Interview with Margaret Ramsey

An interview with Margaret Ramsey conducted as part of the "Macon County Craft Tradition" project--a student project for a course offered at Western Carolina University. A native of Macon County, Margaret briefly discusses her family history, noting that one of her ancesters, Jacob Siler, was the first white settler in the area circa 1818. After completing her degree at Western Carolina University, Margaret became Chairman of the Board for Maco Crafts in Franklin, a co-operative that grew out of the Macon Program for Progress under the umbrella of the War on Poverty. At it's peak, membership reached up to 250 members, mostly from Macon County, although that has changed in recent years. Training was provided to help craftspeople develop their skills, obtain materials and market their crafts. Margaret directed the training until 1978, when she became the manager of Maco Crafts and has remained on the Board for many years. Maco Crafts produced the World's Biggest Quilt, measuring 18 ft x 21 ft and completed by almost 100 quilters in the early 1980s. The quilt was well-traveled and was displayed in the Kennedy Center at one time. Margaret discusses traditional quilting techniques as well as shares a few anecdotes about some of the quilters