Stitching the Self: Identity and the Needle Arts

by Johanna Amos (Editor), Lisa Binkley (Editor)

The needle arts are traditionally associated with the decorative, domestic, and feminine. Stitching the Self sets out to expand this narrow view, demonstrating how needlework has emerged as an art form through which both objects and identities – social, political, and often non-conformist – are crafted.

Bringing together the work of ten art and craft historians, this illustrated collection focuses on the interplay between craft and artistry, amateurism and professionalism, and re-evaluates ideas of gendered production between 1850 and the present. From quilting in settler Canada to the embroidery of suffragist banners and the needlework of the Bloomsbury Group, it reveals how needlework is a transformative process – one which is used to express political ideas, forge professional relationships, and document shifting identities.

With a range of methodological approaches, including object-based, feminist, and historical analyses, Stitching the Self examines individual and communal involvement in a range of textile practices. Exploring how stitching shapes both self and world, the book recognizes the needle as a powerful tool in the fight for self-expression.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

248 pages, Hardcover

Published January 9, 2020

Reviews

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

took me a while to get the hang of reading essays again - havent done so in a good ten years, since high school at least.
some were more interesting than others, but there was only one that I found myself skimming. the rest held my attention.

I feel a lot of impact was lost by not having colour images. all the essays discussed the importance of the colour and depth of the pieces, but all the images were very hard to pick out any details from, as they were all printed in solely black ink and no more than half a page in size. some images I stared at for a long time, trying to see the scene that the text was describing to me. the cover image was also printed in the book, and the difference in impact between the two is huge.

my favourite essays were the elizabeth zimmermann one (unsurprising, as a lifelong knitter) and the final essay about the bayeux tapestry.

[Elise Prentice · Rating 5 out of 5]

really interesting read, some essays were more grabbing than others but generally a very well-rounded and informative text especially for those with a passion for textile arts, history and theory.