The Quilters' Save Our Stories (QSOS) program from the Quilt Alliance makes a triumphant return this week with an interview with Eileen Doughty. In it, Eileen talks about the quilt she brought, inspired by a story from J.R.R Tolkien that she read as a teenager, and amongst other things, her family's support of her quilting, her inspirations, her studio, and so much more.

What are Quilters' Save Our Stories interviews you ask? "Quilters’ S.O.S. – Save Our Stories (QSOS) is a project of the non-profit Quilt Alliance. The project creates, through recorded interviews, a broadly accessible body of information concerning quiltmaking, both present-day and in living memory. Our archive for the original audio recordings and photographs is the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. QSOS volunteers from across the country conduct and transcribe these interviews. We appreciate their generosity of time and dedication to the project!"

From Quilters' Save Our Stories and the Quilt Alliance:

"Eileen Doughty says the quilt she brought to the interview is named "Niggle's Leaf" and was inspired by a story that she read as a teenager, called "Leaf by Niggle" by J.R.R Tolkien. Doughty shares that she has been quilting since 1986 and that her mother got her into it. After she graduated college, her mother mentioned that she was taking a quilting class, and it inspired Doughty to take one as well. Doughty says that she walked into a quilt store and after speaking with a customer, happened to start doing quilt commissions. She talks about becoming a regional representative for Studio Art Quilting Association (SAQA). Doughty also belongs to a metropolitan quilt group that she helped found in 2001 called Quilt Art (Q&A). She talks about her family's support of her quilting. She talks about her inspiration, including other artists and art history classes. Doughty describes her studio. She describes her preparation and process for quilting. Doughty gives advice for beginner quilters."

Click Here, or the images of Eileen's quilt below, to hear her story.

Niggle's Leaf by Eileen Doughty (Photo from Eileen Doughty)