Needlework has often been dismissed as just women's work -- a hobby, a distraction, a trivial thing done with one's children. Frasier Crane superciliously claims he supports the arts, not the crafts. Tim Gunn on Project Runway warned contestants to not be too artsy-craftsy. Occasionally, needlework is treated as an art form, most notably as part of William Morris's Arts & Crafts movement, but I suspect his sex -- and his interest in more "serious" art forms -- had a role.
Which is why Hunter's Threads of Life is so critical to understanding the power of needlework. Each chapter explores one aspect the art has brought to women's lives, such as protection, identity, and voice. Some sections include research into ancient and historical practices, techniques, and cultural contexts; others profile one or more women and their art. Some of these stories are enraging: Lorina Bulwer was imprisoned in a workhouse by her brother when their mother died; she spent the rest of her life there, embroidering long screeds in block letters detailing her anger at the unfairness of how she was treated. Others are heartbreaking: Hmong women, stuck in refugee camps after years of wars and persecution, created story clothes to tell what they had lost and endured.
The stories are not always bleak. Embroidery has also been a source of power -- as symbolism, as what queens would choose to wear, as financial stability, providing a steady income for women
, as art, allowing women to create meaningful and beautiful statements, as community, encouraging women to seek friendship and advice, and as protest, allowing women to speak out about the injustices of the world and bring about change. Anyone who is interested in needlework, and anyone interesting in women's history, will learn much from this book.
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