Judy Mathieson

Judy Mathieson

2019oh0566_qsosiqf0050
QSOS_059

Rebecca Salinger interviews Judy Mathieson, an award-winning quilter and teacher, about her life and career in quilting. Mathieson discusses her signature traditional quilt design, the "mariner's compass" design. She talks about how she creates her quilts and what inspires her, particularly the textiles she works with and the other traditional designs she uses in her quilts. Mathieson also discusses the quilting industry, including her feelings on male quiltmakers, how quilting impacts the lives of women, and the expressive qualities of quilt making. As a licensed quilt judge, Mathieson talks about what she looks for when judging a quilt, as well as the qualities of a great quilter and quilt. Mathieson discusses her future in quilting with the interviewer, her plans for future quilts, and any advice she has for quilters.

audio

Quilts

Quilting

Textiles

Textile artists

Artists

Arts & crafts

Art--Commissioning

Quilts--Design

Fabrics

Fabric arts

Creativity

Male quiltmakers

Quilting today

Craft and art

Decorative arts

Crafts & decorating

Judy Mathieson

Rebecca Salinger

Karen Alexander

5.3 2019oh0566_qsosiqf0050 Interview with Judy Mathieson, October 23, 1999 2019oh0566_qsosiqf0050 0:24:23 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 Quilts Quilting Textiles Textile artists Artists Arts &amp ; crafts Art--Commissioning Quilts--Design Fabrics Fabric arts Creativity Male quiltmakers Quilting today Craft and art Decorative arts Crafts &amp ; decorating Textile arts Creativity in quilting Quilting as a craft Quilting as an art Textile production Award-winning quilters 100 Best Quilts of the 20th Century Teaching quilting Technical aspects of quilting Future of quilting Mariner's compass Judy Mathieson Rebecca Salinger 2019oh0566_qsosiqf0050_mathieson_acc001.mp3 0 https://oralhistory.uky.edu/spokedbaudio/2019oh0566_qsosiqf0050_mathieson_acc001.mp3 Other NULL audio 4 Introduction My name is Rebecca Salinger, I am interviewing Judy Mathieson... 17 19 Quilt for interview What I'd like to ask you first, is, tell me about this quilt. Mathieson talks about the quilt she brought for her interview, which features mariner's compasses. She discusses the technical challenges she faced while making the quilt in terms of design and execution. Art quilts ; Creative processes ; Mariner's compasses ; Nautical quilts ; Technical aspects of quilting ; Technical challenges Artists ; Arts &amp ; crafts ; Crafts &amp ; decorating ; Decorative arts ; Quilting ; Quilts ; Quilts--Design. ; Sewing ; Textile artists ; Textiles ; Women 17 88 Quilting background / Moonlight medallion quilt How long have you been quilting? Mathieson tells the interviewer she has been quilting since 1977, and discusses the other quilts she has created in the past. She and the interviewer continue to talk about the design and color scheme of the quilt she has presented for the interview, which is a medallion style quilt pattern. Mathieson tells the interviewer she uses the quilt as an example for her classes. She discusses other Mariner's Compass quilts she has created and the inspiration behind using the particular design. Art quilts ; Contemporary quilts ; Mariner's compass quilts ; Medallion quilts ; Quilt color schemes ; Quilt designs ; Traditional quilts Artists ; Arts &amp ; crafts ; Crafts &amp ; decorating ; Decorative arts ; Quilting ; Quilts ; Quilts--Design. ; Sewing ; Textile artists ; Textiles ; Women 17 https://i.pinimg.com/originals/79/82/81/7982810d51b4d1ff2175f5ddc0632f4f.jpg Judy Mathieson with a &quot ; Mariner's Compass&quot ; quilt she created 495 Judging quilt competitions and shows I know you teach a lot, uh, do you do any kind of judging? Mathieson discusses what she looks for when she judges a quilt, as she is a certified judge. She talks about looking for a balance between a good design and craftsmanship. She enjoys the color and movement of quilts as well as good craftsmanship. Mathieson talks about what she believes makes a great quilt, including a combination of &quot ; extraordinary&quot ; design and craftsmanship, though she believes a great quilt can have one without the other. Innovations in quilting ; Qualities of a great quilt ; Quilt color schemes ; Quilt competitions ; Quilt designs ; Quilt judges ; Quilt shows ; Workmanship Artists ; Arts &amp ; crafts ; Crafts &amp ; decorating ; Craftsmanship ; Decorative arts ; Quilting ; Quilts ; Quilts--Design. ; Sewing ; Textile artists ; Textiles ; Women 17 649 The future of quilting So, getting back to that, uh--what you said earlier about how, you know, you got caught up with quilting in the seventies... Mathieson talks about the future of quilting as she sees it, believing quilting will exist as long as people have leisure time and extra income to spend on quilting. She believes quilting allows women, in particular, to be creative. She talks about the accessibility of quilting, though it does require a knowledge of art in order to create impactful, unique designs. Creative expression ; Future of quilting ; Quilt designs ; Textile arts ; Women and quilting Artists ; Arts &amp ; crafts ; Crafts &amp ; decorating ; Creativity ; Decorative arts ; Quilting ; Quilts ; Quilts--Design. ; Sewing ; Textile artists ; Textiles ; Women 17 795 Male quiltmakers What do you think about, you know, men getting into the field? Mathieson believes men becoming involved in quilting is a positive change in the quilting world. She discusses how men dominate the production of quilting materials, so their influence is present in the quilting world already. Gender in art ; Men in quilting ; Quilt designs ; Quilt materials ; Textile arts ; Textile production Artists ; Arts &amp ; crafts ; Crafts &amp ; decorating ; Decorative arts ; Male quiltmakers ; Quilting ; Quilts ; Sewing ; Textile artists ; Textiles ; Women 17 864 Textiles and materials used in quilts / Commercial fabric use Do you ever use any other kinds of materials when you make your quilts? Mathieson discusses the various materials she uses in creating her quilts. She also talks about how she does not hand dye her fabrics, but finds inspiration in the commercial fabrics she uses. Mathieson discusses with the interviewer her enjoyment of working with fabrics. Artistic inspirations ; Commercial fabrics ; Creative expression ; Hand dyed fabrics ; Quilt inspirations ; Working with fabrics Artists ; Arts &amp ; crafts ; Crafts &amp ; decorating ; Decorative arts ; Fabric arts ; Fabrics ; Quilting ; Quilts ; Quilts--Design. ; Sewing ; Textile artists ; Textiles ; Wearable art 17 950 Award-winning quilts Um, is there anything else you'd like to say about quilting, or about this quilt? Mathieson talks about her quilt &quot ; Nautical Stars&quot ; , which is featured in the 100 Best, as well as one of her newest quilts which recently won a $5000 prize in a show. She discusses the rewarding aspects of quilting and participating in quilt shows. 100 Best Quilts of the 20th Century ; Nautical arts ; Nautical quilts ; Personal achievements ; Quilt collections ; Quilt competitions ; Quilt shows Artists ; Arts &amp ; crafts ; Crafts &amp ; decorating ; Decorative arts ; Quilting ; Quilts ; Quilts--Design. ; Sewing ; Textile artists ; Textiles ; Women 17 https://i.pinimg.com/originals/66/ec/b0/66ecb05a76683242ed443a128f2ef7b4.jpg &quot ; Nautical Stars&quot ; by Mathieson, featured in the 100 Best Quilts of the 20th Century. 1125 Quilt patterns used / Dog quilts I'm trying to remember, if you've--if I've seen any other quilts of yours that had other patterns in them... Mathieson discusses how she has used other designs in her quilts aside from &quot ; mariner's compass&quot ; designs, including &quot ; block puzzle&quot ; and &quot ; spinning block&quot ; designs. She also talks about the digitized pictorial quilts she has created in the past, which feature cats and dogs in their designs. Mathieson talks about the dog quilts she currently makes. Antique fabrics ; Art quilts ; Dog quilts ; Pictorial quilts ; Printed fabrics ; Quilt designs ; Quilt patterns ; Traditional quilts Artists ; Arts &amp ; crafts ; Crafts &amp ; decorating ; Decorative arts ; Fabric arts ; Fabrics ; Quilting ; Quilts ; Quilts--Design. ; Sewing ; Textile artists ; Textiles ; Women 17 1240 Future plans and other hobbies Is that the only kind of direction you're going in now? Mathieson talks about her future plans for her life, including continuing to make small mariner's compass quilts, though she has no plans for another large project. She tells the interviewer about her new home and gardens, as well as her plan to teach quilting less often to focus on her personal projects. Art studios ; Home gardens ; In-home studios ; Personal hobbies ; Personal projects ; Quilting studios Artists ; Arts &amp ; crafts ; Crafts &amp ; decorating ; Decorative arts ; Hobbies ; Quilting ; Quilts ; Quilts--Design. ; Sewing ; Textile artists ; Textiles ; Women 17 1327 Quilting as an art or a craft Do you regard what you do as more an art or a craft? Mathieson talks about how her thoughts about quilting have evolved during her experiences with quilting. She began seeing it as a craft, and continues to see the technical aspects as a craft. She also sees the creative aspect of quilting as an art, working in combination with the crafting aspect of quilting. Art quilts ; Creative aspects of quilting ; Quilting as a craft ; Quilting as an art ; Technical aspects of quilting ; Textile arts ; Traditional quilts Artists ; Arts &amp ; crafts ; Crafts &amp ; decorating ; Decorative arts ; Quilting ; Quilts ; Quilts in art ; Quilts--Design. ; Sewing ; Textile artists ; Textile crafts ; Textiles ; Women 17 1387 Quilting's teachings about life Oh, what do you feel your quilting has taught you about life? Mathieson talks about how quilting brings people together in their likeness, as people enjoy having something creative to do and create. Art quilts ; Community aspect of quilting ; Creativity of quilting Artists ; Arts &amp ; crafts ; Crafts &amp ; decorating ; Decorative arts ; Quilting ; Quilts ; Quilts--Design. ; Sewing ; Textile artists ; Textiles ; Women 17 interview Rebecca Salinger interviews Judy Mathieson, an award-winning quilter and teacher, about her life and career in quilting. Mathieson discusses her signature traditional quilt design, the &quot ; mariner's compass&quot ; design. She talks about how she creates her quilts and what inspires her, particularly the textiles she works with and the other traditional designs she uses in her quilts. Mathieson also discusses the quilting industry, including her feelings on male quiltmakers, how quilting impacts the lives of women, and the expressive qualities of quilt making. As a licensed quilt judge, Mathieson talks about what she looks for when judging a quilt, as well as the qualities of a great quilter and quilt. Mathieson discusses her future in quilting with the interviewer, her plans for future quilts, and any advice she has for quilters. 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=2019oh0566_qsosiqf0050_mathieson_ohm.xml 2019oh0566_qsosiqf0050_mathieson_ohm.xml https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7qz8d1bd0z2

Textile arts

Creativity in quilting

Quilting as a craft

Quilting as an art

Textile production

Award-winning quilters

100 Best Quilts of the 20th Century

Teaching quilting

Technical aspects of quilting

Future of quilting

Mariner's compass