Judy Murrah

Judy Murrah

October 22, 1999

2019oh0540_qsosiqf0024
QSOS_024

Judy Murrah was the director of education for the International Quilt Festival. She talks about how she learned to sew as a child, and how she taught herself how to quilt as a young adult. She became known for her books on wearables (quilted fashion pieces). Murrah talks about how her family supports her work, but she does not like when deadlines take her away from her family. She describes her relationship with Karey Bresenhan who got her into teaching and the quilting culture.

audio

Quiltmakers

Patchwork quilts

Sewing

Quilting

Quilting shops

Sewing machines

Quilting--Patterns

Quilting--Periodicals

Judy Murrah

JoAnn Pospisil

Mary Elizabeth Kinch

5.2 2019oh0540_qsosiqf0024 Interview with Judy Murrah, October 22, 1999 2019oh0540_qsosiqf0024 qsosiqf Quilt Alliance’s Quilters' S.O.S.- Save Our Stories Oral History Project: International Quilt Festival Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries Quiltmakers Patchwork quilts Sewing Quilting Quilting shops Sewing machines Quilting--Patterns Quilting--Periodicals Wearables Quilting books Family support Strip quilting--Patterns Nine patch quilts Machine quilting--Patterns Appliqué--Patterns Strip quilting Judy Murrah JoAnn Pospisil 2019oh0540_qsosiqf0024_murrah_acc001.mp3 0 https://oralhistory.uky.edu/spokedbaudio/2019oh0540_qsosiqf0024_murrah_acc001.mp3 Other NULL audio 2 Learning to sew and quilt I'm JoAnn Pospisil, um, at the um Quilters SOS, Save Our Stories, Project at--in Houston at the International Quilt Festival interviewing Judy Murrah on October 22, 1999. Murrah talks about growing up sewing. She sewed her first quilt after college, and it used taffeta and satin. Her next quilt was a baby quilt. She talks about the lessons she took and eventually taught. She also notes mentors she had. 1965 ; Baby quilts ; Childhood ; Colors ; Crib quilts ; Doll clothes ; Fabric scraps ; Family legacy ; First quilt ; Grandmothers ; Jewel Patterson ; Karey Bresenhan ; Learning ; Lessons ; Magazine articles ; Quilt shops ; Quilting ; Quilting classes ; Quilting shops ; Sampler classes ; Satins ; Sears catalog ; Sewing ; Singer sewing machine ; Taffetas ; Teaching Crib quilts ; Nine patch quilts ; Patchwork quilts ; Quilting ; Quilting shops ; Quiltmakers ; Sewing 17 https://quiltalliance.org/portfolio/qsos-with-judy-murrah/ Full transcript of this interview. 292 Wearables and quilted fashion When did you evolve into, uh, clothing? Murrah talks about how she began quilting clothing, mainly jackets. She has written multiple books on different techniques to sew and quilt jackets and vests. She explains how she designed and created the quilted jacket she's wearing. &quot ; Jacket Jazz Encore&quot ; ; &quot ; Jacket Jazz&quot ; ; Clothing ; Jacket ; Martindale and Co. ; Patchwork techniques ; Pattern lines ; Quilted clothing ; Quilting books ; Quilts, Inc. ; Scraps ; Sewing techniques ; Tailoring ; That Patchwork Place ; Vests ; Wearable art ; Wearables Appliqué--Patterns ; Machine quilting--Patterns ; Quilting ; Quilting--Fiction ; Quilting--Patterns ; Quilting--Periodicals ; Quiltmakers ; Sewing ; Sewing machines ; Strip quilting ; Strip quilting--Patterns 17 725 The growing quilt industry How, how do feel about the way the quilt industry has evolved? Murrah talks about how their numbers keep growing. She is the director of education for the International Quilt Festival, and she notes how pre-registration for classes keeps increasing. She also notes that the attendance of the festival continues to increase year to year. Attendance ; Director of Education ; International Quilt Festival ; Learning ; Oral histories ; Quilting classes ; Quilting industry ; Quilting lessons ; Teaching Quilting ; Quilting--Vocational guidance ; Quiltmakers ; Sewing 17 http://www.quilts.com/quilt-festival-houston.html International Quilt Festival website 861 Being under the demands of the market Well, when you talked about your jackets a minute ago--and you said you did a series of fifteen--so you do all of these yourself? Murrah talks about how she used to sell her jackets for commission but doesn't have time anymore. She briefly talks about how viewing quilting as an art or a craft depends on the person. Murrah then talks about her new book/line and the inspiration for those pieces. She regrets that what she produces and publishes is dependent on the market, and that she can't just let her inspiration do what it wants. &quot ; Jacket Jazz&quot ; ; Artwork ; Book editors ; Commission work ; Community ; Craft ; Freedom ; Hand-made ; Income ; Inspiration ; Jackets ; Market-driven ; Publishing ; Quilted clothing ; Teaching circuit ; Wearables Machine quilting ; Patchwork quilts ; Quilting ; Quilting--Patterns ; Quilting--Periodicals ; Quilting--Vocational guidance ; Quiltmakers ; Sewing ; Sewing machines ; Signature quilts 17 1022 Worst part of quilting career / Family quilting What's your least favorite part about the whole quilting situation? For Murrah, the worst thing about her job is the deadlines that get in the way of her spending time with her family. Her family and husband are very supportive of her work. Her daughter likes quilting, but doesn't do it herself, though Murrah thinks she'll start at some point. Careers ; Children ; Daughters ; Deadlines ; Family ; Gender ; Grandchildren ; Marketing ; Quilting ; Sewing ; Sewing machines ; Support ; Work Machine quilting ; Quilting ; Quiltmakers ; Sewing ; Sewing machines 17 1166 Getting back in to quilting / The importance of Karey Bresenhan What do you think is the best use that a quilt can be put to if it's--or, or how, how do you think they can be used? Murrah talks about the different purposes of quilts, and how she's getting back into quilting, though she is making small quilts. She describes how she enjoys the product of a quilt, and she will embellish with beads and buttons. She talks about Karey Bresenhan and how she is responsible for getting Murrah into quilting. Artwork ; Baby quilts ; Beads ; Bed quilts ; Buttons ; Colors ; Decor ; Decoration ; Embellishment ; Karey Bresenhan ; Little quilts ; Love token ; Purpose ; Quilt shops ; Quilt stores ; Regular quilts ; Results ; Schoolteaching ; Sewing ; Stitching ; Teaching ; Traditional ; Use ; Wall hanging ; Wearables Crib quilts ; Quilting ; Quilting shops ; Quilting--Vocational guidance ; Quiltmakers ; Sewing 17 1571 Recognition and growth of quilting culture Does your family appreciate and recognize what you've been involved in? Murrah talks about how her family appreciates what she does and her success. She notes that her son and son-in-law have both encouraged their wives to pick up quilting to hopefully earn an extra income. She talks about how quilting has changed over the years. She also talks about what makes a museum-quality piece. Appreciation ; Artwork ; Changes ; Composition ; Daughters ; Design ; Evolution ; Execution ; Family ; Gender ; Growth ; Hand-quilting ; Houston Quilt Guild ; Income ; Magazines ; Men ; Museum quality ; Music ; New ideas ; Programs ; Publishing ; Quilters ; Quilting ; Recognition ; Selling quilts ; Sewing ; Sewing machines ; Stay-at-home moms ; Stay-at-home mothers ; Stay-at-home parents ; Teaching ; Technique Commemorative quilts ; Machine quilting ; Quilting ; Quilting shops ; Quilting--Periodicals ; Quilting--Vocational guidance ; Quiltmakers ; Sewing ; Sewing machines 17 interview Judy Murrah was the director of education for the International Quilt Festival. She talks about how she learned to sew as a child, and how she taught herself how to quilt as a young adult. She became known for her books on wearables (quilted fashion pieces). Murrah talks about how her family supports her work, but she does not like when deadlines take her away from her family. She describes her relationship with Karey Bresenhan who got her into teaching and the quilting culture. No transcript. All rights to the Quilters' S.O.S. -- Save Our Stories (QSOS) oral history project, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred from the Quilt Alliance to the University of Kentucky Libraries. Please contact the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History regarding rights pertaining to individual interviews. audio Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries. 0 https://nunncenter.net/ohms-spokedb/render.php?cachefile=2019oh0540_qsosiqf0024_murrah_ohm.xml 2019oh0540_qsosiqf0024_murrah_ohm.xml https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7qz8d1bd0z2

Wearables

Quilting books

Family support

Strip quilting--Patterns

Nine patch quilts

Machine quilting--Patterns

Appliqué--Patterns

Strip quilting