So today while I was working in the studio, testing out some fabric techniques for an upcoming DEMO, I was catching up on some podcasts. CraftyPod recently had a podcast on men who craft (and one of the guests was our own Michael5000, quilter and State of the Craft blogger) and it really got me to thinking.
Most of the people I teach in my classes, and most of the people I know in the mixed-media art and craft world, are women. But in my own childhood, both my parents were crafty, and so was my grandmother. My grandmother - my dad's mom - knit, crocheted, sewed, cooked, did needlepoint and painted china. My mom sewed and quilted and cooked. My dad cooked, did latch-hook rugs (I remember one he made featuring the "Love is" characters), worked with leather and wood, knit (he learned by watching his mother) and even made chainmail from split rings! Here I am, wearing a coif, or chain mail hood, that my dad made.
Thinking back on this, I'm so glad that I got to work with my Dad in his shop growing up. I got to be as comfortable with a scroll saw as I was with a sewing machine. And I'm glad that I got a chance to see my Dad working on a latch-hook rug while he watched John Wayne movies. Talk about challenging gender roles.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Of Men and Crafting . . .
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3 comments:
that chain mail rocks! i think you need to come up with a reason to wear that again; is it something you can wear on amnw? ;)
Hee hee - actually, my Mom has it in storage in Texas - but if I ever have my own craft show, I'm asking her to pull it out! Wouldn't it be great to do a special program on chain maille?
That's an awesome look! Very Joan of Arc.
You know that prime quilting season is fall because that's college football season, right?
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