Kay McHenry loves to quilt. She also loves bluegrass music. And she has discovered a way to combine the two, constructing a quilt made entirely from bluegrass artists’ t-shirts that took her approximately 80 hours to complete.
The 67-year-old from Durham, NC, shared some statistics.
“I’ve been quilting for about 20 years. This is the first quilt that I’ve ever made for myself. This particular quilt took two years to collect the shirts that are autographed. There are 38 shirts in the quilt. It takes 4-6 weeks to actually design, create, and finish a quilt.
Several years ago I made a bluegrass t-shirt quilt for Nathan, my husband [of 44 years]. I decided that I needed one, but I needed to elevate it a little bit higher than his. That’s when I decided to include the autographs.
Most of the shirts I bought at concerts or events, and had them autograph them right there on the spot. I had a few in my possession, but most I bought. The creation started with Dan Tyminski and ended with Henhouse Prowlers. In between, it got Del McCoury, Della Mae, John McEuen, Balsam Range, our dear Terry Baucom, Nu-Blu, and others.
I try to get everybody in a band to autograph the shirts. It has been very easy. MerleFest has been very good with their autograph tents making it easy to get autographs such as Sam Bush. In bluegrass, the musicians are always so gracious with their time and their signatures. Some of the band configurations are no longer the same. Of course, Terry Baucom is no longer with us. To me, that adds memories to the quilt.”
For the backing, Mchenry used blue and green fabric to symbolize bluegrass.
“For my husband’s quilt, I actually used a green grass fabric with a blue binding to signify the bluegrass. But in both quilts, it contains nothing but bluegrass-focused t-shirts [on the front].”
When asked if they were musicians, Kay confessed, “My husband plays at a couple of instruments, but we’re both just lovers of the music. We’re better listeners than musicians!”
Their passion for the music blossomed when IBMA came to Raleigh.
“Even though we lived 20 minutes away, we would always get a room at the Marriott for the week and act like 16-year-olds staying up till two or three in the morning. We really loved that experience!”
McHenry shared her philosophy on the use of quilts.
“I belong to several groups of stitchers, hand stitchers, or other quilters. The stitcher friends I have say it goes on a wall, but I firmly believe that I should be wrapped up in those memories. I think having a quilt is so much better than having T-shirts stacked up in a drawer that may never be used. I just want to remember the graciousness of the musicians. I think quilts need to be used.”
Her adventure began in Raleigh.
“We were at a Pinecone event. I was in what I thought was the autograph line, but it was not. I was the next one to step up to Dan, and his handler came to take him to the autograph line. When I asked him for an autograph, he just took me by the shoulders and took me where I was supposed to be. He continued to talk to me and gave me his autograph.
I got Sam Bush’s at MerleFest. I was in a line of probably 150 people. His line monitor came and handed me the set list that he had just finished. So when I got up to get my shirt autographed, Sam also graciously signed his set list right beside the one that was my favorite, Circles. Then he marked out the songs that his band did not perform that night.
“I have found that in bluegrass, the artists are so generous with their time and their stories. It’s just a wonderful atmosphere to be in.”
McHenry is leaving a legacy with her quilts.
“I started 20 years ago when I made a quilt for our daughter when she graduated high school. I do them for family and friends. I’m not a traditional quilter where you buy yards of fabric and cut it into squares. I don’t do that. My quilts tell stories and that’s the part that I am most proud of.”
Making quilts for others depends on the circumstance and the situation, says the former Duke University employee.
“If someone wanted to reach out, I would certainly have a conversation. My mind just doesn’t turn off. I’m always thinking of newer, better, more creative things to do.”
Quilting is a passion of mine. I believe it’s a talent that I have been gifted. I don’t take that lightly. I put blood, sweat, and tears in my quilts. It’s been a lovely journey and it’s an honor to share that with others.”
For anyone interested in her talents, McHenry (who quilts barefooted) can be reached at her Barefoot Studio by email.
