Innehållsförteckning för Winter 2020 från PieceWork

PieceWork|Winter 2020

Notions

I am a passionate and frequent traveler . . . usually. This year has altered so many aspects of our lives and limited the ways that we can experience textiles, culture, and the world. What to do? I have been exploring textile paths that are unfamiliar to me, guided by researchers and makers who have laid the groundwork I am only just discovering. There is always so much to learn, and this is a great opportunity to explore further afield. As usual, I head out to learn about a time or technique I have not explored, only to loop back into the glorious tangle of global textiles. I was excited to learn about the Tunisian chéchia, an iconic red cap, in Richard Stirba’s article in this issue. At the same…

1 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

The Long Thread

Laurann Gilbertson, Chief Curator, Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum How did you become interested in textiles and their history? I’ve always been interested in many forms of history. My grandmother and mother collected antiques, and so, I grew up surrounded by objects of the past. We always visited museums, science centers, and zoos on family vacations. I volunteered or worked at several different types of museums, and it was the history museums that interested me most. While I worked on a degree in anthropology in college, I took a Cultural Perspective on Dress class and was then hooked on textiles. That class was followed by another—History of Costume—and then a minor in textiles and clothing. Eventually, I received a master’s degree in textiles and clothing from Iowa State University. Tell us about…

4 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

Stories in Sinew

Just imagine if you lived a hundred or more years ago in the Arctic. You would need clothes and boots to keep out the cold, but there were no stores. Inuit women had to wait for the men to return from the hunt. After an animal was skinned, but before it was carved up for food, the women removed a special tissue along its back. This they dried and split into layers of sinew fiber. This was (and sometimes still is) used for sewing thread for boots and clothing, even for the skin of kayaks—but also for weaving string figures that (as is the case with preliterate peoples worldwide) were an important part of storytelling and cultural learning. I first became aware of the extent of string figures in the…

12 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

The Search Continues

While pursuing answers to my questions, I was given the name of quilt historian and artist Mary Bywater Cross as a person researching the Solar System quilt. Contacting her, I learned she will present new research in a paper on Ellen Harding Baker and her Solar System quilt at the American Quilt Study Group Seminar in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley on August 28–31, 2021. Her paper will be published in their journal, Uncoverings. As a Johnson County, Iowa, native, Mary described her connections to the region and the quilt donors. Her connections and discoveries of new evidence will contribute to this visual record of one Iowa woman’s life in late-nineteenth-century America. For more information about the American Quilt Study Group Seminar and Uncoverings, visit www.americanquiltstudygroup.org.…

1 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

Boiled Wool Cap from North Africa

When my friend Richard Stirba asked for help with his chéchia project (see page 38), I was working with Amazigh shepherds in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains to document their knitting patterns. In Morocco, hats are knitted from the top down. A video by the Tunisian Radio and Television Establishment confirmed that chéchias were knitted from the top down, too. Together, Richard and I developed a process based on High Atlas knitting and written accounts of chéchia production. Our process is not meant to replicate authentic Tunisian chéchia-making, which is still carried out by heritage artisans in Tunis. Our aim is to increase interest in North African knitting and capture the attention of makers who could advocate for the revitalization of this unique craft at risk of disappearing. We encourage makers…

8 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

Mademoiselle Riego’s Slip-Stitch Crochet Gloves

As crocheters, we recognize the basic elements of Mademoiselle Eléonore Riego de la Branchardière’s 1854 Crochet Glove pattern, but subtle differences distinguish it from today’s patterns. As is typical for the nineteenth century, the gloves use laceweight yarn; are worked entirely in slip-stitch crochet, which was common then but is rarely used today; and come in only one size. Pattern sizing was still a developing art in 1854. The only gauge mentioned in the pattern was for the cuff: 44 stitches equals 8 inches, stretched. One assumes this is to assure that the glove can be slipped over the hand. The gloves are quite stretchy, so there is some leeway in fit. But the Victorian-era crocheter was expected to adjust the pattern to her needs by changing her gauge without…

6 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

Victoria and Albert’s Wedding

Queen Victoria (1819–1901) and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819–1861) were married on February 10, 1840, in the Chapel Royal of St. James Palace. Her Majesty relinquished the traditional royal regalia for a white satin gown, a crown of white orange blossoms, and a collection of British-made Honiton lace: a white veil, bertha, sleeve frills, and flounce. Victoria was not the first royal to wear white to her wedding, but the young monarch’s costume captured the attention of the public and created traditions that still exist today. The exquisite pieces of Devon bobbin lace created for the royal wedding were to serve as a symbol of Queen Victoria’s patriotism and devotion to her country. However, the veil would acquire additional significance as it accompanied Victoria through her long life…

8 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

Global Felt

In Prehistoric Textiles, E. J. W. Barber divides feltmaking into two categories: fiber felt, which is created with unspun fiber; and woven felt, which is created by fulling a previously woven fabric. She goes on to say that “in many cases it is difficult to tell which sort of felt a given piece represents, without a lot of poking and prying into the inner layers.” For those of us admiring both ancient and more modern examples of felt in museum collections, we will often see textiles simply identified as “felt.” Wool from sheep has been used to create both kinds of felt for millennia, but there are many examples of other animal fibers that have been used around the globe—from yak and goat fibers transformed into a ger (yurt) in…

1 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

By Post

Buttoned Up In the last issue of PieceWork [Summer 2020], I read the article about buttonhole samplers by Susan J. Jerome [“Of Buttons, Buttonholes, and Samplers”]. I would love to share a buttonhole sampler from my collection. I bought it at least 20 years ago at a marketplace for antique textiles. Nobody was very interested in this piece, but I loved it the moment I saw it. Because the red embroidery is not visible on the back side, the girl must have done the stitching before she made the buttonholes, so she must have had a plan before she started. This is a small piece, about half an A4 page [8¼ × 11 7/10 inches (21 × 29.7 cm)], and with very, very fine stitching. Josefien Sjoerds Via email Meeting…

1 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

A Stitch in Time

The easy, square four-sided stitch (Figure 1a) is an old counted-thread stitch that first made its appearance on very early English samplers and still remains a popular sampler and pulled- and drawn-work stitch today. It’s a great stitch for items, such as cuffs and towels, where the fabric will be seen from both sides because the four-sided stitch reverses to a neat three-legged cross-stitch (Figure 1b). Its other appellations are the square, four-sided or square openwork, and infrequently the punch stitch, which is worked left to right and tightly pulled. It is only referred to in Rhodes work, a type of drawn-thread embroidery in which the entire ground fabric surrounding a stem-stitched-outlined design is worked in this stitch. Do not confuse the four-sided stitch with the single faggot stitch, sometimes…

6 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

Inuit String Figures

I first met Joan Waldron in Halifax on a research/vacation trip to learn about traditional mittens in Atlantic Canada. Joan had done much to promote Atlantic Canadian traditional two-color knitting via her visitor activity program at the Nova Scotia Museum in Halifax. Now I wanted to meet her. But instead of mittens and knitting, my seven-year-old son, Morten, and I absorbed Joan’s passion for what she simply termed “strings.” We spent the weekend each with a loop of string around our hands, learning string figures from the Canadian Arctic while the rest of our family despaired of ever involving us in conversation again. Between the two of us, Morten and I learned “the igloo,” “the caribou which runs away,” and “the three-pronged fish spear.” Another that Joan showed us, but…

5 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

Colorwork Socks & Stockings from Portugal

The following is excerpted with permission from Portuguese Knitting: A Historical & Practical Guide to Traditional Portuguese Techniques, with 20 Inspirational Projects, published by Search Press, 2019. The socks shown here are just a few of the many sock traditions included in the book. For more information, see page 37. The term fazer meia (literally ‘sock making’) is synonymous in Portugal with knitting. Ponto de meia (stocking/stockinette stitch) is the main stitch used for the majority of pieces. Knitted socks give rise to the widest variety of techniques, patterns and stitches, and many different and unusual words survive to name them: meias, miotes, miucos; peúgas, piúcos, pinças; car-pins, canos, coturnos, and so on. There are socks both with and without feet, ankle socks, over-the-knee socks, socks made from coarse or…

8 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

How to Make a Hat Form

You can use any sturdy, cylindrical object with your desired circumference measurement as a hat form. Look for a straight-sided cylinder, flat at the ends, and strong enough to withstand the motion and pressure of ironing. This might be a mixing bowl, a vase with thick walls, or even a cooking pot. It’s best to choose something that does not taper. A hat form can also be made by wrapping a solid, cylindrical object with cloth until the desired circumference is achieved. I used a bottle wrapped in several lengths of cloth. Fold the first length of cloth to match the height of the object you are using for the solid core. Align the object with the folded cloth and carefully roll to create a neat, even edge that will…

1 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

Poor Knitters of Late Tudor Ipswich, England

Evidence about knitters in sixteenth-century England is usually just a line here and there, but a very few surviving documents provide more detail. One such is the census of the poor of Ipswich made around 1597. It was drawn up to assess the number of poor in the town in order to estimate the amount that would need to be raised to support them by the poor rate in the town, to which most of the other citizens would contribute. Other towns and cities drew up similar surveys and censuses, but only a miniscule handful of these survive, and knitters are mentioned only in three: two are from eastern England, one is the census from Ipswich, one from Norwich made in 1570, and a third from the Wiltshire city of…

10 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

From “Etiquette of Trousseau,” Godey’s Lady’s Book (1849) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“Custom has decided, from the earliest ages, that white is the most fitting hue, whatever may be the material. It is an emblem of the innocence and purity of girlhood. . . . This [white] should also be the hue of the flowers which compose the wreath and bouquet. . . . Orange flowers have recently driven all other floral competitors from the throne; but in the country, where they cannot be procured, white rosebuds are an excellent substitute. . . . The use of the wreath is to confine the veil, which is at present placed quite high upon the head and flows back over the shoulders.”…

1 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

The Last Word

A Victorian Knitting Journey: 14 Designs Inspired by Jane Eyre Alexa Tschan-Lustenberger Lugnorre, Switzerland: Alexa Tschan-Lustenberger, 2019. Hardbound, 161 pages, $38. ISBN 9782839927055. Encyclopedia of Embroidery from Central Asia, the Iranian Plateau and the Indian Subcontinent Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood and Willem Vogelsang New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020. Hardbound, 512 pages, $245. ISBN 9781350017245. How to Weave a Navajo Rug and Other Lessons from Spider Woman Lynda Teller Pete and Barbara Teller Ornelas Loveland, Colorado: Thrums Books, 2020. Spiral-bound hardcover, 152 pages, $29.95. ISBN 9781734421705. Jane Austen Embroidery: Regency Patterns Reimagined for Modern Stitchers Jennie Batchelor and Alison Larkin Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 2020. Softbound, 160 pages, $21.95. ISBN 9780486842875. The Long Thread: Knit, Knot, Stitch, Weave, Loop, Twist Linda Ligon, Editor Fort Collins, Colorado: Long Thread Media LLC, 2020.…

1 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

Necessities

Thread Tamer Knots and snags are a drag! Keep your cotton floss tangle-free. Ponderosa Creative’s Thread Gloss lightly coats your strands to help reduce snarls and abrasion. It’s made in small batches from a blend of beeswax and essential oils and comes in unscented or your choice of 12 delightful scents. www.ponderosacreative.com Temporary Transfers Create patterns for embroidery projects and more using your computer and ink-jet printer. Just print your design on Sulky’s Stick ‘n Stitch, adhere to your chosen fabric, stitch, and then wash away. Plus, each sheet has a faint grid-like texture to help keep your stitches even. www.sulky.com Stylishly Secure The Sierra Leather Shawl Cuff from Birdie Parker Designs replaces sharp shawl pins, which can tug at delicate knit and crochet stitches and cause damage. Select from…

1 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

Time Capsules

The first capsule sewing kit I ever bought was sold to me as a war relic. I’ve not been able to prove this is so and don’t much care. The dealer seemed to think that a military provenance would help me, a man, feel better about buying it. What attracted me was the incredible cleverness of the design, which I have since come to understand is classic among sewing capsules. The cap is a thimble; it unscrews or slides off. Inside are spools for thread, two or three, all mounted on a central rod. The rod is hollow, with a cap at one end. Pull off this inner cap, and you reveal a tiny compartment for the sewing needle. The whole caboodle is less than 2½ inches (6.4 cm) long,…

4 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

Ellen Harding Baker’s Solar System Quilt

Author’s Note: The Solar System quilt caught my eye in a book published by the Smithsonian Institution. Although an outsider to the quiltmaking world—I study American knitting history—I could not resist learning more about the curious mix of nineteenth-century astronomy, quilting, and life in Iowa that I observed in this appealing textile. I wanted to explore historical circumstances that may have influenced the woman who made the quilt. The process of learning more was not unlike fitting together the pieces of a puzzle. Sarah Ellen Harding Baker (1849–1888) lived much of her short life as a merchant’s wife and mother of seven children in a small southeastern Iowa town.1 She left for posterity a quilt titled Solar System donated in 1983 to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (NMAH)…

9 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

Stitching Together the History of the Tunisian Chéchia

Sometimes the warp of world history and the weft of personal avocation interweave to produce a unique life experience. In the same way, needles and yarn can create a fabric that’s more than the sum of its stitches. That’s how I look back on my multiyear quest to understand the origins of the chéchia (pronounced SHESH-ee-yah), an iconic crimson skullcap from Tunisia. In its eighteenth-century heyday, the demand for this woolen cap supported thousands of Tunisian artisans employed in the specialized techniques of spinning, knitting, fulling, carding, and dyeing. The same process is still employed by makers in Tunisian villages and the souks (bazaars) of Tunis today, but in ever-smaller numbers. My experience as a hatmaker and my fascination with Maghreb culture, having recently lived in Morocco for three years,…

7 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

Evolution in Early Crochet

Descriptions of crochet began to appear in English-language craft literature in 1840. It was introduced as having rapidly gained great popularity toward the end of the preceding decade. The authors typically note that its precursor had been “long known . . . as a species of knitting originally practised by the peasants in Scotland, with a small hooked needle called a shepherd’s hook.” Late-eighteenth-century descriptions of the same craft in France and Germany also refer to it as a form of knitting (and crochet in the present-day sense is attested in Germany beginning in 1809). The first British mention of “shepherd’s knitting” I’ve located to date is found in a journal entry from 1812 by Elizabeth Grant about its practice in the Scottish Highlands using “a little hook [homemade] out…

10 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

Sixteenth-Century Garter Heels

The stockings shown in this article with their handsome garter heels are held in the textile collection at the Museum of London. To learn more about the construction of these rare textiles, see Leslie O’Connell Edwards’ article “Knitted Wool Stockings in the Museum of London: A Study of 16th Century Construction” in Archaeological Textiles Review. The article appears in issue 60, which is now available to all at www.atnfriends.com. For a reproduction knitting pattern based on these stockings and others of the period, check out The Tudor Child: Clothing and Culture, 1485 to 1625 by Jane Huggett and Ninya Mikhaila (2013).…

1 min

PieceWork|Winter 2020

Exploring the Tree of Life in Felt Tapestry

The Tree of Life is a folkloric theme that transcends culture and time. Artists have depicted this theme for centuries in jewelry, pottery, painting, carving, and textiles. Whether characterized as a potted plant, a rooted tree, or a symbolic representation, it is an important homage to nature. Universally, it signifies the cycle of life, although the interpretations are as diverse as the renderings. Paired animals were often depicted in ancient artistry. The mirrored images of realistic or mythical beasts have many meanings, including family and tribal protection, good fortune, and guardians to the gates of heaven. Whether these protectors are lions, deer, dragons, horses, or snakes, the story resonates in many cultures and, like the Tree of Life, has a spiritual significance. The arrangements are limitless, and the Tree of…

5 min