tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post845882038242522734..comments2024-03-14T16:03:32.434-04:00Comments on Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing: Sewing and Feminism 101Gertiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04314542159287533507noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-3928262611723655912011-01-11T18:07:30.110-05:002011-01-11T18:07:30.110-05:00As a child born in the late '60s, I think I re...As a child born in the late '60s, I think I remember many of the reasons sewing began to be a fringe activity. A backlash against the hippy movement? Absolutely. A move to cheaper ready-to-wear? No doubt about it. Feminists who were revolting against "women's work?" Unquestionably.<br /><br />There were subtler influences, though. Home sewing fabrics began to be made by companies that specialized in fabrics manufactured solely for homemakers, and most of them assumed that Susie Homemaker didn't know (or care) about the quality of what they were buying. Customers responded rationally -- after all, why sew something that might end up looking like a badly made knock-off of something you could buy cheaper at Sears?!?<br /><br />I think the biggest issue, then and now, however, has to do with body image. I don't know many women who don't measure their worth on the basis of their physical measurements. We all have a number in our heads, and if the garment in a store happens to match our ideal, there's something irresistible about feeling like we compare favorably with other women.<br /><br />The problem is, when you're sewing, a single number isn't enough. I've tried to teach friends to sew, only to see how stubbornly attached they are to a particular size number. I've had to explain that it's not enough to measure their bust, waist and hips -- they need to know if their upper arms are larger than the pattern allows, or if they're shorter-waisted, and, by the way, if they have a flat rear, or a pot-belly, it's better to acknowledge these "flaws" before they spend all the work of sewing something that simply won't fit right.<br /><br />By comparison, it's much easier to walk into a store and blame the manufacturer if your "size" is tight or pouchy, or just plain wrong.<br /><br />My fascination with sewing, however started before I got attached to a specific body image. I started life with a non-standard body trait I dearly wish I still could claim -- that of being too tall and slender. Mom had no choice but to sew for a girl with the waist measurement of a three-year old who was tall enough to pass as an seven-year old. <br /><br />When Mom sewed for me, she taught me to connect sewing to an aspect of feminism I still value: <b>CONTROL.</b> Mom let me pick out my own fabrics and patterns and, unlike my friends, I got to control what went into my closet. That's a serious power trip for a little girl, and it still holds me in thrall today.<br /><br />So who cares if I have to acknowledge to myself that I have hips that don't need any padding to achieve a New Look silhouette, thank you very much, or that my right arm is bigger around than my left. Knowing that I am more than a single number has given me decades of control over my life -- and I can't imagine a more positive feminist goal than the ability to look in the mirror and know myself.Karen from Arcadianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-25095377106126479042010-07-18T12:51:05.398-04:002010-07-18T12:51:05.398-04:00Gertie:
Better late than never even in commenting...Gertie:<br /><br />Better late than never even in commenting?!? I just read your post after Minnie mentioned it in her June post which I just read after seeing her new post on the front page of Blogher. Whew. A longwinded intro, but I want to let you know how much I appreciate your blog though I don't sew! I love the vintage styles you are working with. <br /><br />I told Minnie and I will tell you because I wrote a post last summer early in my blogging life titled "Needlepoint and Sorting Out the Sixties," which was essentially my own acknowledgment of how my rebellion against the domestic arts was a product of an earlier wave of feminism (I came of age in the late 60-early 70s). I had finally figured out how to reconcile what the culture had offered me as an either/or. <br /><br />I now heartily encourage my own daughter in all of her self-directed interests, which include cooking and sewing. I'm happy to report that I'm learning right along with her.<br /><br />Anyway, you are welcome to read the post I mentioned if you want to see what the world looked like then and you remember that it was early in my blogging days. ;)<br /><br />http://flatrockcreeknotebook.com/2009/08/29/needlepoint-and-sorting-out-the-sixties/<br /><br />Thanks for your insightful post!<br /><br />Mary<br />Flat Rock Creek Notebook<br />http://flatrockcreeknotebook.com/Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08516327327030323593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-48972412274882201082010-06-11T14:36:36.168-04:002010-06-11T14:36:36.168-04:00Sigh. Late to the party, as usual.
I guess I'...Sigh. Late to the party, as usual.<br /><br />I guess I've never thought about sewing--at least, <i>my</i> sewing--as feminist or not. My mom sewed. Later, she started quilting and had all these quilt books around. I wasn't very familiar with fine home-sewn clothes, but it was pretty clear that quilting, even by women who didn't have a lot of money, wasn't just an obligation. Nobody puts that kind of time, energy, self-discipline, and creativity into drudgery.<br /><br />I don't knit much, nor hang out with knitters, but I think part of its popularity might, indeed, be its portability. Furthermore, knitting needles are cheaper and less intimidating than sewing machines, for those who are starting from absolute scratch. I find it easier to sit down in the evening and knit a few rounds after work and chores, than to concentrate on a sewing pattern and try to make progress on it in a spare 20 minutes.<br /><br />I have mixed feelings about the "scrappy DIY aesthetic." I don't dwell on it too much, because, obviously, everybody does things their own way, and I've certainly gone through scrappy DIY phases myself. I can't do it with sewing, though. My scrappy DIY clothes are fast wearing out, and I've found now that seams with raw fabric edges make me slightly hysterical. And why settle for "mostly fits" when you could make it <i>really</i> fit if you put in a little more effort? It does require rather significant self-discipline, though, and the expectation of a learning curve.<br /><br />I'm not sure that sewing hasn't become an "emblem of third-wave feminism." There are so many educated, successful, women out there, it seems, sewing and blogging about it. Or maybe we're doing it "off the record" and the commercial market hasn't found a way to connect yet?<br /><br />I'll try not to make this too long: My feeling has always been that there is no shame in knowing how to do something well. The work that it takes to become a skilled fitter and seamstress should not be looked at askance just because it's traditionally feminine.<br /><br />(I don't mind the term "seamstress," either. "Sewer" looks bad in print. I'm a woman and I sew, so you can call me a seamstress.)Little Black Carhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14313164876855565140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-47442357277104837102010-05-03T00:18:31.144-04:002010-05-03T00:18:31.144-04:00Wow! Love this! I need to read up on my feminist...Wow! Love this! I need to read up on my feminist manifestos. I didn't realize about the third wave. So glad I now know. It really validates many things for me as a SAHM (who's own mom was not). I think sewing might be less of a new feminist emblem than knitting simply because of the equipment required. All you need for knitting is needles and yarn! I heart to sew (even just mending, which is what I did today)!Sarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03265763475632104771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-60646647805476705642010-05-02T19:39:56.231-04:002010-05-02T19:39:56.231-04:00I am happy to see such passionate dialog...
I am...I am happy to see such passionate dialog... <br />I am a feminist who is coming to terms with my homemakers role, and attitudes about it and how they continue to evolve. I have had a career in high fashion retail and cosmetics merchandising, activities that were occasionally rather repellent to my greater sensibilites, in pusuit of th almighty dollar. <br />However, I don't think of my rather rabid sewing habit as a feminist one.It is what I now need to challenge my brain with the correct combination of at and physics and Useful Skills.<br />I also feel great about making my own clothes as a response to Under valued sweatshop made garments from overseas, and am happy that it provides me with a skill I use to barter for organic farm goods from my happy local farmer, who is learning to quilt from me as well as getting all her mending done.<br /><br />and now I wear Heels only when and where I'd like.bitter bettyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18243119239848319967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-44441747105864505662010-05-01T18:01:36.743-04:002010-05-01T18:01:36.743-04:00someone may already have made this point, but as a...someone may already have made this point, but as a sewer and a knitter I think knitting has got more of an anti-feminist vibe recently due to its portability and therefore sociableness. It is easier to go and knit with others and leave the 'stay at home housewife' associations behind than it is to lug your sewing machine to the pub.Clarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13931436948216821554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-20264609089090473092010-05-01T16:45:58.163-04:002010-05-01T16:45:58.163-04:00Sadly I don't have time to read through the 93...Sadly I don't have time to read through the 93 other comments at this time, but I thought I'd throw this out there in case no one else has - <br /><br />About 10 years ago I was in grad school with a smattering of sewing, knitting, and crochet in my history and looking to pick something up again. Since then I've been primarily a knitter with some sewing tendencies. Why? Because there's 100,000,000 awesome and inspiring knitting patterns on the interweb, I got better at it quicker because it was portable and commutes became productive time, and once I found out the trick of unraveling second hand sweaters, it became much cheaper than sewing.<br /><br />I belong to both knitting and sewing online communities, and the sewing one I find needs more imagination to get the information and/or inspiration across - it's so much more intricate, you know? Once you are sewing for a while, the 10 picture spread of close ups of a welt pocket insertion are neat, but not necessarily something that's going to make a newbie go "wow, I want to learn to do that!" like a shrug out of intensely coloured Sea Mountain silk yarn. I don't think it has much to do with feminism and perception (I don't feel any difference between reactions to "you knit that?" and "you sewed that?" from people who don't craft at all), just the critical mass generated by the medium of the 2000's ;).Jennahttp://knitsnwovens.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-47709446116065989232010-04-30T18:29:39.624-04:002010-04-30T18:29:39.624-04:00Oh, and one other thing - food for thought - as th...Oh, and one other thing - food for thought - as the move for national independence ramped up in the American colonies, Martha Washington was one of the ladies leading the way to produce home-sewn clothes from homespun cloth. Sewing and weaving, rather than purchasing imported European goods, became an expression of a national cultural identity.fleur_delicioushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-66330198287698758912010-04-30T18:23:20.959-04:002010-04-30T18:23:20.959-04:00absolutely. I sew mostly for fashion purposes and ...absolutely. I sew mostly for fashion purposes and I think that for me, sewing in particular represents the ability to walk away from the obsessive consumption of the fashion industry, the power to not participate in a market of goods produced largely in inhumane sweatshop conditions. It's also about individuality - I think creating one's own clothing requires far more individual agency and choice in the manufacture of one's outward appearance/image than purchasing a mass-produced garment. (Note: this is not to say that I sew my entire wardrobe; but it's my aspiration to get much, much closer...in all my free time, ahem.)<br /><br />and may I add that I am halfway through a theatre history Ph.D. myself and very curious what you might be specializing in? Do you do the ASTR conferences?fleur_delicioushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-17855512287882270012010-04-30T18:03:37.259-04:002010-04-30T18:03:37.259-04:00Sewing is a feminist act when you choose to do it,...Sewing is a feminist act when you choose to do it, not when you have to do it.Belle de Villehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14045827018848979761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-45559509093173389972010-04-30T17:19:56.931-04:002010-04-30T17:19:56.931-04:00Eek, I meant to comment on this before. Sorry I d...Eek, I meant to comment on this before. Sorry I didn't have a chance to read all the wonderful comments yet but I think that the DIY movement (which definitely precedes the Stitch N Bitch book, and was much grassroots than that, plus that BUST woman is hardly an icon) is not just feminist, but also anti-corporate and critical of capitalism. I don't know if I would categorized "third wave" feminism. Third Wave is probably more closely related to women of color, and queer struggles that sought to investigate and deconstruct gender as category, while Second Wave took white middle class woman as the "universal woman" category. What you're describing is closer to the old European social democratic model of Feminism, which seeks to create value to the traditionally feminine (i.e. The Swedish welfare state that gives pension benefits to homemakers, etc.). I am not a women's studies professor, but my PHD committee included all feminists social scientists (plus a few cool dudes of color) who would be horrified if I didn't make say these things!<br />I don't think that we can "blame" second wave feminism alone for the devaluing of crafting, but also our economy, which was big on cheap and mass produced manufactured goods as a replacement for handcrafting. And this preceded Feminine Mystique. For example, it's pretty well documented that frozen and convenience foods, and wide scale ready to wear clothes, were a remnant of War Time overproduction.<br />OK, sorry for the overly academic rant! Love your blog and all the mental activity it creates! Cheers.Radhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01946279879863336523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-77456016960076561472010-04-30T15:18:33.630-04:002010-04-30T15:18:33.630-04:00Gertie, I'm thrilled to have found your blog t...Gertie, I'm thrilled to have found your blog today! My grandmother learned to sew in the "old country" and she supported her family financially her entire life. It was empowering for her, and my mom, who could dress like a glamor girl during the Depression. I learned from Grandma Rae when I was 12, pursuing design studies in college, for one main reason. As explained on a now defunct sign next to a fabric store in Walkertown, NC, simply: "The girl who sews has pretty clothes."Laurahttp://www.moviediva.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-46703510382976001192010-04-30T10:21:18.084-04:002010-04-30T10:21:18.084-04:00@reilly on the handmade/homemade tip, I remember a...@reilly on the handmade/homemade tip, I remember an occasion when I was about seventeen where I tried to compliment a girl I knew on her top by asking if she made it herself. I did mean it as a major compliment because it looked so unique and it fitted her so well, but I think she was massively offended (thinking I meant that it looked 'homemade'). Ah, culture clash....Clarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05138467994730469672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-63189528117542598822010-04-30T06:13:45.480-04:002010-04-30T06:13:45.480-04:00Mind you, sewing is portable, too, when you sew by...Mind you, sewing is portable, too, when you sew by hand - which I often do. I often sew on the subway / metro / underground / whatever-you-want-to-call-it, and in trains. My mom thinks I rather stick out like a stick in the eye. So I do, and what? I do what I like, and instead of being crammed and bored and narrowed down to just one of many people in a crowd of commuters, I do something creative and effective during the time I spend in public transport. I don't know if it's feminist, but it's surely a way of making me feel good and confident.<br /><br />Besides, being a seamstress might have actually been a liberating thing in history sometimes. I have in mind one story by Czech 19th century writer Božena Němcová, who was probably quite feminist for her time - her stories usually feature heroines who, like those of Jane Austen's, although differently, want to make their own choices. So in this story I have in mind, the heroines work as homeservants (in Vienna), and one of them wants to be liberated from that - from having to serve others - and to be her own mistress. And she starts working as a seamstress instead.Hana - Marmotahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03532515160608083460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-9103342414503715222010-04-30T05:29:16.820-04:002010-04-30T05:29:16.820-04:00Lovely lovely post and great comments. One quick ...Lovely lovely post and great comments. One quick point on why I reckon sewing hasn't taken off recently in the same way knitting has, which I don't think has come up yet (and I'm a long-time sewer, 2-year old knitter): Yes, knitting is more portable and (arguably) less expensive to get started with. But its very portability lends itself to the next-wave feminist movement we now seem to be in the midst of. <br /><br />When I first started getting confident enough to knit outside my own living room, I must admit I really liked the little thrill I got from doing something different in public. I liked the curious looks, I liked the occasional comment, I liked the surprise of my co-workers. Being a 20-something woman, knitting in a busy city park or on public transport was out of the norm and felt like an act of rebellion in itself. I felt part of something. Like I was contributing to this next wave of feminism one publicly-made stitch at a time.<br /><br />Sewing just can't be done in public in the same way and therefore doesn't produce that same little rebellious thrill. Did/does anyone else feel this?Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15538832375295762274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-43658884733339500412010-04-29T23:07:47.388-04:002010-04-29T23:07:47.388-04:00I feel like sewing my own clothes is more of a sta...I feel like sewing my own clothes is more of a statement against consumerism than anything. I certainly love shopping and clothes, fashion and frivolity, but I can't believe that there are many people out there who can actually afford that lifestyle. In general, people can do much more than they think, they're just used to throwing money at something to make it go away/get fixed/be replaced.out of orderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14650137051301411578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-24086787761824672492010-04-29T19:42:59.565-04:002010-04-29T19:42:59.565-04:00@Kelly- In Berkeley,CA, so I don't think we sh...@Kelly- In Berkeley,CA, so I don't think we shall ever meet by chance :( But I will find a "you" eventually, I have faith! The people I encounter are not friendly nor do appreciate my chatty comments regarding Dior's New Look or Sailor Jerry.<br /><br />Oh and whoever made that comment about tea, cats and feminism? I do not like cats so much. I am sorry. I love looking at pictures of people's cats and I don't mind petting them for a bit. But when it comes to owning one, I stick to dogs!saranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-51516189955133848842010-04-29T17:14:50.574-04:002010-04-29T17:14:50.574-04:00Maybe sewing hasn't taken off as much as knitt...Maybe sewing hasn't taken off as much as knitting as a trendy/young/punk/feminist activity because most people don't have a sewing machine? It's a lot easier to pick up a pair of knitting needles than to get to grips with a machine.Tillyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05346200271671855136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-24185413881387598242010-04-29T08:11:34.498-04:002010-04-29T08:11:34.498-04:00I see "D.I.Y." or creating what you need...I see "D.I.Y." or creating what you need for yourself just as empowering as any equal rights movement. <br /><br />Mostly due to the feminist movement, many women left the home to work, leaving no time for teaching their children how to do many things more than sewing. <br /><br />Our society has become one in which its people are so far removed from how the products they use everyday are produced. We rely on so many manufacturers to create what we need for us. That to me isn't very empowering.<br /><br />Of course feminism is about choice. So yes, as long as you love to sew, and aren't forced to do so, then I see it as a very feminist option. <br /><br />But one can't ignore the positive qualities of days gone by. Set aside the misogyny of the past for a moment. Because we knew how to create for ourselves, we weren't very reliant on corporations, and other countries to produce what we needed. The talent was right here in our own country. <br /><br />Knowledge is power, and having that knowledge to create what you need for yourself (and passing it on) is just as empowering as any female c.e.o.<br /><br />I don't think of myself as anything other than a feminist, and I love to sew.nopehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03628593312525183098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-84787075879471477682010-04-29T07:30:14.188-04:002010-04-29T07:30:14.188-04:00Not to be an un-feminist, but I find it interestin...Not to be an un-feminist, but I find it interesting that once it was women in sweatshops. Now most of the upholstery stores I know of (auto and home), the work (sewing included) is done by men. So maybe this IS feminist, but why do men now get paid for sewing (and handsomely by the cost of my redone chair) and women do it for craft at home? Just a thought to ponder.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-64982552411611348842010-04-29T06:55:05.510-04:002010-04-29T06:55:05.510-04:00I'm sure Gertie's readers will correct me ...I'm sure Gertie's readers will correct me if I'm wrong, but all these discussions about domesticity/ homemaking vs. feminism strike me as a very American concern. Both my English and French grandmothers had sewing machines (the Elna on this post is the one my French grandmother still uses to this day), and it wasn't because they were attempting to conform to some adman's notion of the perfect housewife, but because it allowed them to dress when things were unavailable in the shops or too expensive to afford. There was a necessity involved which had nothing to do with female oppression. Taking the example of both my grandparents' households in two different countries, there was a sense of shared responsibility about the house even if it followed the gender rule - both my grandfathers would carry out the 'manly' tasks like electrics, plumbing, roofing, DIY - and my grandmothers would do those tasks more commonly assigned to women - cooking, sewing, knitting, etc. Gardening was something everyone did. One of my grandmothers worked, the other didn't. Nobody felt oppressed, because they all had to work hard and I don't think anyone envied the other's tasks. My mother got married in the 60s and had never been taught to cook or sew; she picked it up as she went along. Although they fell into the same pattern of sharing household tasks that they had grown up, these weren't perceived as invisible shackles - everyone just got on with it. In my household, my husband does the cooking, irons and washes his own shirts, and helps about the house despite being the main bread-winner. I sew without feeling there's any stigma attached, and it's only when I come here that I discover to what extent there is/ has been for some!<br /><br />Yes, some women found themselves forced into household tasks they didn't like, like some men had to do jobs all their lives that they loathed. Yes, sexism exists to this day, everywhere, but I can't help wonder how much of the feminist ideals you discuss here are borne of 50s American opulence, where that sense of necessity wasn't as prevalent as elsewhere, and where women could be persuaded back to the household and stripped of their identity by being sold ideas of a dream that didn't exist...Nathaliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11570545194570856281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-19706169103899122962010-04-29T06:52:39.746-04:002010-04-29T06:52:39.746-04:00I've finally read all the comments, and this h...I've finally read all the comments, and this has been such an interesting and lively discussion. I think that the class issue is a really important one, and sort of informs the way that a lot of this 'resurgence of hip crafts' stuff has received attention in the past few years. It's undeniable that SnB and related books have contributed to the popularity of knitting, as well as the practical issues mentioned by others, not forgetting blogs and the phenomenon of Ravelry. However, the 'hip knitter' stereotype is a pretty middle class thing; we just don't know about lower-income women and men who knit, because in large part, they just aren't as visible. In addition, I don't think there are many knitted items these days that are 'essentials' in the way that sewn clothing is (socks are very cheap to buy!), possibly baby clothing might be considered in that category as something that is cheaper to make/unravel/remake than buy. Maybe the fact is that knitting as an essential skill is just dying out, and more and more people are taking it up purely as a hobby, purely to make nice, non-essential clothing. When you start getting into knitting clothing for yourself, it's VERY hard to view it as a 'cheap' hobby.<br />Sewing seems very different to my mind. Many people (myself included) do it for reasons of fashion rather than necessity (by 'fashion' I meant being able to clothe ourselves in unique garments that fit, rather than that sewing itself is fashionable), or for political reasons (I think that getting off the sweatshop treadmill feeds the soul immensely! It's also good to remember that knitting or sewing as activism doesn't stop at the making, but that we also need to consider the origins of the materials we use). However, sewing as an essential activity, especially for low-income families, has never really gone away. In this world of cheap disposable fashion, it is usually still cheaper to make a pair of trousers than to buy one, if you have the required skills, and enough time. <br /><br />I appear to have rambled off topic immensely, but thanks Gertie for this post! I think you are spot on with your comments about the devaluation of women's work and the patriarchal assumptions about men and women that are behind it, as is so often the case. I should also point out, that the idea that 'sewing clothes is cheaper than buying them' (as I myself stated above!) really only holds up when you ignore the cost of labour. It's actually really interesting that in itself this speaks to the erasure of the value of 'work done at home'.Clarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05138467994730469672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-89081216988320075782010-04-29T06:19:43.727-04:002010-04-29T06:19:43.727-04:00Ellen ' "all you home-sewing people love ...Ellen ' "all you home-sewing people love tea, cats and feminism"<br /><br />I nearly fell off my chair laughing. This basically describes me to a T :DClarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05138467994730469672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-2004597122920374982010-04-29T01:46:32.447-04:002010-04-29T01:46:32.447-04:00More history on home sewing - prior to the develop...More history on home sewing - prior to the development of sweatshops in the last part of the 19th century (which employed women) the majority of paid sewing was done by men, and women would instead sew for their families. Women would sew things like children's clothes, men's shirts, women's chemises/smocks, aprons and other simple underclothes and accessories, and probably things like petticoats which were often just a rectangle sewn into a cylinder and gathered or pleated onto a waist-band. <br />Peasants through to noblewomen would make smocks and shirts for the family (although I imagine the rich would supplement this with purchased ones). <br />Men sewed and sold men's clothes (other than shirts) and women's dresses and more complicated women's clothing. <br /><br />Sometimes women did make and sell items, but they were the same kind of items they made at home - eg. the English rural peasant smock was generally made at home (therefore by women) but sometimes women would make and sell this item. <br />Men also did most of the complex and rich embroidery in Europe.<br />The main reason for this is that the guilds protected the information, so women didn't have the patterns and methods. Obviously a woman could copy a bought piece of embroidery, but the pattern books and education for doing high-class embroideries were closely guarded, and in any case she wouldn't have the time as rather than working at embroidery every day, she was looking after a household or home.<br /><br />So - basically if it could be done at home, with little education and no resources like patterns and books, and no one got paid, women did it. In terms of equality in sewing, I guess the increasing amount of information available to women over the centuries meant that women could use their skills to make more and more complex items, and so this has enabled women to move into the traditionally male areas of sewing. <br />However, the split of men being paid for a task and women not being paid for the same task still continues to some degree, eg. the following generalisations: women cook at home, men are chefs; women make clothes for their kids and selves, men are tailors and fashion designers. <br /><br />Actually, that's interesting - women STILL predominantly make clothes for themselves and for children and crafts for the house, but they generally don't sew for men, which is the way it's been for hundreds of years. Why is this? I mean, men's clothes are often boring or hard to make nowadays, and this is why I do not make them, but it is interesting that the split has continued.standgalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11705434652330242519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-15271745980389207832010-04-29T01:18:38.767-04:002010-04-29T01:18:38.767-04:00Such a great post! and I'm loving these commen...Such a great post! and I'm loving these comments. My thoughts, after the jump:<br /><br />Commenter Julie reduces sewing to an apolitical, 3rd-wave-feminism-means-you-get-to-be-"girly"-again, choice, but I think it has enormous potential to be an explicitly political choice, e.g. "sewing this garment is a refusal to participate in the violence of globalization that forces women to work in sweatshop conditions. p.s. I'm going to look glamorous."<br /><br />Jan and Peter talk about globalization and cheap sweatshop produced clothing like it's "another story" or they explain how it informs the move away from sewing. I think this should be "the" story, or at least a major tenant of any feminist sewing movement. There are a multitude of communities that are at least aware of the violence of globalization and neoliberalism; when confronted with a (sexy) alternative to being complicit in that machine that isn't simply shopping at thrift stores, I'm sure it will catch on.<br /><br />Maya makes the distinction between sewing being a political critique of neoliberalism rather than an endorsement of feminism. I think this is a reductive understanding of economics, and is an easy "out" for leftists dudes to avoid reflections on gender. The feminization of poverty indicates that neoliberalism disproportionately affects women negatively, so a reclamation of something so intimate as what we wear seems intertwined with both a rejection of neoliberalism, and an endorsement of explicitly feminist political action.<br /><br />I guess I'm basically just echoing what Steph says. But if everyone is commenting, I want to participate, too!<br /><br />Ryan discusses the relationship of feminism to "radical self reliance". Summarizing the "core of feminism" to "being able to take care and provide for yourself and your family without undue dependence on men". While I can't imagine what "due" dependence on "men" as a static identity category would look like, this seems to be a line of argument a lot of commenters are accessing, but that I'm not sure takes account of the patently gendered nature of the activity. I think it's necessary to at least acknowledge that "sewing is for girls" is the dominant understanding of home sewing, and that maybe that doesn't make any inherent sense at all. The only reason that's the assumption is because of a lengthy history of misogyny, which I think informs Renee's comment that men approvingly comment that she's a "real" woman because she sews. That isn't subtle or nuanced, it's pretty blatant.<br /><br />I just think everything about this post is beautiful and interesting and I want to talk about it always.Garrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09346206426212505238noreply@blogger.com