How to make an American Quilt

How to Make an American Quilt with Winona Ryder:

"For as long as I can remember, my grandmother and her friends have been a part of a quilting bee.

I remember sitting under the quilt frame pretending that I was surrounded by a forest of friendly trees and that their stitches were messages from giants written across the sky.

I used to spend my summer with my grandmother and my great aunt, who lived in Grasse, California. (...)

The day Sam drove me to my Great Aunt Glady's house, the Grasse quilting bee was there setting up to make a new quilt.

They've always met here at Aunt Glady's.

My grandmother moved in after she'd lost her husband.

They have been fighting ever since.

Everyone defers to Anna, who is the master quilter.(...)

- The challenge with a quilt like this is each of these squares are made by different hands. So I have to bring all these different squares together and balance them in harmonious design.

First we have to find a theme.

Now for this particular quilt, the theme is 'Where love resides'. (...)

- So what you're saying is that by harmonizing all these different elements, you're creating kind of continuity in the piece?

- No, what I'm saying is I don't want to end up with some damn ugly quilt."

I hope I end up with a group of friends and spend my afternoons working on a quilt and talking about anything and everything.

Have a good week.

Emmanuelle