

EW: Good, that works.

DT: Yes.

EW: Let's talk a little about aesthetics and design and stuff like that. What do you think makes a great quilt?

DT: Wow. Well, inspiration, whether it's from nature or even a good article in a magazine or something you see in a book and color. I think color is very important. That really makes the design work. Then, the quality of workmanship that goes into the product.

EW: And what do you think makes a quilt artistically powerful?

DT: Well, the first thing I notice about a quilt is the color and design, how they work together. They don't oppose each other. Or, if a poor choice of color is chosen and the design is lost, you don't have the proper contrast. If it's hand quilted or not. I am a little bit of a snob there. [laughs.] And just how it all comes together. I do appreciate machine quilting if it's done by the person who pieced the top. Because that is a whole 'nother skill level. I think I'm too entrenched in handwork that I just don't have the time to learn that skill. Because that doesn't come over night, just like hand quilting.

EW: What do you think makes a quilt appropriate for a museum or a special collection?

DT: I'm not sure. I guess it's like any work of art. What pleases you when you look at it. And what you get out of it and that's a very individual thing. I don't think there's really a set standard.

EW: What do you think makes a great quiltmaker?

DT: Heart. You have to have a great sense of humor, too. Because it looks easy, but it isn't. [laughs.] And even though it's a solitary pursuit, you have to be a people person because the art, itself, brings people together in groups and because you all have that commonality of loving what you do, it just creates a wonderful, wonderful world for any quilter. It's not necessarily an individual thing.

EW: Whose works are you drawn to?

DT: I like Judy Martin. And I'm trying to remember this one lady's name. Judy Davis, I believe she did the curved piecing. I took a workshop in Grand Rapids [Michigan.] from her. Probably more than any national quilter, and there is some awesome talent out there, I think just the people around me in the group I know.

EW: Are there any artists that have influenced you?

DT: Monet, a lovely impressionist.

EW: Does that show up in your work?

DT: Not in the sense that, when quilting went through the phase of the watercolors, no. I was busy working on my bachelor's degree then, so I didn't get into it. But I like sculpture, too. Henry Moore, I love his fluid sculptures. And there's a lot I want to do with small pieces that are just free form, totally opposite of doing traditional quilting.

EW: So this would be your own design?

DT: Yeah, yeah. And I'm thinking of trying a little machine quilting in that, too, and using up the five pounds of beads I have.

EW: That would be wonderful.

DT: [laughs.] I got sidetracked once.

EW: So, you have some kind of design, perhaps, already in your mind that you would work on?

DT: No. I think that will be something that will totally come together. Probably, I'll start with a basic color and then just play until I come across something that pleases me. And just do that. I'm going to just try and please myself, not somebody else.

EW: Good idea, always a good idea. How do you feel about machine versus hand quilting?

DT: I think a person should know how to do both, at least the basics. Like I said earlier, I do respect people who do machine quilting because it is not an easy skill. I've never had a friendly relationship with my sewing machine. That's probably part of my problem. We don't get along at all. I just, personally, I can only speak for myself, really. I don't like using a machine to accomplish what I'm trying to do. I want to use my hands. That's why I like hand quilting. I just feel like I'm more connected to my own ancestors that way. I know it's okay to use the machine, but I'm not so wrapped up in quantity as quality as a lot of people, because it can take me two years to get a big quilt done. I'm not into doing two-three quilts a year. And I am totally against paying somebody to machine quilt. To me, you're not quilting then, you're just making a top.

EW: What importance do you think quilt making has in your life?

DT: Well, it keeps the local economy going. I feel like it gives me a way to express myself that I haven't found in other ways. And I have a social network that I wouldn't trade for anything in this world. It just satisfies so many needs that you don't realize that you really have, to play with fabric, the color, just touching it, going into a quilt shop and running your hand over all those fat quarters. [laughs.] It's almost sensual.

EW: It is.

DT: And I really enjoy all of that.

EW: What ways do your quilt reflect your community?

DT: Hmm. Well, I'm not sure how to answer that.

EW: Okay. What do you think about the importance of quilts in American life?

DT: I think it's a very American thing, even though we didn't invent it. We perfected it, the way it was in Europe before it came here. It's very American. I think we took the art and just literally ran with it and then gave it back to the rest of the world, after they had let it go for so long.

EW: What ways do you think that quilts have in a special meaning for women, women's history in America?

DT: It's something that women could always do that was socially acceptable. There was a very long time where they were very limited in what they could do. And this was one thing that was always there, with other needlework arts, of course, but quilting seems to be a very strong thread that seems to be running through women's history. And I think it will always be there. It's a comfort, like chocolate.

EW: I never thought of that. And how do you think quilts can be used?

DT: Well, I sleep with mine. All of my quilts are nap certified and, of course, I've got a lot of small pieces I use to decorate. Living in an apartment, I think it's important to have a lot of them on the walls because it does dissipate the noise. And it's a gift I can give my family. I'm lucky. I know they appreciate that.

EW: And what has happened to those quilts that you have made for those friends and family?

DT: Well, I know where most of them are. There are a couple that I made and sold that I don't know where they are now. I know they've been appreciated and for the most part, taken care of. I think one has died a miserable death. It was washed to death. I'm comfortable with it. My daughter does have a new boyfriend who was whining, he didn't have a quilt. Everybody else in the family did and oddly, I've hesitated in hand making one for him because her former husband, my ex-evil son-in-law really turned out to be a stinker and he hurt so many of us in the family that I have found, I was surprised at myself, that I am hesitating investing my time and my money and my love into making a quilt to give to someone not in the family officially.

EW: How do you think quilts can be preserved for the future?

DT: Well, if you just take simple care of them, they will naturally preserve. It's good to know that a lot of museums have collections and that many of the good works are ending up there, before the quilter dies. And I think on average, from what I have learned from others, I think most family members are taking care of the quilts, too. So, I think they will outlast us for sure and hopefully a couple of generations.

EW: And what do you think is the biggest challenge confronting quiltmakers today?

DT: Time. There's never enough time. Nobody knows how to sell it. I really think that's it. It's time to do what you love.

EW: Now we've reached the end of those questions. Is there anything that you would like to especially talk about?

DT: No.

EW: I want to thank you very much for taking the time to do this very interesting interview.

DT: Thank you.

EW: It will be interesting to more people, I'm sure. This concludes our interview. The time is now 10:40 a.m.