Knitting, sewing, mending, weaving, embroidery, crochet… Not so very long ago, and in fact for most of human history in most cultures, these tasks were considered essential skills for women. And while the modern woman has by and large rejected the necessity of these skills, they’re still considered thoroughly feminine. Don’t believe me? Well, how many male knitters do you know?
Here we are in 2019, and the average woman doesn’t knit or sew – instead she works full-time. The modern woman no longer has time for domestic arts. For better or for worse, this is largely due to the feminist movement, as well as mass industrialization which allows us to buy goods for a cheap price. But these skills are starting to become popular again, for good reason! As I’ve previously written about, consumers are beginning to reject fast fashion. There’s a shift towards more ethical, eco-friendly production, and what better than to make something yourself at home! Thus, history repeats itself.
In this 1990 article from the New York Times archive, author Deborah Hofmann attributes the decline of home sewing to the cancellation of high school sewing classes, as well as the growing feminist movement. However, some of the home seamstresses she interviewed clearly view sewing as a skill that is in no way opposed to feminism. One woman, simply referred to as Ms. Norville, said, “What has happened in the 90s is that professional women are fed up with being told what they can and can’t do.” In my opinion, this shows that feminism has settled into a comfortable balance. Let me explain. The feminist movement developed as a reaction to restrictive social norms and discriminatory laws. This necessitated a rejection of a quiet domestic life – therefore, domestic tasks such as sewing and knitting were looked upon with deep disdain. As time went on, women’s status was elevated, and the initial passionate rejection of traditional roles started to settle into a comfortable balance – respecting the decisions of the single, childless career woman, the stay-at-home mother of four, and everything else in between!
I think the idea of reclaiming women’s work should be discussed openly, and with nuance. Performing domestic tasks such as knitting or sewing does not automatically transform me into a 1950s housewife. Instead, these are simply hobbies that I enjoy – they shouldn’t be looked down upon, just like we don’t disdain men who enjoy fixing cars or woodworking. Moreover, some craftswomen take these ideas even further and incorporate activism and politics into the things they create. I’m not sure where my free inquiry will take me, but I do believe that developing these skills will make me a more well-rounded person overall!
(For further reading, here’s another article I found interesting while I was researching this subject.)
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