I love how quilting gave women the
opportunity to be both independent and autonomous while also still
providing and contributing to the family as a whole. Women got to be
creative and have respite at the same time. I think quilting is
important for girlhood because you cannot learn to do it very well on
your own. This means that someone must teach you the skill. This
means learning and sharing knowledge and bonding. To me that's why
it's important for girlhood. Because it makes you a more well-rounded
and give you the opportunity at closeness with someone else.
The other thing that just blew me away
was the fact that quilts often acted as a form of communication. It
reminded me of a family coat of arms. These families chronicled the
fabric of their lives by literally using fabric to keep warm in the
face of marrow chilling elements. They would move away from each
other but send scraps and pieces of fabric to one another for a
lifetime. That idea of renewal also resonated strongly with me.
What's old is indeed new again.
I really like the coat of arms idea. With quilting or another type of handicraft, a family identity is available to every family.
ReplyDeleteUndoubtedly, quilting is a form of communication. Women bond during the process, communicate by sending fragments of quilt to one another, and endure after death by passing the quilt on to the next generation. In essence, quilting helps women "stitch" together the separations of space and time.
ReplyDeleteNora
Thomas,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your observation that quilting is a form of communication -- both figuratively and literally. I hadn't really thought about it in those terms.
I mentioned this in another post, but do you think women are the primary inter-generational communicators in families – like the protectors of family histories and artifacts? I have noticed this in my family, but your experience might be different.
Hayley
This idea of quilting as a vehicle for a woman's voice is key. Do women still need outlets like quilting - do women and girls remain less able to connect with traditional spaces for being heard?
ReplyDelete