ID number: TQ.2015.020
Name of interviewee: Ann Wardlaw
Name of interviewer: Avril Clark
Name of transcriber: Take 1
Location: Ann’s home
Address: Fockabers, Morayshire
Date: 26 April 2015
Length of interview: 0:15:25
Summary
Ann makes quilts for every family member; she chose to talk about one made for her son-in-law a black and white quilt with a motorbike theme. She talks about using motorbike parts and templates from the internet in her design. Later she explains how she got into quilting, where she quilts and what she enjoys about quiltmaking.
Interview
Avril Clark [AC]: ID Number TQ.2015.020. Interviewee Ann Wardlaw. Interviewer Avril Clark. Location is Fockabers in Morayshire, and today’s date is the 26th of the fourth, er, 2015. Ann, could you tell me about the quilt you’ve brought along today with you? [Microphone noise]
Ann Wardlaw [AW]: Um, the quilt’s name is the Witchy Wifey. Um, I decided on that because the lady on the horseback, er, reminded me of a witch. Um, I got the idea from my daughter to use this picture, um, because, um, her partner Dave liked it very much and the picture was the Valkyrie by Suzy Dawson, which was in the AO, AWOL Magazine. Um, Dave liked it because he’s a biker, and, um, it’s, it’s, it’s, um, a motorbike going down the centre of a road, being chased by a north, Norse mythology person.
AC: And the, um, the centre panel, um, how, how have you, er, stitched it?
AW: I’ve stitched it by, er, backstitch, and then whipped, and then give it, gave it a nice outline, um, design. Um, I found that that was the best thing to do.
AC: Uh-huh. And, er, I notice, er, on this quilt, er, it’s all black and white, um, why, why did you, er, settle on this colour scheme?
AW: I think because it was black and white that I did the centre panel and the, the fabric, the black fabric actually reminds me of a cinder dirt track, um, because it’s got different shades. It’s not a solid black. It’s got different shades of black on it.
AC: Mm-hmm. And, um, you, it’s, er, a centre panel and then you’ve bordered it, um, so the patchwork, er, that you’ve used, um, can you tell me a bit about that?
AW: Uh-huh. I put, um, the centre panel as the, the white, and then I put a border of the black around it, and then there’s another border which is, um, um, half square triangles all the way around that, and then I’ve got another border, black, er, a wider border, and then I’ve another border of the black and white triangles, and then it’s another, er, plain black border, and then finished off with a black and white tri… half square triangles, and then bound with the same fabric.
AC: It’s very dramatic. Um, in the wider borders, er, you have your quilting patterns. What was your source of inspiration for them?
AW: My husband’s sprockets off of his motorbike. I asked if he had anything I could use, and he came in with this oily, greasy sprocket, and said, ‘use this.’ so I had to go and put it into hot water to wash it and it was, um, a great, a great thing to have. I’ve got quite a few of his sprockets on the motorbike, er, on the pattern.
AC: Yeah. And the other image? What’s the other image?
AW: The other image is a motorbike which I, um, got the pattern off of the internet and, er, I put it onto a plastic template and drew round it, and then quilted it, and that just finished it off.
AC: And, um, so the stitching techniques you’ve used in it are, um, er, is it machined, or…?
AW: No, it’s hand… totally hand quilted. Um, in the centre panel, it’s, um, cross-hatching, and then it’s just the running stitch form of hand quilting.
AC: That’s fine. Er, what, er, what are you plans for this quilt? What was the purpose?
AW: The purpose of the quilt was to give it go Dave, um, because I wanted to give all my close family members a quilt each, and, um, he has it hanging in his living room, and the living room is designed round the quilt, so that… ’cause he loves it so much.
AC: And how do you feel about it?
AW: I feel that I’ve achieved something, because it’s been a while since I’ve actually taken such a close look at it, and, um, I’m really, I’m really pleased with it. I’m chuffed. Mm.
AC: That’s super. Right. Thank you.
AC: Er, could you tell me when you first started making quilts?
AW: It was about 1986, um, I went to the, um, Moray College to do the embroidery course, and I found, er, patchwork was one of the modules, and I fell in love with it. Um, I really enjoy that.
AC: Are there any quiltmakers in your family?
AW: No, there’s no-one else.
AC: And, how did you start quiltmaking?
AW: By going to the college, um, and then I became a member of the Speyside Quilters in Fochabers.
AC: Uh-huh. And when was that?
AW: That was 1988.
AC: Mm-hmm. Um, was there any other courses that you did, or…?
AW: Um, just the, the college, and then once I started at Speyside Quilters, we, um, um, started doing workshops and, and, er, things like that.
AC: Okay. Um, what, what are your preferred styles and techniques, would you say?
AW: I’m a traditionalist. I really love hand stitching, and, er, hand quilting. I, I actually enjoy drawing out my templates and doing it the old fashioned way, and cutting out with the scissors and not a rotary cutter. Er, but I use both ways. Um…
AC: Ah. Um, what, what do you enjoy about quiltmaking, would you say?
AW: It keeps me sane. Um, it’s very therapeutic. Um, I find it very, very relaxing. I can, er, switch on my, um audio books and sit and sew. I really love doing that.
AC: That’s great. Er, what… would you say, is there any technology that you would use in your quilting?
AW: I, um, look on the internet for ideas, and I use my printer for printing out, um, templates and things as well.
AC: Uh-huh. Um…
AW: And my camera. I use my camera too [AC: Oh yes] to take pictures. Mm-hmm.
AC: That’s… [microphone noise]. Could you tell me a wee bit about, um, where you do your quiltmaking and when?
AW: Well, I’ve got a room in the house that’s, um, er, a sewing room, um, er, I’ve got all my fabrics and materials in there, but the majority of the time, I’m sitting in the front room with the rest of the family, er, doing my stitching then.
AC: Um, what about, er, during the summer?
AW: Oh, in the summertime, I’ve got, um, a sunhou… little sunhouse outside. I call it my sit-outerie and I sit in there, in the sunshine, and do my quilting.
AC: Um, how, how do you go about making a quilt? Um…
AW: Um, I find a pattern that I really like.
AC: Mm-hmm. Where, where do you look for, er…?
AW: I look… er, books, magazines, um, internet. Um, and even the ladies at the group, sometimes they’ve got quilts that I like, and I’ll maybe get a copy of their pattern, and I do a lot of what I call scrappy quilts, which is using every colour you can have, um, so, um, that’s, that’s how I start, and then I make my templates, um, and you draw round your templates, and you cut them out. Um, I really like working with the colours of the fabrics to make them go together.
AC: So, um, so you, you prefer to use your own templates? You don’t use, er, any of the fancy rulers or anything, just oh…
AW: Um, I do prefer using… making my own, but I do use, um, the, the rulers. I’ve started to, to buy them and also the group have got, as well, um, and there’s also, um, a machine we can use to cut fabrics, squares and things, that we can get a loan of as well. So yeah, I am using more modern day stuff, but I do prefer using, um, the traditional way of doing things.
AC: Er, how much time would you say you spend on your, er, patchwork and quilting?
AW: As much as I can. [AC: Hahum]. Um, I could never sit down and say I spend this amount of time doing It. It’s whenever I, um, feel like doing it.
AC: Uh-huh, uh-huh. Every day? Every day, you would say.
AW: Every day. Mm-hmm. Every day.
AC: Yeah. Right. What, what do you spend money on, er, for your, er, quilting?
AW: Um, fabric, threads, um, and I’ve started to collect little things to embellish quilts as well, and wall-hangings. Um, but the majority is fabric.
AC: What, what about sourcing your fabric? What do you do about that?
AW: Internet, but I also buy my fabric from Veronique’s in Elgin. Um, she’s got a lovely collection of fabrics, and there’s also, um, Rainbow Fabrics in Oldmeldrum that I use, and, um, Seattle Quilts in Aberdeen.
AC: Okay. [Microphone noise] Er, what do you look for or notice in other quilts?
AW: The first thing I look for is, is it hand stitched, when I’m at an exhibition. I love seeing the hand-stitched ones. Um, I look at the colours. Um, and when I’m at an exhibition, I look at all the quilts and then I go back round again and look at all the ones that I really enjoy, um, but it’s mostly the hand-quilting ones.
AC: So, um, what, what do you think makes a good quilt, er, apart from, er, the hand-stitching? What other aspects maybe…
AW: Um, the, the colour. Um, the style. Um, and, um, I’m not sure what else I, I would look for. Um…
AC: What else appeals?
AW: Appeals?
AC: Subject, maybe?
AW: The subject, yes, uh-huh. You get some really, some really nice, um, panoramic views, um, of, on quilts now, and those really, um, I like looking at those. Er, the, and also, I also like looking at other people’s machine quilting, um, the way that they’ve used the… it’s like, um, they’ve used their machine like a paintbrush, um, to, to make quilts.
AC: You mentioned exhibitions. Um, what sort of exhibitions have you maybe visited, er, in…?
AW: Um, Ingliston. I’ve a… I’ve went to Ingliston a lot, and also the Speyside Quilters have their exhibition every two years. Um, I went to Cullen, Inverness. Um, Inverurie. It’s lovely seeing other people’s work, and you do get ideas and inspiration from looking at other people’s work.
AC: Yeah. Um, what do you do with the quilts you have made?
AW: I give them away, the majority of them. I’ve got one or two at home. Um, ‘Perseverance’ I’ve kept, ’cause that was my very first quilt, but, and it…
AC: Why, why is it called ‘Perseverance’?
AW: It’s called ‘Perseverance’ because I’d ma… it was the fir… as I said, it was the first one I made, and I put it in a cupboard, um, for a while, and then took it out and did it again and, um, and then we were having, um, an exhibition and the girls at the, at the Speyside Quilters kept saying to me, ‘Now we need your quilt,’ and I persevered. It took me ten years to finish it, but that’s why it’s called ‘Perseverance’.
AC: And is it hand-quilted?
AW: It’s hand-quilted. Everything is totally hand-stitched on that one.
AC: Yeah. What is the biggest challenge you face as a quilter today?
AW: I like doing wholecloth quilts, and I find it quite difficult to find a fabric that’s wide enough and reasonably-priced, um, to do my ha, er, my, um, wholecloth quilts on.
AC: Um, why is quiltmaking important in your life, would you say?
AW: Well, as I said, it’s, it’s kept me sane, um, and I find it therapeutic. I also really enjoy meeting other like-minded people, um, and meeting people that, um, are quite, well, famous, well, er, people that, um, like Sheena Norquay and, um, Janice Gunner. We’ve all, we’ve done workshops with those at the Quilters, and it’s really nice meeting like-minded people.
AC: That’s super. Thanks very much, Ann.