Words: JESSICA BATEMANIllustration: EMMA BLOCK
We take a look at the ways women throughout history have recorded their lives using craft – and how we can continue the tradition today
We all know the joy that comes from making a baby blanket, or a sampler to celebrate a wedding. But when we mark life events and relationships through craft, we’re not only enjoying a hobby, we’re taking part in a centuries-old tradition, intertwined with the female experience.
Throughout history, women have used crafts to tell stories and record their lives, from ancient tapestries to commemorative quilts, right through to contemporary scrapbooking. “Women have traditionally been – and still are – the archivers of family stories,” says Ann Rippon, an Academic Quilter at the University of Bristol whose work is focused on the role of cloth in society.
THE FABRIC OF OUR LIVES
Quilting is one of the most frequently-used mediums for crafty storytelling, thanks to its potential for bringing together different fabrics from separate sources. “There’s a long tradition of widow’s quilts, made using a partner or husband’s shirts,” Ann tells us. “Women have also made quilts from baby clothes to remember happy times when children were little.” Friendship quilts were popular in 19th century America too, and would involve women asking all their friends for scraps of material to sew together. Today we might make a quilt for a bride-to-be, with all her hens chipping in sentimental fabrics, or a patchwork medley of band T-shirts to remember concerts.
Other ways we might commemorate special occasions are by making unique items. Ann cites an example of a woman who makes family bunting, adding a new flag every time it’s used at a get-together or celebration. Jan Hassard, a quilt teacher from Bristol, makes new tablecloths and napkins for big events, which she then keeps as mementos. “I made a whole set for my daughter’s 18th birthday party,” she tells us. “I still use it now and got it out the other day when she was round for dinner.”
Ann believes that the close association between craft and life events is part of a larger, often overlooked subject: the importance of cloth throughout the trajectory of human lives. “We have contact with cloth as soon as we come into the world [when wrapped up by a midwife] and as we leave it too,” she explains. “We also use it to mark important events such as weddings and christenings.”
It’s this human ele
