Quilty as Charged: Undercover in a Material World

by Spike Gillespie

In the United States today, there are more than twenty-two million quilters who collectively spend more than one billion dollars on quilting every year. The annual International Quilt Festival attracts more than 50,000 dedicated visitors from around the world. Festival prize money can reach $100,000. Drawn into this material world by a newspaper assignment, Spike Gillespie soon found the personalities who populate serious quiltmaking as compelling as the art itself. Quilty as Charged is not a history or how-to guide; it is a collection of many small stories, including Gillespie's, stitched together in the spirit of quilting, separate scraps made into a cohesive cloth. Quilting today is a world of traditionalists and visionary artists, collectors and connoisseurs, and it encourages the same intrigue, innovation, and inspiration found in "fine" art. (Many of the quilts themselves hang, deservedly, in fine art museums.) Inevitably, Gillespie begins piecing together a quilt. But while her effort begins as a helpful tool for understanding her subjects, what she ultimately understands is that she, like all inspired quilters, is sewing her own pattern.

Genres: Quilting, Nonfiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2007

Reviews

[JayeL]

This is a hard book to categorize. When I borrowed it from the Library, I thought it was a mystery. When I started to read it, I thought it was a memoir. As I read it, I realized it was full interviews. The only thing I can call this book is a memoir full of interviews. I am okay with it not being a mystery, but I wish there had been more memoir, influenced by the interviews.

I thought the interviews were, mostly, out of context, not to mention poorly edited. In some cases the interviews were repetitive and nearly incomprehensible. I know that the author was trying to give us a sense of the voice of the interviewees, but I would have rather had more editing.

People say what they think, often, but not always as clearly as they would if they had the opportunity for a second draft. I think Ms. Gillespie should have cleaned up the stream of consciousness. I don't think it adds to the book and verges on distraction.

With that criticism out there, the interviews were interesting. It was nice to read about Ricky Tims' background and how he got started. One quote from his interview, which sticks in my mind is "So whatever I was doing in my freeness as an ignoramus, I ended up leaving that behind so I could learn to do it right. I went into the box, I learned to do it right, and for years that's the way I sewed. (pg.47)" Later, he follows up with "Once he mastered traditional quilting-the technique for which he wins awards-he revisited his original style and began teaching classes in which he encourage students to cut without the aid of rulers." These two quotes warm my heart, because they show that knowing how to perform accurate work (I won't say "piece the right way") matters and had value as does styles like Tims' Caveman style.

Later, the interview with Tims has him saying "I wanted to learn to do it right. There were two reasons why I wanted to do it right. Number one, I wanted to challenge myself to excel. Why do things halfway? Number two, I think, comes into the dynamic I really often want to play down-that I'm a guy in a woman-dominated field. Because of that, I thought there was a need in me to excel, because my work was going to scrutinized more.So I needed to do a better job so that if they looked at, I had a little more respect. Now that's a blanket statement; that not everybody. (pg.51)"

Quotes like the above and gems about Gillespie's life make the book worthwhile.

[rinabeana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a quilter. I weave baby blankets. However, both my sister Larissa and my dear friend Jennifer are quilters and have done some lovely work. When an e-mail from BookPeople (I keep saying it's the coolest bookstore in the world because it is!) informed me that Spike Gillespie had written a book about quilting/quilters and was doing a reading/signing at the store, I made sure I was there. I got a copy each for Larissa and Jennifer for their birthdays and had Spike sign them. As seems to have happened quite a bit lately, I had a wonderful experience procuring presents for other people. Spike is great and told a number of stories about her quilting experience and that of meeting other quilters. Various people in the audience had brought quilts to show everyone (most of which were "grandmother" quilts). It was very intimate (I'd say there were a max of 15 people) and conversational since many people had stories to share. Spike read a passage from the book, as well. I haven't given Larissa her book yet (her birthday is in March), but I did read the book before wrapping it up and leaving it with her. I can't say I'm going to run out and start quilting (NO TIME! NO SPACE! NO SEWING MACHINE!) but I really liked the book and I think I might like to take up quilting at some future date.

[Jeannen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spike Gillespie set out to write a "Word Freak"-type story about the world of quilting, delighted that in order to write the book she wanted to write, her "most important qualification as perfect-author-for-the-job was [her] near-complete lack of knowledge of [her] topic." She's a wide-eyed and enthusiastic chronicler of this quietly widespread community, and while I don't necessarily agree with her specific enthusiasms, it is both entertaining and interesting to see what and who catches her attention as she moves from that state of near-complete ignorance to a point where she actually understands what she's hearing from the people she meets. The book is grounded in the words of individual quilters, including extended interviews with well-known quilters, quilt industry professionals, and quilt shop owners, as well as members of quilt guilds and bees who responded to Gillespies surveys and whose words are called out in sidebars scattered throughout the book. I enjoyed both the longer interviews and the short pieces, and actually sat down and read through the (shortish) book in one sitting. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn a little bit about the inexplicable passion of women (and a few men) for taking perfectly good pieces of fabric and turning them into something else.

[Tripleguess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more. It started out interesting, but at page 103 I grew weary of the transcripted interviews and closed the book. Reading a monologue that is written exactly as it was spoken is like reading in a language I'm not fluent in; tiring. Plus, they went all over the place. I get that they had quilting as a central theme but many of the interviews contained side trips on topics that -- I won't say I'm not interested in them, only that they were not the reason I picked up the book.

So in the end, it's just a collection of interviews of people who happen to quilt, and not all of them are interesting, at least not in that format.

I also tired of the author's constant "Look how badly I quilt, isn't it funny?" refrain, especially since she never seemed to move past it. Lack of personal discipline is not something I admire.

Harsh. Like I said, I wanted to like it. The most interesting chapter is the story of the "Elvis" quilt; maybe because it was based on a written report and not an interview.

[Tejas Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book with its assorted anecdotes and vignettes about quilting and the women (predominantly) who create them. I'm not a quilter, but my great grandmother was, and her grandchildren were fortunate to each inherit a beautiful quilt made by her hand. This as well as the sense of community and history associated with quilting make it an attractive subject to me. I also liked that author Spike Gillespie went into this book project as a quilting beginner and without much sewing experience or background. Her inexperience and enthusiasm gave me hope that quilting was perhaps something I could still pursue and enjoy.

[Lynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an incredibly quick read. The author has collected a series of interviews with various quilters. Most of the quilters are involved in showing their quilts at large conventions. I learned that I like traditional quilts far more than the "art" quilts that the author seems to prefer.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like quilts 'n stuff! Also, Spike is a great writer. --Freelances for the DMN and hosts a sweet monthly fun-night (or at least used to) at Book People in Austin.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I has high hopes for this book. The premise was interesting, but I didn't like the format and after a while, it wasn't very interesting.

[CK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational....anyone can create beautiful art if they're not afraid to take the first stitch

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

It starts off strong, but loses its way.

[Marcella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sort of cute assortment of interviews with quilters. It would've been nice if the author did a little more to pull together the stories but I think she explicitly did not want to do that.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the history and her story on how she got into quilting. I have read a few books like this, which features different quilters, styles etc. I always find them interesting.

[Carolyn Appleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleased to receive an autographed copy of this 2007 book from a longtime friend whose work is one of several artists discussed within its pages, Debra "Debbie" Armstrong. See Chapter 17, "One Quilt, One Love." At the time Debbie was living in Lockhart, Texas where she and her husband renovated a late Victorian home by hand. Then they moved to Mason, Texas where on a much grander scale they renovated another even larger Victorian. I mention this to illustrate that Debbie and her husband are by nature historians and they are meticulous. Quilters are like that.

Spring forward to summer, 2019. The University of Texas San Antonio, Department of Art & Art History hosted a stitching exhibition, "The State of Hand Stitch: New Embroidery By Texas Artists." In 2021, the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts hosted, "Hand Stitch." Debbie's unique hand work has been included in both.

In this book you will take a deep dive into the mindset of quilters and the thought-processes involved in creating these detailed "stitched" works of art. The book is impressive, and as you read it you will come to understand what quilting involves (not only "stitching"). And like me, you will no doubt wonder why quilts and quilting are not more appreciated by society today. Learn and change your perceptions by reading, "Quilty As Charged" by Spike Gillespie. More exhibitions, please.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book with its clever title and topic of quilting, but the interviews began with a negative experience for a award-winning quilter, were not edited, and the memoir sections didn't sustain my interest. Perhaps someone else will find it at the Half-Price Books where I will take it and it will open the world of quilting for them; I hope so.