Jinny Beyer

Jinny Beyer

07/20/13

VA20171-001

video

Oral History

https://youtu.be/fQ90mdE_9q4

Jinny Beyer

Luana Rubin

Herndon, Virginia

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<title>Touchstone quilt / September 11th, 2001</title>
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<partial_transcript>So it's 10:23 on July 20th, 2013. I'm Luana Rubin, and I'm interviewing Jinny Beyer. We're at the Not Fade Away conference in Herndon, Virginia. </partial_transcript>
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<synopsis>Jinny Beyer's touchstone quilt was first inspired by the theme of a quilting seminar she used to host yearly in South Carolina. The theme of the 2002 seminar was quilts inspired by floor patterns, and she had a trip to Italy planned with her husband, partly to get inspiration from the floor tiles in St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice. However, the morning of their flight was 9/11, so they didn't make it to their trip. She also lost a close friend in the plane that crashed into the Pentagon, so she was personally impacted by those events. She eventually decided to make the quilt based on images she had of the floor in the cathedral, but it was also inspired by the events of 9/11. She chose the colors based on the amount of American flags she saw during that time, as well as the obscuration of the dust and ash. She did some fussy cutting to include a print of the Statue of Liberty in the center of the design, as well as some subtle American flags throughout. All of the fabrics were ones she has designed herself. It took her 13 months to finish the quilt, and it ended with over 5,000 pieces being part of it.</synopsis>
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<keywords>11-Sep-01; Jinny Beyer; Quilt Purpose - Memorial; Quilt Purpose - Mourning; Mourning/Grief; Design process</keywords>
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<subjects>September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001, in art</subjects>
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<partial_transcript>Would you like to tell us about how you started quilting, who taught you to quilt?</partial_transcript>
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<synopsis>Beyer had sewn and done other fiber crafts throughout her life, but didn't start quilting until she was an adult. She became interested while living in India, where she lived due to her husband's job for some time. She eventually ran out of the yarn that she brought with her to do projects with, but she was attracted to the block printed fabrics she found in India, so she started a collection to sew clothing with. After being inspired by some quilts she saw in the area, she ended up using her scrap fabric to create a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt, a pattern she had previously interpreted through making a crocheted afghan.</synopsis>
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<keywords>Scrap quilts; Indian quilts; Fabric - Stamped; Aesthetics; borders; Learning quiltmaking</keywords>
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<subjects>Indian quilts</subjects>
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<title>Impact of travel on aesthetic interest</title>
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<partial_transcript>And obviously it's had an effect on you for the rest of your life.</partial_transcript>
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<synopsis>At the time, the first quilt Beyer made was just a one-off project to keep her occupied. About 14 years later, she went back to India and Nepal with her daughter who was a baby the first time around. Being back to visit made her realize how much the aesthetics of fabric and quilts in India made an impact on her and her work, particularly her interest in border fabrics. All of those fabrics she initially worked with in India were 100% cotton, which influenced her to continue using and designing for exclusively cotton fabrics.</synopsis>
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<time>1105</time>
<title>Materials used today / Work space</title>
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<partial_transcript>And so, what do you like to work with these days?</partial_transcript>
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<synopsis>These days, since she is such a prolific fabric designer, Beyer almost exclusively uses her own fabrics when she quilts. She has a studio in her home, but because it's usually so full of fabric and supplies, she often ends up working on her kitchen table. It overlooks a bay window with a view of trees, flowers, etc., so she is able to get inspiration while working.</synopsis>
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<title>Influence from family</title>
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<partial_transcript>You mentioned that you grew up with a needle and thread in your hand. I wonder if there's a particular family member or friend who particularly inspired you and guided you?</partial_transcript>
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<synopsis>Beyer's mother taught her and her three sisters how to sew at a young age. She started by making doll clothes as well as her own clothes. Most of what she was taught was made by machine, but her favorite part of any project was the parts that were done by hand, like putting the hem into a dress. As she started quilting she also enjoyed the handwork much more than using a machine, so now she chooses to do everything she can by hand.</synopsis>
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<keywords>Learning quiltmaking; Machine quilting; Hand quilting; Hand piecing; childhood</keywords>
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<title>Quilts in museums / Quilt guild activity</title>
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<partial_transcript>Um, I was also wondering if you could tell us, what would make a quilt worthy for a museum?</partial_transcript>
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<synopsis>Beyer doesn't enjoy judging quilts or submitting her own quilts to juried shows, since she thinks every quilt is personal and has its own story. In terms of what makes a quilt museum worthy, she mentions the soul of the person who quilted it and the workmanship, but she doesn't feel that she can make that judgement. She also talks about how she got involved in her first quilting group, Quilters Unlimited in Northern Virginia. In the beginning, there were about 12 ladies in the group, and Beyer really enjoyed and got inspired by working with them. There were limited fabrics available at the time, so the ladies were fascinated by how different her quilt using Indian fabric was. She met Hazel Carter there, a friend who influenced Beyer's quilting more than anyone else did.</synopsis>
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<keywords>Quilt competitions; Quilt guild; Social quiltmaking activities; Guild activities; quilt shop</keywords>
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<partial_transcript>How is quiltmaking important in your life?</partial_transcript>
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<synopsis>In her personal life, Beyer finds that quilting is important for her well being. She says that she gets the benefits of meditation through doing handwork, but she enjoys that she ends up with something to show for all that time. When it comes to the bigger picture, she thinks that quilting brings people together, giving the event that she is currently at as an example. Quilting also fulfills a need to create. While some people may be more intimidated by painting, quilting allows anyone to put beautiful fabrics together and create a work of art, regardless of skill level. Ultimately, quilting brings people together with a sense of community.</synopsis>
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<keywords>Quilt Purpose - Personal enjoyment; Quilt Purpose - Artistic expression; Social quiltmaking activities; Design process; Learning quiltmaking</keywords>
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<title>How quilting has changed / Future of quilting</title>
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<partial_transcript>One last question is that quilting has evolved and changed so much since you first picked up a needle and thread and started quilting. What do you think about where quilting is today and where it's going?</partial_transcript>
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<synopsis>Beyer thinks that it's amazing how much quilting has changed, and the creative directions that people are going with. However, she wrote her book about 20th century hand quilting because she hopes that people will still take their time and enjoy the process of relaxing and stitching by hand.</synopsis>
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<keywords>Art quiltmaking; Hand quilting; Hand piecing; Quilt Purpose - Personal enjoyment; Quilt Purpose - Therapy; Quilt history</keywords>
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