Sunday, July 31, 2011

Sewing Ironically

Hello, lovelies!

This week saw me at an online-teaching workshop (to help me learn how to teach online courses), and our typical schedule allowed an hour for lunch--which, in true professorial fashion, meant we would sit around talking. So naturally, I brought my sewing (I'm putting the final borders on the spring wallhanging, and oh, what a joy to sew such long seams!).

At one point another young prof said something about a thing she'd like to do in one of her classes that was a bit outside the norm and many of us laughed about it being scandalous. I did a whole 'clutching my pearls' gesture--which caused a bigger uproar when J pointed out that I did it complete with a thimble on my finger!

New thimble!

He backpedaled a bit, saying that I know I look like an old lady while sewing, so it's okay: I'm sewing ironically.

Which then sidetracked the whole table into a discussion of how 'old lady' crafts are making a big comeback among our generation. I got to talk about how my tattoo-artist younger brother knits his own socks--and no, I have no clue how he does it. He has a bunch of little needles and giant meaty hands, it's just amazing to watch. :)

What do y'all think? Does it ever bother you that the 'image' of the craft is solidly in 'grandma' territory? (Of course, if you are of the 'stereotypical quilter' generation, do you feel hemmed in [ahaha, punny! *groans*] by expectations?)

As for me, I feel quite proud to be carrying on this tradition, and learning how to make such beautiful things with my hands. And I can get so much done, even while chatting with friends--I kind of wished I could sew while in session, too. :) I kind of feel sorry for my students who give me weird looks when I mention that I quilt, like they don't understand the satisfaction that comes from creating something.

A rose is a rose

Here's a finished project! This little counted cross-stitch took me forever to actually complete. The fabric is ivory, and the pale pink and pale ivory half-stitches were impossible for me to see what I was doing unless I was practically in sunlight, so I stalled at several points. Ah, well, it's done now! And looks lovely on my wall.

Linking up with:
Fresh Poppy Design

3 comments:

  1. Us grandmotherly types are enjoying the fact that we can actually sit and work on something without having to jump up and tend to someone else's issues every other minute. Years ago it was impossible to see any progress because it was so slow!

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  2. A lot of my friends who don't craft - don't get the satisfaction and connection to the past that creating something brings. There are so many young and inspirational styles and fabrics. I don't really mind that they don't get it, I'm just happy that I do lol.

    Blogging has been a fantastic way to make friends with people who see the world of craft in the same way I do... exciting and absorbing :-)

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  3. My crafty friends and I call what we do "the sexist arts." As in, "What did you do this weekend?" "I quilted." "I knitted." "I baked." "Hooray for the sexist arts!"

    So, it doesn't bother me that non-crafters don't really get it, I just love that I know some great crafty people who do. And, I love me some sexist arts.

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