Where does the day go? I swear I've been busy and not just goofing off. Although I do plan some goofing off over the weekend. I've been crocheting little flowers all day to make a garland, or lots of garlands, because I'm into garlands right now. And I've found a renewed interest in crochet. I learned to crochet when I was a little girl. At least one of my grandmothers taught me. I know my dad's mother did, and I know that my mom's mother crocheted, just not sure she shared that with me. Grandma K had such withered and gnarled hands that I marveled at how she could handle that crochet hook. Yet she managed to teach me, which I'm sure took more than a little patience.
My mind has been buzzing lately with thoughts of traditional needlecraft. I've been pondering many different aspects of the craft, one being that same old question of art vs. craft. As I've picked up the crochet hook again, and the embroidery needle, I've been also thinking about the role that traditional handicrafts play in art making. I want to crochet sculptures. And I want to crochet doilies. I've also been thinking about the role needle crafts play in women's lives, community building among women, and the idea of "women's work". I like to think of these skills as our legacy or inheritance, not something we are relegated to, or it to us.
Some of my most precious possessions today are pieces of needlework created by the hands of my mother, her mother, her mother's mother. These objects, and the act of doing the needlework myself, gives me such a feeling of security. Through this craft I am connected, sewn even, to generations of women. It grounds me and keeps me from flying off into space.
I imagine the quiet peace the maker of this robe held, while patiently hooking stitch by stitch.
As I said, I started crocheting early; I loved to embroider all the time, through high school. A lot of that was on my jeans!
Both my mom and my sister were seamstresses, so a great portion of my clothes were handmade. My sister even made matching outfits for my Barbie and me. I meant to take a picture of one of the Barbie outfits, but forgot. I'll post that at a later date. You have to see it! My mom taught me to sew when I was pretty young, and I went to school in an age when girls took home-ec and boys took shop. I enjoyed sewing some of my own clothes in junior high and high school.
As I grew up and became a young woman, and started having babies of my own, I continued my love affair with needle crafts. I took up knitting and tried my hand at quilting. There was a shift though. Other women found it odd that I enjoyed these traditional women's work kind of crafts. They acted like they were impressed that I could do it, but the underlying message that I received was that modern women didn't do those things. And that was the idea about any traditional homemaking role.
I kept up with the knitting and sewing, but I set aside the crocheting and quilting for a lot of years. Now I'm so thrilled that young women and even men are reviving these skills with a vengeance. And I'm really happy that granny chic crochet is back! I love to crochet. It's so easy to throw some pearl cotton and a hook in my purse and take it where ever I go. I took it to Sundance; yes I did.
This is a decorative bath towel. There is a pocket on the front in which to put wash clothes.
I made this bag all by myself when I was around 10 I guess. It's even lined. The really scary thing is my mom made me a pair of pants out of this same fabric! I did love them! They had big bell bottoms. I thought I was so groovy in my psychedelic britches. I'm really showing my age aren't I?
So that's my history with needlecraft. I'm interested in hearing about other women's relationship with traditional needle crafts. What I hope is that I can talk you into helping me get a conversation going. I'd love it if you would write a post on your blog, and leave a link to it here in the comments. If you don't have a blog, leave your story here in the comments or send me an email (bobbijlewin(at)gmail(dot)com) and I'll post your stories.
My goal is to continue processing all of these thoughts I'm having on the subject here in a series of on-going posts. I hope that you will join me.
Congrats on the treasury spot! My paternal grandmother was the inspiration for my love of all things craft-oriented. She lived across the street from us, and so I was with her everyday. She always had embroidery or quilting or crocheting or some sort of needle craft in her lap. I would sit beside her and watch. She would teach me a little, and always was patient and encouraging to me. I miss her every day.
ReplyDeleteJenny Ingram www.theweaverscottage.etsy.com
I watched my mother do all sorts of sewing, embroidery, knitting and crocheting, and I learned to do some of this. After many years, when the time came for me to start creating my own stuff, I was able to quickly draw on the familiarity I already had with hand sewing, and I never doubted that I could come up with respectable looking pieces. Of course, I have learned some new skills lately, but they were easier because of the experience I already had.
ReplyDeleteHelen www.empressbarrettes.etsy.com
(in vacation mode for a couple weeks)
That robe is amazing. Crocheting is what I started out doing--seems like a 100 years ago--I really believe it is a special art. My aunt made the crocheted tablecloths, and even the cotton bedspreads--really beautiful. I've made alot of doilies in my day too, but couldn't make the commitment to a tablecloth.
ReplyDeleteDid someone in your family make that robe? It is just beautiful, absolutely incredible. Essie from Australia
ReplyDeleteI would enjoy seeing your crochet sculptures. It sounds very interesting. :)
ReplyDeleteAmbar in Puerto Rico
Essie, the robe was made either by my maternal grandmother or great-grandmother. All of the other crochet items in the post were made by grandmas on one side or the other:)
ReplyDeleteI unfortunately didn't have the long line of women who taught me how to knit,crochet, sew, quilt and all the other needlecraft work there is, however, my grandmother did "try" teaching me how to sew, which failed she didn't have patience to teach me once she was done teaching my cousin. However, my ex mother in law and my children's paternal grandmother taught me how to do the basics of knitting and crocheting which by the way, I love doing. I'm still not a experienced knitter/crocheter, but I do love doing them. I'm learning to sew, I don't know how to quilt, yet, I love doing plastic canvas, loom knitting, embroidery, and cross stitiching. So to end this my email is ekkmcd@yahoo.com Have a wonderful Valentines day.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great idea! I've gotten to the point where I say "Yeah- it IS women's work!" There are so many thing we, as women, are uniquely able to do, if we value them enough to try. I'll have to get my thoughts together on this and link up when I post :)
ReplyDeleteMy Grandmother and mother fueled my love for crafts! I am so glad that they took the time to teach me and I am now teaching my daughter. Knitting is my favorite, but I do a lot of crafting and jewelry making!
ReplyDeleteKrystie
http://www.logcabincreation.etsy.com
My mum taught me to knit, my gran taught me to crochet. I think we must be about the same age, so I understand about the scary pants! The satisfaction of creating a garment, knitted or crocheted or even sewn is so wonderful. It is something that WE will always be able to do. My friend doesn't do anything like this, she says I am an old granny because I enjoy needlework. She sits there and paints her nails and that seems to be all she does. She is stressed and wound up most of the time, and when she comes to tell me her problems I sit and knit or crochet and she tells me I am so calm! LOL
ReplyDeleteRosie
Rosie, you should tell your friend that "granny chic" is quite in right now and that makes you cool!
ReplyDelete