Laura McDowell Hopper is a woman of many passions who remarkably has managed to blend these passions seamlessly into a quickly-growing career in the textile world. Originally, Laura trained as a classical violist as a child and spent years hand sewing. However, after the sudden and unexpected death of her mother, she turned to machine quilting as a way to occupy her thoughts. As she found solace in quilting, Laura honed her skills making other people’s patterns. But she soon began to take more design risks in her work. She also found ways to blend her love of music into the minimalist-style quilts she designed. These pieces have been shown at QuiltCon, the International Quilt Festival, American Quilter’s Society, and more. You may also recognize Laura from her appearances on quilting podcasts, her lectures at QuiltCon 2018, and her role as a BERNINA ambassador. Her articles on quilt preservation have been published in QuiltCon Magazine, and her quilt “The River” was featured in the MQG’s book “Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century.” Laura is a member of the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild and serves on their board.
Laura’s other great passion is her day job, as a museum curator specializing in textile preservation. Laura is the curator at the Pick Museum of Anthropology at Northern Illinois University, an academic museum with an incredible collection of textiles from around the world. Her recent show, co-curated with the Michigan State University Museum, titled “Quilts and Human Rights”, included more than 50 quilts centering on themes of social justice from all over the world. It received critical acclaim for taking a raw and powerful look at issues such as civil rights, sexual assault, immigration, race relations and more.
And her newest, and most exciting news, is that she was recently hired on as a writer for Quiltfolk Magazine! Her first articles will appear in Issue 7, due out this summer! Welcome, Laura!
How would you describe your quilting style/aesthetic?
Laura: Some of my quilts are colorful, but I’ll tell you a secret…I don’t actually like too many colors! There’s nothing I love more than lots of black on a quilt – I think it makes the colors I choose to use really pop more dramatically. I also like oversized shapes, minimalist principles, and taking inspiration from other artistic mediums like music and writing.
The River, inspired by Bruce Springsteen. Image Courtesy of Laura McDowell Hopper.
How would you describe the creative environment in your home as a child?
Laura: I grew up with a single working mother who I deeply admire for everything she did to help me succeed growing up, even if I didn’t always succeed in telling her that. She taught me how to sew when I was young and when she had time to herself, she liked doing needlepoint. She had a degree in textiles from college and I think her love of textiles was always in the background, even if her life and career took a different direction. Looking back, I think this had an influence on my own passion for textiles of all types.
But my first artistic crush was my viola. I was determined to be a professional musician, and growing up I had a lot of support from my mom. I took private lessons with a violist who played in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, I was in the Michigan Youth Symphony Orchestra, and I went to Interlochen Fine Arts Camp. All this was on top of high school orchestras and joining marching band! My life took a big turn when I went to college and started studying history and museum studies, although I still did marching band all four years of undergrad. That love for and education in music is still a very important part of who I am as an adult, and it’s a consistent inspiration for my quilts.
What artists and makers do you most admire or have an influence on your work?
Laura: I tend to be inspired by artists from other mediums, particularly musicians and writers. I like someone who can tell me a moving story. It would be very hard for me to make a list of my favorite musicians because it would always be incomplete. But some frequently spinning musicians in my house are Bruce Springsteen, the Mountain Goats, Lizzo, Beyonce, Tegan and Sara, Bjork, Talking Heads, David Bowie, everything Chris Thile does, Rufus Wainwright, Sleater Kinney, Prince, St. Vincent, Mates of State …UGH it’s too hard! I have to stop! Most of the quilts I design are inspired by music, so that’s my most important influence.
John Darnielle is my favorite writer on the planet. Right when you’re done reading this, you should buy all his albums with the Mountain Goats (start with The Sunset Tree), order his two novels, and download all episodes of the incredible podcast I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats. I’m also reading a lot about quilt history right now and even started an online quilt history book club with some of my closest quilt friends. I haven’t had as much time for quilting as I would have liked this year because of some truly exciting projects on the horizon, but I have a feeling that my deep dive into quilt history research might influence quilts I make in the future.
If I made a list of quilters I admire, I would probably leave someone out and that would be so painful. If I know you, you’ve probably inspired me in some way. This is especially true of my beloved fellow Chicago Modern Quilt Guild members.
Punchlines, inspired by Mates of State.
Do you consider yourself a “quilter”, an artist, or some combination of both?
Laura: I like to call myself a quilter or a quiltmaker. I like those names because they are more specific words for what I do. I believe quilts are art – I’ve literally hung them on the walls of multiple museums where I’ve worked – but I personally don’t make other kinds of art. I don’t have a lot of creative time, so I focus myself on quilting and I like telling people right away that quilts are all I make. As both a quilter and a curator, I fully respect other quilters in choosing whatever they want to call themselves.
How would you define “making with intention”?
Laura: We all make things for different outcomes, and I think all of those are valid intentions. Some of us make quilts that we hope will hang at quilt shows, and we also make quilts for people we love or just for ourselves. Even small and beginner quilting projects have intention. We are a big community as quilters, and I think there is space for all of us. The first quilt I ever made was a baby quilt from a pattern, and even though it wasn’t an original design, I never would have kept sewing if someone said that my first quilt lacked intention. We all have degrees of drive and purpose when we make.
Laura’s first quilt was a Hazel Hedgehog baby quilt, and she liked it so much she made this second one for another baby two years later! Image courtesy of Laura McDowell Hopper.
Do you think that having a craft makes us more compassionate? If so, then how?
Laura: Craft can lead us to do compassionate acts, but I do not believe that craft itself is what brings us to compassion. A quilter may lead or participate in a charity quilting project, but that quilter was probably charitable before taking on that project. With that said, quilts are the greatest gift we can give. They are symbols of love and comfort, and they are often cherished for years or even generations by the recipients.
Quilt for Pulse made by Laura. Image courtesy of Laura McDowell Hopper.
How does creating feed your soul/spiritual purpose?
Laura: When I started quilting, it was literally my therapy. I made my first quilt after the unexpected death of my mother. Around that same time, my spouse and I got in a car accident (we were both fine, the car wasn’t), work was very stressful, and I was dealing with a chronic illness. I needed something to occupy my thoughts and after joining Instagram and learning about modern quilting, I decided to try it. I made a baby quilt for my nephew, and it changed my life. Quilting was my healing and fed my soul.
As I continued quilting, I’ve realized that making quilts builds my community more than anything else. I spent a long time quilting alone early on. I was intimidated by quilters who were more advanced than I was. I followed the Chicago MQG online for a full year before attending my first meeting because I incorrectly assumed that because that guild is stacked with quilt superstars that they wouldn’t like my quilts. I was so wrong! It’s the greatest guild I can imagine and I find so much joy and support from the community I’ve found with the Chicago MQG. Even making small projects together, like pillowcases or coffee sleeves, becomes inspiring when working with talented friends.
Chicago MQG members at QuiltCon 2018. Image courtesy of Laura McDowell Hopper.
Are there any rituals that you perform to prepare/ground yourself in your work?
Laura: When I’m working on a pattern or a quick project, I don’t do anything special. I sit down in my sewing room, put on a podcast or an audio book, and get going. But all of my original quilts are inspired by songs, and I do very specific and kind of strange things when I get ready to make those. I’ve made quilts about music by Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, the Mountain Goats, Mates of State, the Americana band I’m With Her, and I have a lot of designs waiting to be made.
When I make a music inspired quilt, I usually start by deciding what musician’s work I want to quilt. Then I listen to basically every album ever by that musician and spend a lot of time thinking about what draws me to their work. I have a very long work commute, so I usually do this in the car. Once I’ve narrowed down what’s important to me (maybe it’s nostalgia, storytelling, pushing gender and sexuality boundaries, common themes in their songs…), I pick a song and listen to it on repeat. I think about what that song looks like in my mind, and when I’ve settled on a good idea, I make a pattern! Usually my spouse helps me make patterns and then I get to work.
Little Lies, inspired by the Americana band I’m With Her. Image courtesy of Laura McDowell Hopper.
What is the support system you have in place for creating your work?
Laura: My spouse is my support system. Mitch helps me when I struggle with math, he takes beautiful photos of my quilts, and he fosters my creativity. He has many hobbies himself (photography, wood working, drawing, music), so we are a very creative team and try to help each other.
The Chicago Modern Quilt Guild (the greatest guild around, in my opinion!) also offers more support than I could have ever imagined. We share ideas with each other, get inspiration from each other’s work, and learn new techniques from each other. We are also always there to help support each other in life. I’ve made incredible friends through this guild and one of my greatest joys is giving back to this guild that’s given me so much by being on the board.
Get Happy!, inspired by Elvis Costello. Laura’s husband, Mitch Hopper, helped her to make this foundation paper piecing patter. Image courtesy of Laura McDowell Hopper.
How do you deal with comparison to / envy of others? Can you describe a time when you used comparison/envy/admiration to push yourself in your own work and self-discovery?
Laura: We all have different feminisms. My feminism centers around doing what I can to amplify and empower other women. That’s important to me because it helps me to remember that another quilter’s success does not imply my failure. I want to find joy and happiness is seeing other people in our community succeed because it helps all of us.
That’s easier said than done sometimes, but jealousy is not an emotion I like. It makes me feel mean, and I really want to put a lot of positivity into the quilt community. I’ve had periods of failure in my quilt career and it’s easy to get pulled down deeper and wonder why other people are succeeding where I’ve failed. But, I also know that I’ve received incredible opportunities through quilting that I am thankful for every day, so I try to focus on those good things and maybe start making a new quilt to refocus my energies to creativity.
What was the most challenging thing you ever made?
Laura: In 2017, I made a quilt called “Dance Music,” inspired by a song by one of my favorite bands the Mountain Goats. The song “Dance Music” is about growing up with a physically abusive parent, and my quilt is about my own childhood spent being confused by my emotionally abusive and manipulative father. It isn’t the most technically difficult quilt, but it took a lot of emotional energy and self-examination to make it. My goal was to turn painful memories into something positive, and it’s become one of my favorite quilts.
Dance Music, inspired by the Mountain Goats. Image courtesy of Laura McDowell Hopper.
What does it mean to you to work in a traditionally domestic medium that historically has been regarded as predominately female (aka “women’s work”)?
Laura: Quilts are not just regarded as predominately women’s work, they are in fact work produced mostly by women! But what quilts have been regarded as is lesser art, which I believe is deeply rooted in systems of patriarchy that operate to marginalize women’s work so people with more power can profit off of the ideas of women (note that I also believe this kind of system operates when white cis women use our positions of privilege to profit off the work or ideas of women of color or trans women/gender non-conforming folks). Not everyone will agree with me here, but it’s what I think about the past and present. Some major museums around the country still have their textile or domestic arts sections in the basements or in hard to find corners, which reinforces outsider’s perceptions of domestic art, craft, and women’s work as less important.
I’m very proud to work in a long tradition of women before me who invented quilting and passed it down through generations, while also acknowledging that especially now, quilters can be absolutely anyone. I’m happy to see our quilting community doing more work to do towards inclusion, which will only make quilting a stronger and more interesting field. A great organization that spreads quilting to young and marginalized communities is the Social Justice Sewing Academy. I’m proud to be a board member of SJSA and support their work the best I can!
Pick Museum Director, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Social Justice Sewing Academy Founder Sara Trail, and Laura in front of SJSA quilts in the Pick Museum of Anthropology’s exhibit “Quilts and Human Rights,” a collaborative exhibit between the Pick Museum and the Michigan State University Museum. Image courtesy of Laura McDowell Hopper.
How do you see your current work in the context of quilting history?
Laura: As a historian myself, I don’t think that’s for me to say! Folks can be very impatient to see the long view of historic context. For now, I’m happy to work in a medium with such a storied tradition.
Right now, I make, study, and write about quilts because I believe it’s what I’m supposed to do with my life. My always increasing commitment to quiltmaking and quilt study is the most meaningful work I do. I’m still a new kid on the block in quiltmaking and quilt study, but every year I am fortunate to grow more into my place in the quilt world. I was recently hired as a writer for Quiltfolk magazine – check it out if you haven’t seen it yet! Quiltfolk is a keepsake quarterly publication that investigates quilt culture and history in different parts of the country, and while I’ve only written for one issue so far (Issue 7 coming this summer), it’s been one of the greatest joys of my career. I hope to write for them more and help make people excited about quilt history!
Laura on a recent trip to the Iowa Quilt Museum. Image courtesy of Laura McDowell Hopper.
Thank you, Laura! Congratulations on your new position with Quiltfolk and on the success of your curated show! We can’t wait to see what you are up to next! To learn more about Laura, visit her website Sonic Stitches. You can also find Laura on Instagram.
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Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl
April 20, 2018 at 9:58 amWow, Laura’s background and love for music really resonates with me! I pursued music intensely until I went to college and then it became a hobby and is now something I deeply appreciate and find a lot of inspiration in as well. Thanks as always for this series.
lelandavestudios@gmail.com
April 20, 2018 at 10:36 pmI can totally see that connection between the two of you, Yvonne! I’m so glad the interview resonated with you. I loved hearing about Laura’s perspective on many of the answers. I thought it was really unique, given her experience as a curator and a musician. As always, thanks for reading along!
Lisa
April 20, 2018 at 7:44 pmThis is so interesting to me. I have never thought about how music could inspire quilts. It’s particularly interesting that Laura’s quilts are abstract. i would love to see inside her head. I recently picked up a copy of Modern Patchwork magazine which features the pattern little lies so it is nice to see it here. I am drawn to minimalism. I also appreciate that Laura values our intention in making all quilts.
lelandavestudios@gmail.com
April 20, 2018 at 10:37 pmLisa, I totally agree! I’d love to see inside Laura’s head as she formulates quilts based on music!
Laura Hartrich
April 23, 2018 at 4:28 pmStellar interview! I feel so lucky to know Laura and I love watching her flourish in the quilt community. All her new endeavors are so impressive. Her ambition and dedication are amazing. I’m tired just thinking about all she does. She’s a gem.
lelandavestudios@gmail.com
April 24, 2018 at 1:14 pmIt must be the name “Laura”, because I think you both are pretty impressive! I have to agree, I loved the entire interview and Laura is really someone to watch and learn from. I’m so glad you both have been a part of this project!