What is it about?
This article highlights interviews with 32 young women (18-44 years of age) in the US who engage in handcrafting activities -- in other words, they enjoy knowing how to knit, sew or quilt. They connect with family & friends in learning how, decide to make things on their own to resist consumer society, negotiate time and space with significant others, and learn how to talk to others about how this creative activity is important to them.
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Why is it important?
Feminine creative activities like sewing, knitting, and quilting are often overlooked in society as silly or unimportant. However, learning more about how women of all ages choose to spend non-work time helps us learn about mental health, creativity, and dealing with family and friends if you have a hobby that you alone practice. We often expect women to take care of others, and we should also be interested in how women choose to care for themselves.
Perspectives
My perspective on this research has changed a bit re: COVID-19. Having the ability to sew, knit, or quilt is indeed a valuable skill -- the title of this article, which came from a study participant, indicates how handcrafting can be a skill for surviving, broadly defined.
Marybeth Stalp
University of Northern Iowa
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: ‘I like knowing when the zombies arrive, I won’t be naked’: Young women and leisure handcrafting in the United States, Craft Research, March 2018, Intellect,
DOI: 10.1386/crre.9.1.41_1.
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