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Audio Recording "I didn't like the tacking, so I wanted to learn the quilting."

"I didn’t like the tacking, so I wanted to learn the quilting."

About this Item

Title

  • "I didn't like the tacking, so I wanted to learn the quilting."

Names

  • Johnson, Geraldine Niva, 1940- (Interviewer)
  • Todd, Zenna, 1916-2012 (Interviewee)
  • Todd, Zenna, 1916-2012 (Creator)

Created / Published

  • Ennice, North Carolina

Headings

  • -  Gifts
  • -  Quilting
  • -  artistic hobbies
  • -  Ethnography
  • -  Interviews
  • -  United States -- North Carolina -- Ennice

Genre

  • Ethnography
  • Interviews

Notes

  • -  Mrs. Todd started making quilts for her family to use when she was 25. She teaches quiltmaking and makes quilts to sell through a local shop to supplement her income. Geraldine Johnson described her as "a bubbly, enthusiastic person who would be a natural à interpreter of Blue Ridge quilts." This interview includes good information on the economics and practice of making quilts to sell, criteria for selection of materials to use in quilts, and how quiltmaking has changed over time.
  • -  Transcription: ZT: When, say, when I got married, I had to make quilts in a hurry. I didn't have time to fool around. It was cold weather. And so what I made then, I just tacked 'em, and then as I got enough to kind of keep the beds warm, and had a little more time to spare, then's when I started with the, the learning to quilt. But I just didn't like the tacking, so that's why I wanted to learn the quilting. / GJ: So then his mother taught you. / ZT: Uh huh, yeah, uh huh, and she's still living, and she's 90. No, but she still makes quilts herself. She still pieces on 'em, and uh she don't do any quilting or tacking or anything, but she still kindly pieces 'em. She can't see too good, but it gives her something to do, and, and she does very well, but they don't say anything to her, they just let her, you know, let her fool with 'em ever how she wants to. Her children. You know, a lot of people don't want you with them old quilt pieces a-messing all over the house and all. And they fussed at her to start with, and I said Now let her alone, let her work at that. If she's not doing that, she could be a-walking the floor and a-wringing her hands, and be nervous, and if she's contented to that, let her do it. Well, you get strings all over everything, and you mess, and uh, and they did, they fussed at her quite a bit, and I said don't do that, let her piece that, just let her sit there and fool with that. That's something for her to occupy her time with. She's always done, she's been, she's always done it. She's always quilted, pieced quilts. She's not the best in the world, I'll say she's not the best in the world, but she won't give it up. She makes 'em and gives 'em to the children and to the grandchildren and all that.
  • -  For rights information please contact the Folklife Reading Room at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.afc/folklife.contact

Medium

  • Sound tape reel : 7 in.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • AFC 1982/009: BR8-GJ-R100

Source Collection

  • Blue Ridge Parkway Folklife Project Collection (AFC 1982/009)

Repository

  • American Folklife Center

Online Format

  • audio

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress believes that some of the materials in this collection are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions, and are therefore free to use and reuse. For example, the fieldwork in this collection is in the public domain in the United States.

However, the Library has obtained permission for the use of other materials, and presents additional materials for educational and research purposes in accordance with fair use under United States copyright law. For example, some of the recordings contain copyrighted music, and not all of the performers and other individuals who were recorded signed releases for public use of their work.

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Credit line: Blue Ridge Parkway Folklife Project collection (AFC 1982/009), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Johnson, Geraldine Niva, Zenna Todd, and Zenna Todd. "I didn't like the tacking, so I wanted to learn the quilting.". Ennice, North Carolina, 1978. Audio. https://www.loc.gov/item/qlt000072/.

APA citation style:

Johnson, G. N., Todd, Z. & Todd, Z. (1978) "I didn't like the tacking, so I wanted to learn the quilting.". Ennice, North Carolina. [Audio] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/qlt000072/.

MLA citation style:

Johnson, Geraldine Niva, Zenna Todd, and Zenna Todd. "I didn't like the tacking, so I wanted to learn the quilting.". Ennice, North Carolina, 1978. Audio. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/qlt000072/>.