Shelley Clagg

Crafting Together

One of my hobbies is genealogy. Actually, it is family history, there is a difference. Genealogy tells names and dates, and locations lived. Family history is so much more. Family history contains stories; how history influenced the family and the family possibly influenced history. The family history puts everything into perspective, such as why this item or that item is such a family treasure. Crafts are like that, they tell stories. What craft is chosen, the patterns used, the materials used all speak to a time, place, and story. Why was a paint by number chosen, other than color by number, other than doing freehand, quilting, embroidery, or other sewing practice all speak of choices, incomes, and locations? The skills needed to do the various crafts, who taught the skill and was this the first person in the family to do this craft. For instance, quilting. Today, it is considered an art or hobby but, in the past, it was a means to survival. Today, one can go into Facebook Market and find antique quilts being sold for a pittance, yet in the past, they meant warmth on a cold night or a special wedding present from a friend, grandmother, mother, aunt, or a fun quilting bee done by a group making this special quilt. People still seem to like the patterns from the past such as Lonestar, Drunkard’s path, or a simple patchwork but not the actual antique quilt. They buy imitations at Walmart, Kohls, Amazon, etc... They lose the history, the stories, and the love in the stitches.