An Interview with Karen Boutté

In the interview that follows, Karen shares with us her history, journey and, most important, her love affair with quilting.

H.G. Art wasn’t your original life focus, was it?

K.B. My educational background and work history are anything but art-related. I hold a B.S. degree in information systems management and worked for a major utility company for 28 years. I retired in 1997 and sort of fell into a new career in quilting.

H.G. Although this new career started after retirement, you began quilting before that, didn’t you?

K.B. In 1989, we had a family reunion in Houston, Texas. While there I saw a beautiful quilt that had been made by my great-aunt Nora. At that time, I didn’t know the name of the quilt or the blocks that were in it. I later learned that it was a “Cathedral Window.” She made the entire king-sized quilt by hand. It was so awe-inspiring, that when I returned home, I started doing research on quilts, quilting and quilt history.

H.G. In 1997, you retired. Then what?

K.B. I am now a full-time artist, teacher, lecturer, designer and author. After I retired, I started lecturing on African-American quilts and quilters at various educational and quilt-related events. This was really a happy accident. My son was attending the University of California at Santa Cruz, and the African-American Student Life Resource and Cultural Center there needed a speaker for Black History Month. My son volunteered my services and I’ve been lecturing ever since. This led to opportunities to exhibit my work in quilt shows, open studios, museums and local shops. I was also invited as a guest on HGTV’s program, Simply Quilts, for two different episodes — one on the mask quilts and the other on my “Stitch-a-Story” garments.

H.G. You also teach your quilting techniques, don’t you?

K.B. I began teaching quilting in 1997 — just after I retired. I offer classes in basic quilt making, easy art-to-wear, machine quilting and several others. I’ve learned I love to teach — sharing the love of quilting with others is beyond heartwarming. I have always loved being the center of attention, hence the “quilt diva” title, and teaching is a wonderful way to share my love of quilting and get attention at the same time.

H.G. Tell us about your quilts and designs. What inspires you?

K.B. My quilts reflect my culture, background, hopes and dreams. The mask imagery is inspired by African, Asian, Native American and other cultural carved images. I have a collection of African masks around my house for inspiration. Some were gifts — others I bought to add to my collection.

H.G. Do you sell your quilts?

K.B. I sell a few pieces privately and through studio tours. Most of my pieces are like family and I keep them. I show them to students, quilters and anybody I can get to stand still long enough. I have also given away a lot of quilts to friends and relatives just for the fun of it. I occasionally take on a commission to make a specific piece for a client. This can be a challenge, but my repeat clients know what to expect. They give me an idea of what they think they want. Then, I make several sketches and select the fabric. We meet again to review the design and off I go to do my thing.

H.G. Tell us a little bit about your studio.

K.B. I have a studio in my home. Actually, “Studio A” and “Studio B.” Studio A is where I design and construct my quilts. In Studio B, I keep my fabric, computer and office supplies. I outgrew Studio A about three years ago and, luckily, my son went off to college giving me the perfect solution — his vacant room! I love having the freedom to leave my work in progress on the design wall and not have to take the ironing board up or down until I want to. When I paint or stamp fabric, I cover my cutting table and it serves dual duty. The small space formally known as the closet now holds shelving with boxes of collage material, stamps, ink, paint, beads, feathers and just about any other embellishment I could want.

H.G. Has your new career changed your life?

K.B. My new career has expanded my life. Teaching, lecturing, designing, and especially writing a book, were not what I planned to do with my life. The new life evolved over the years — one lecture/workshop led to another —then came the request to appear on television and things really started hopping.

With quilting, I meet people from all walks of life. It is an art form that encourages sharing — whether it’s a new technique, a beautiful quilt or garment, or the latest gadget on the market. I have been in airports working on a project or reading a quilt book or magazine and have had total strangers come over and start a conversation. Somewhere in their life, they have been touched by a quilt or a quilter and enjoy telling their story. A group of online quilters were challenged to create a quilt in less than six weeks for an international show in Houston. These quilts were created in reaction to the events surrounding September 11. The quilt Out of the Depths of my Soul I Cried (see page 62) was my entry. Over 200 quilters worldwide responded to this challenge. Quilting is not just an art — it’s a community.

K.B. My new career has expanded my life. Teaching, lecturing, designing, and especially writing a book, were not what I planned to do with my life. The new life evolved over the years — one lecture/workshop led to another —then came the request to appear on television and things really started hopping.

With quilting, I meet people from all walks of life. It is an art form that encourages sharing — whether it’s a new technique, a beautiful quilt or garment, or the latest gadget on the market. I have been in airports working on a project or reading a quilt book or magazine and have had total strangers come over and start a conversation. Somewhere in their life, they have been touched by a quilt or a quilter and enjoy telling their story. A group of online quilters were challenged to create a quilt in less than six weeks for an international show in Houston. These quilts were created in reaction to the events surrounding September 11. The quilt Out of the Depths of my Soul I Cried (see page 62) was my entry. Over 200 quilters worldwide responded to this challenge. Quilting is not just an art — it’s a community.

H.G. What is your opinion or philosophy about quilting as an art?

K.B. When I first started quilting, I didn’t think of it as an art form. I was a traditional quilter having a great time shopping for fabric and designing quilts. When I started to teach, I was exposed to an entirely new world of quilting. There are quilt markets with the latest and greatest products, quilt festivals with participants from all over the world, quilt classes in every aspect of the art including fabric painting, dyeing and surface design — as well as traditional piecing and appliqué. I have seen quilts that are works of art. This includes everything from traditional quilts executed with exquisite skill to art quilts using found objects. They all tell a story. Sometimes the story is obvious, others require more studying to see what the quilt maker or artist is saying.

I’m always a bit uncomfortable labeling what I do as art, because when I took an art class in junior high, I was really intimidated. Nothing I made came close to looking like the assignment — my papier-mâché cow looked like a dog, and my clay dog was useless. I thought for years that I could only draw stick figures for people.

Quilting, however, opened a new door for me. I was comfortable sewing — I made clothes, home décor, costumes and runway garments. I didn’t give any of this a second thought. When I started making the mask quilts, they came easily. To me, this was “just” sewing. I never thought of myself as an artist until I was invited to participate in an open studio event with several painters, photographers, sculptors and jewelry designers. It was an eye-opening experience. After my participation in that show, I was invited to exhibit six pieces in the African-American Historical Museum at Fort Mason in San Francisco. So, if what I do is “making art,” then “making art” is the most fun you can have that’s legal! Teaching art is its own reward. I never dreamed that I would be doing this.

Karen Boutté can be reached at kbqart@Pacbell.net. For even more of Karen’s extensive art, visit her Web site at www.karenboutte.com. Harriet Gamble is a free-lance writer from Indianapolis, Indiana.