Oral History Interview with Barbara Harp

Partial Transcript: This is an interview by Joy Peterson with Barbara Harp.

Segment Synopsis: Interviewer and interviewee introduce each other and say where they are at and in what city. Interviewee indicates where she from.

Keywords: Louisville, Ky

Subjects: Louisville, Ky

Partial Transcript: Are you from Kentucky? Or where were you born?
I was born in St. Joseph, Missouri

Segment Synopsis: Interviewee discusses where was born and where else she has lived. She was born in Missouri, then moved to Texas for two years of High School, and then the family moved to Southern California. Once her daughter was born, she moved to Indianapolis in 1969. Harp and her husband, Jim, moved to Kentucky 1980. She talks about her husband and parents and their occupations.

Keywords: Barbara Harp; biography; hillbilly; husband; married; St. Joseph, Missouri; wife

Subjects: Barbara Harp; Hillbilly; Indianapolis; Longview, Texas; Southern California; St. Joseph, Missouri

Partial Transcript: When did you learn to quilt? What time do you quilt? Where do you quilt?

Segment Synopsis: Harp discusses how she got into quilting and then explains the different kinds of quilts she made for her family members. She also talks about using a sewing machine to make quilts faster. She discuss where she quilts and how much time it takes to quilt.

Keywords: Ballerinas; Christmas Quilts; Kittens; Puppy Dogs; Quilt; Quilters; Quilting; Quilting Design; Quilting Patterns; Sewing

Subjects: Fabric arts; Quilting; Quilts; Sewing Machines

Partial Transcript: Speaking of planning makes me think of your organizational background as far as Jenny Briar Workshop. How much were the workshops?

Segment Synopsis: Harp talks about organizing the Jenny Briar Workshop in Louisville and the Nimble Thimble Club to raise money.

Keywords: Briar Workshop; Lecture; Louisville,Ky; Nimble Thimble; Quilting Workshop; Quilts; Workshop

Subjects: Jenny Briar; Louisville, Ky; Nimble Thimble Quilt Club; Nimble Thimbles Group (Falmouth, Mass.); Organization

Partial Transcript: To get back to our questions, what patterns do you like to make?
What makes a good quilt?
Why do you make quilts?

Segment Synopsis: Harp discuses her favorite patterns. She mentions how she likes traditional patterns over contemporary patterns, but has tried to use those. Discussion is also made about what makes a good quilt. Harp talks about why she makes quilts.

Keywords: Art Form; Contemporary Patterns; Large Quilting Prints; Quilting; Quilting Patterns; Quilts; Traditional Patterns

Subjects: Quilting--Patterns; Quiltmakers

Partial Transcript: What is a Quilting Bee?
It was every Monday morning...we would meet in each other homes when we were piecing a quilt.

Segment Synopsis: Harp discusses what a quilting bee and quilting parties is and who besides her is involved in one. She discusses how she quilts with other people in the Indianapolis Quilting Guild and how that got started.

Keywords: Indianapolis Quilting Guild; New Orleans; Piecing Quilts; Quilting Bee; Quilting Magazines; Quilting Party; State Fair; Winning Quilts

Subjects: Quilting Bee; Quilts

Partial Transcript: What is a Kentucky Quilt?
I don't think there is any set pattern... Just a Kentucky made quilt. Somebody who lives within these boundaries.
Have you ever taught anyone to quilt?
Oh yes, for about 3 years now.

Segment Synopsis: Harp discusses what she believes is a Kentucky Quilt and he teaching quilting.

Keywords: Kentucky Quilts; Log Cabin Quilts; Middletown, Ky; Quilting Patterns; Teaching; Teaching Quilting

Subjects: Kentucky; Middletown, Ky; Quilting

Partial Transcript: Do you have any quilt books? And if so what are your favorites?
Yes, I have a complete bookcase full of them. My favorite book... Patch with Patterns by Jenny Briar. I also enjoyed Quilt Blocks and Borders. You almost have to him them together.

Segment Synopsis: Harp discusses her quilting books and her favorite ones.

Keywords: Books; Magazines; Quilt Books; Quilting

Subjects: How To Books; Quilting Books Unlimited

Partial Transcript: What do you do with your finished quilts?
Give them away. I have one or two quilts at my house that I made from beginning to end and they are my children's quilts.
Do you sell your quilts?
Occasionally, yes. Sold one recently, it was a baby quilt... supposed to be wall hanging.
What do you do with old quilts?
What would you do if you went to a flea market and bought an old quilt?

Segment Synopsis: Harp discusses what she does with her finished quilts. She also discusses what she does old quilts and if she would put shirts into quilts and old quilts.

Keywords: Baby Quilts; Children Quilts; Finished Quilts; Old Quilts; Quilting Colors; Quilts; Sewing Machine; Wall Hanging Quilts; Windmill Blocks

Subjects: Finished Product; Quilting; Quilts

Partial Transcript: Well tell us about Laura, while you've brought her up. How old is she? And tell us about her quilting background.
Laura is 15... has made a wall hanging and pieced a quilt top for Mitch at American accent...It's now hanging in a bank...

Segment Synopsis: Harp talks about her daughter and how she got into Quilting.

Keywords: Daughters; Generation; Generational; Generational Quilting; New Orleans, LA; Quilting; Quilts; Wall Hanging; Winning Quilts

Subjects: Generations; New Orleans, LA; Quilting; Quilts

Partial Transcript: Have you ever had any quilts in shows or contests or state fairs?
Yes...it was a long time doing so...I finally got brave enough 80 and sent three quilts up to Fort Wayne for a show up there.

Segment Synopsis: Harp talks about how she entered quilts in shows and what she won.

Keywords: Prizes; Quilting Contests; Quilting Shows; Ribbons; State Fair; State Fairs

Subjects: Quilting Story; Quilting Today; Quiltmakers; State Fairs

Partial Transcript: In your opinion, has there been any change in attitude in people about quilting?
Oh yeah...not only are women going at it like it's an art form, it's being accepted as an art form...There are people out there making big dollars for quilt making.
What is the value of a quilt?
A quilter never gets paid what it is worth.
What are your favorite colors to use in a quilt?
I'm a blue person, but I haven't made a blue quilt yet... I love the cranberry colors.

Segment Synopsis: Harp discusses how quilting has changed and has been accepted as an Art Form. She also touches on the value of quilts. Harp also shares her favorite colors to quilt with, fabrics, threads, and batting.

Keywords: Accepted; Art Form; Attitude; Batting; Blue; Colors; Fabric; Fabrics; Money; Quilt Value; Quilt Worth; Quilting; Quilting Batting; Quilting Colors; Quilting Fabrics; Quilting Thread; Thread

Subjects: Quilting; Quilting Story; Quiltmakers

Partial Transcript: How has the material in quilting changed?
For years batting, Mountain Mist was the only only one that provided batting with the glaze on it to unwrap.
What makes a good quilt stitch and why?
Consistency, to me. Get 6 stitches to the inch and make sure they look exactly alike then try to one more.

Segment Synopsis: Harp talks about how materials have changed in batting. She also talks about what makes a good quilt stitch and embroidering on quilts.

Keywords: Batting; embroidering; Quilt Embroidering; Quilt Stitch; Quilting; Quilting batting; Quilting Materials; Quilts; Stitch; Stitching

Subjects: Quilting Stories; Quiltmakers; Quilts

Partial Transcript: What older quilts do you own?
I've got a bow tie quilt, that my mother-in-law older sister made.

Segment Synopsis: Harp discusses what kinds of older quilts she owns and some family members who quilt. She also discusses how some quilts got thrown out by her husband on accident.

Keywords: Daughters; Family Quilers; Family Quilts; Grandmother; Mother; Mother-in-law; Old Quilts; Owning Quilts; Quilting; Quilts; Sister

Subjects: Quilting; Quiltmakers; Quilts

Partial Transcript: ...If you could describe how you go about knotting your thread?
I thread my needle, use single thread...

Segment Synopsis: Harp describes in detail how to knot her thread for quilting.

Keywords: Knots; Knotting; Quilting Knotting; Quilting Threads; Quit Threads; Thread Knotting

Subjects: Quiltmakers; Quilts