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The Subversive Stitch: Embroidery and the Making of the Feminine
Rozsika Parker's re-evaluation of the reciprocal relationship between women and embroidery has brought stitchery out from the private world of female domesticity into the fine arts, created a major breakthrough in art history and criticism, and fostered the emergence of today's dynamic and expanding crafts movements.
The Subversive Stitch is now available again with a new Introduction that brings the book up to date with exploration of the stitched art of Louise Bourgeois and Tracey Emin, as well as the work of new young female and male embroiderers. Rozsika Parker uses household accounts, women's magazines, letters, novels and the works of art themselves to trace through history how the separation of the craft of embroidery from the fine arts came to be a major force in the marginalisation of women's work. Beautifully illustrated, her book also discusses the contradictory nature of women's experience of how it has inculcated female subservience while providing an immensely pleasurable source of creativity, forging links between women.
The Subversive Stitch is now available again with a new Introduction that brings the book up to date with exploration of the stitched art of Louise Bourgeois and Tracey Emin, as well as the work of new young female and male embroiderers. Rozsika Parker uses household accounts, women's magazines, letters, novels and the works of art themselves to trace through history how the separation of the craft of embroidery from the fine arts came to be a major force in the marginalisation of women's work. Beautifully illustrated, her book also discusses the contradictory nature of women's experience of how it has inculcated female subservience while providing an immensely pleasurable source of creativity, forging links between women.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
February 10, 2019
I can't remember how I came across this book, but I couldn't resist putting it on the list for our feminist book club, and was very happy when it got voted in for discussion. When I started reading it, I got a little apprehensive, since it seemed extremely academic and rather niche, and I was worried that the group (and I) wouldn't enjoy it.
I needn't have worried. It is academic and does seem niche - especially the chapter on how the Victorians reinterpreted for their own ends the relationship of medieval women with embroidery - but by the end Rozsika Parker had convinced me of how central embroidery has been to as both an indicator and a tool of women's oppression for centuries in the Western World. It makes sense: the way girls were forced to do needlework whether they liked it or not is a theme in so much contemporaneous and later fiction, but Parker puts this in a detailed sociological context, with examples of real girls and women and their feelings and reactions to their situation.
There's also a fascinating theme running throughout the book on the distinctions between "real art" and handicraft, and the gendered aspects of this. Parker makes a great case for the immense skill and artistic effects that could be achieved through embroidery. Even as a yarny person myself, I was completely overwhelmed by some of the work shown in the (sadly black and white) plates, and I'm going to be getting myself down to the V&A soon in the hopes that some of this is on permanent display.
Sadly, the book doesn't quite live up to its title, as there isn't really all that much subversion present until the last chapter, but overall it is a fascinating read, and I'm so glad this book exists! I'll leave you with a quote from the last page:
"The role of embroidery in the construction of femininity has undoubtedly constricted the development of the art. What women depicted in thread became determined by notions of femininity, and the resulting femininity of embroidery defined and constructed its practitioners in its own image. However, the vicious circle has never been complete. Limited to practising art with needle and thread, women have nevertheless sewn a subversive stitch - managed to make meanings of their own in the very medium intended to inculcate self-effacement.
£For women today, the contradictory and complex history of embroidery is important because it reveals that definitions of sexual difference, and the definitions of art and artist so weighted against women, are not fixed. They have shifted over the centuries, and they can be transformed in the future."
I needn't have worried. It is academic and does seem niche - especially the chapter on how the Victorians reinterpreted for their own ends the relationship of medieval women with embroidery - but by the end Rozsika Parker had convinced me of how central embroidery has been to as both an indicator and a tool of women's oppression for centuries in the Western World. It makes sense: the way girls were forced to do needlework whether they liked it or not is a theme in so much contemporaneous and later fiction, but Parker puts this in a detailed sociological context, with examples of real girls and women and their feelings and reactions to their situation.
There's also a fascinating theme running throughout the book on the distinctions between "real art" and handicraft, and the gendered aspects of this. Parker makes a great case for the immense skill and artistic effects that could be achieved through embroidery. Even as a yarny person myself, I was completely overwhelmed by some of the work shown in the (sadly black and white) plates, and I'm going to be getting myself down to the V&A soon in the hopes that some of this is on permanent display.
Sadly, the book doesn't quite live up to its title, as there isn't really all that much subversion present until the last chapter, but overall it is a fascinating read, and I'm so glad this book exists! I'll leave you with a quote from the last page:
"The role of embroidery in the construction of femininity has undoubtedly constricted the development of the art. What women depicted in thread became determined by notions of femininity, and the resulting femininity of embroidery defined and constructed its practitioners in its own image. However, the vicious circle has never been complete. Limited to practising art with needle and thread, women have nevertheless sewn a subversive stitch - managed to make meanings of their own in the very medium intended to inculcate self-effacement.
£For women today, the contradictory and complex history of embroidery is important because it reveals that definitions of sexual difference, and the definitions of art and artist so weighted against women, are not fixed. They have shifted over the centuries, and they can be transformed in the future."
October 14, 2022
4 stars for the sheer amount of research; unfortunately the images are not very good quality and are black and white. The book really should be titled something like, The Subservient Stitch: the Link Between Embroidery and Women in the U.K. Since the Middle Ages. But obviously that's too long and not catchy or intriguing enough.
This book is a fascinating look at the changing motifs in embroidery and the role needlework played in reflecting, reinforcing, and serving the shifting ideologies of femininity and sex roles in Britain. Sometimes her analysis seemed oversimplified or conjectured; and the chapters were a bit meandering at times, with misleading chapter titles. For example, one chapter is called 'Femininity as Feeling', but only had one paragraph related to that idea, whereas the uniting theme of the chapter was the 19th century. All the chapters are basically organized by century and delve into each period's changes in embroidery motifs and shifting societal norms. I noticed a problem with that running throughout the book - she notes it herself at one point:
In other words, you can try to analyze this history through a feminist lens, but developments in say, religious ideas (like Protestantism) affected shifts in needlework imagery as much as the fluctuations in ideas about femininity. It's an interrelated, complex puzzle.
This book is a fascinating look at the changing motifs in embroidery and the role needlework played in reflecting, reinforcing, and serving the shifting ideologies of femininity and sex roles in Britain. Sometimes her analysis seemed oversimplified or conjectured; and the chapters were a bit meandering at times, with misleading chapter titles. For example, one chapter is called 'Femininity as Feeling', but only had one paragraph related to that idea, whereas the uniting theme of the chapter was the 19th century. All the chapters are basically organized by century and delve into each period's changes in embroidery motifs and shifting societal norms. I noticed a problem with that running throughout the book - she notes it herself at one point:
As ever with embroidery it is important to establish how far the choice of subject matter was determined by the general social, political, and artistic developments of the time and how far women's specific experience and the history of embroidery dictated the needlewomen's choice.
In other words, you can try to analyze this history through a feminist lens, but developments in say, religious ideas (like Protestantism) affected shifts in needlework imagery as much as the fluctuations in ideas about femininity. It's an interrelated, complex puzzle.
May 22, 2015
I had read this many years ago, but had decided it would be timely to reread this since I have been reading books like Craftivism, Bibliocraft, Strange material and the Bayeaux Tapestry. This one really did come first, and those other titles follow very worthily. It is a bit dated, but still a very strong book to read, and much of the anger over historical depictions is still very valid. It is still necessary reading (well, at least very strongly suggested reading) after reading some of the titles listed earlier in the review.
We still need to be angry about mis-depictions of women, and what we do, and what the history says has been done.
We still need to be angry about mis-depictions of women, and what we do, and what the history says has been done.
August 17, 2009
Rambles a bit but this is an interesting (if currently dated) look at Embroidery and how in many ways it has come to define a certain level of femininity. How it went from being a career to being an acceptable way for women to pass their time and how it has been diminished by both men and women.
I know from personal experience how little people appreciate handcrafts and how if I quote a fair price for embroidery work that people are surprised. This is an interesting look at how embroidery became the domain of both those who had to be seen to be doing something and the cause of suffering in some factories.
It's also interesting how many women subverted this and used it for their own uses, particuarly in the 20th Century. I would love to see the Dinner Party exhibition and I was very interested by the table cloth in Sweden sewn by survivors of Nazi concentration camps.
The use and sometimes interesting changes to embroidery are interesting, the fashion, the pride and the perception all make it a very useful document. I'd like to see an update.
I know from personal experience how little people appreciate handcrafts and how if I quote a fair price for embroidery work that people are surprised. This is an interesting look at how embroidery became the domain of both those who had to be seen to be doing something and the cause of suffering in some factories.
It's also interesting how many women subverted this and used it for their own uses, particuarly in the 20th Century. I would love to see the Dinner Party exhibition and I was very interested by the table cloth in Sweden sewn by survivors of Nazi concentration camps.
The use and sometimes interesting changes to embroidery are interesting, the fashion, the pride and the perception all make it a very useful document. I'd like to see an update.
April 28, 2025
Although it was quite dense, I was amazed by the author’s expansive knowledge of the history of embroidery, femininity, and all the influences of those two subjects (Christianity, education, social status, labor, people’s rights, etc). I have gained such a greater appreciation for handiwork and the women that have come before me. A must read for anyone interested in women’s history and craft!
July 22, 2019
[3.8 might be a more accurate rating for me - but I went ahead and rounded up.]
Rozsika Parker's exploration of the history of embroidery (primarily within the scope of Britain) and its relationship to femininity drew my attention because I've taken up embroidery entirely on my own in the past few years. A lot of the appeal for me was the historical connection, so of course I looked around for books on the history of the art. Add in a discussion of gender and society and I'm sold.
Parker's book originally came out in the 1980s, but this edition was published in 2010, though as far as I can tell the only thing really updated was the introduction. (Interesting note: Parker's 2010 intro states, "Today there is no longer a thriving political movement of women." How pre-2016 of her.....) There's a fairly in depth discussion of embroidery's place within society beginning in the Middle Ages on through the Victorian era. Parker provides a lot of primary source documentation, which I love. The illustrations, unfortunately, are entirely in black and white, but they still work well enough as examples for Parker's points.
Post-Victorian era, the book seems to fizzle a little bit. There's some discussion of the Women's Suffrage Movement in Britain, but I felt like the use of embroidery in protest could have been explored in more depth. The book also glosses over embroidery for the whole mid-20th century, leaping from Suffrage to the 1970s and it just felt a little off when compared to the level of detail given in the earlier chapters.
I'd say this is a great book for exploring the development of embroidery and its coincidence with the development of the idea of The Feminine from the Middle Ages through the Victorian Era. If you're more interested in post-Victorian concepts, you might want to look elsewhere.
Rozsika Parker's exploration of the history of embroidery (primarily within the scope of Britain) and its relationship to femininity drew my attention because I've taken up embroidery entirely on my own in the past few years. A lot of the appeal for me was the historical connection, so of course I looked around for books on the history of the art. Add in a discussion of gender and society and I'm sold.
Parker's book originally came out in the 1980s, but this edition was published in 2010, though as far as I can tell the only thing really updated was the introduction. (Interesting note: Parker's 2010 intro states, "Today there is no longer a thriving political movement of women." How pre-2016 of her.....) There's a fairly in depth discussion of embroidery's place within society beginning in the Middle Ages on through the Victorian era. Parker provides a lot of primary source documentation, which I love. The illustrations, unfortunately, are entirely in black and white, but they still work well enough as examples for Parker's points.
Post-Victorian era, the book seems to fizzle a little bit. There's some discussion of the Women's Suffrage Movement in Britain, but I felt like the use of embroidery in protest could have been explored in more depth. The book also glosses over embroidery for the whole mid-20th century, leaping from Suffrage to the 1970s and it just felt a little off when compared to the level of detail given in the earlier chapters.
I'd say this is a great book for exploring the development of embroidery and its coincidence with the development of the idea of The Feminine from the Middle Ages through the Victorian Era. If you're more interested in post-Victorian concepts, you might want to look elsewhere.
October 29, 2017
I was fist pumping while reading this book, and ranting to all of my friends and coworkers.
October 14, 2024
I feel bad because this books reading experience kind of got butchered by my Fulbright application. I obviously love the topic but at times the writing was DRY. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of how pictures were utilized, often referencing works but not showing and having pages full of images and caption not count towards pages. This book framed out some ideas I have for PhD stuff too so that’s a bonus
June 2, 2020
Quién iba a pensar que el bordado pudiera dar tanto de sí. A lo largo de este libro (que mejora a partir del segundo capítulo, cuando la autora se mete propiamente en materia) se nos habla de cómo la costura, sobre todo la decorativa, es reflejo y escenario de las concepciones imperantes sobre género y clase. También de la distinción, igualmente preñada de ideología, entre el Arte al que le ponen la mayúscula y la artesanía con letras pequeñitas. Fue publicado a mediados de los ochenta, pero Rozsika Parker lo actualizó con un prólogo para su reedición en 2010, de modo que no ha quedado demasiado desfasado.
El libro parece bien documentado y aunque no se extienda demasiado en su argumentación, tampoco parece irreflexivo o caprichoso en sus hipótesis. Sobre todo se agradece que, siendo la autora terapeuta de orientación psicoanalítica, no se deslice más que en un par de ocasiones, y de manera bastante leve, en la ensalada freudiana (yo al menos lo agradezco).
No obstante, sí hay algo que me toca un poco la moral: esa tendencia de los anglosajones a describir cualquier materia en términos exclusivamente anglosajones (Rozsika Parker hace alguna referencia a la Rusia posrevolucionaria, poco más). Es decir, te escriben, por ejemplo, una historia sobre la jardinería para zurdos en Estados Unidos e Inglaterra, pero la titulan Historia de la jardinería para zurdos, punto. Que ya se sabe que los EE. UU. y el United Kingdom son el puto mundo entero.
Algo semejante pasa desde el punto de vista racial. Hablando de subversión, ¿obligaban a las esclavas negras a bordar, quedaba esa labor reservada a las mujeres blancas? De la misma manera en que el bordado tiene su papel en el movimiento sufragista, ¿lo hizo en la lucha por los derechos civiles de los afroamericanos? El libro se me acaba antojando demasiado blanco, y me da rabia que esas preguntas no fueran ni someramente respondidas.
Aun con esos peros, es un ensayo muy interesante, un buen ejemplo de esa tendencia a escribir la historia de personas e ideas a partir de elementos cotidianos y a veces aparentemente triviales. Y vaya lo que pueden llegar a contar esas «trivialidades ».
El libro parece bien documentado y aunque no se extienda demasiado en su argumentación, tampoco parece irreflexivo o caprichoso en sus hipótesis. Sobre todo se agradece que, siendo la autora terapeuta de orientación psicoanalítica, no se deslice más que en un par de ocasiones, y de manera bastante leve, en la ensalada freudiana (yo al menos lo agradezco).
No obstante, sí hay algo que me toca un poco la moral: esa tendencia de los anglosajones a describir cualquier materia en términos exclusivamente anglosajones (Rozsika Parker hace alguna referencia a la Rusia posrevolucionaria, poco más). Es decir, te escriben, por ejemplo, una historia sobre la jardinería para zurdos en Estados Unidos e Inglaterra, pero la titulan Historia de la jardinería para zurdos, punto. Que ya se sabe que los EE. UU. y el United Kingdom son el puto mundo entero.
Algo semejante pasa desde el punto de vista racial. Hablando de subversión, ¿obligaban a las esclavas negras a bordar, quedaba esa labor reservada a las mujeres blancas? De la misma manera en que el bordado tiene su papel en el movimiento sufragista, ¿lo hizo en la lucha por los derechos civiles de los afroamericanos? El libro se me acaba antojando demasiado blanco, y me da rabia que esas preguntas no fueran ni someramente respondidas.
Aun con esos peros, es un ensayo muy interesante, un buen ejemplo de esa tendencia a escribir la historia de personas e ideas a partir de elementos cotidianos y a veces aparentemente triviales. Y vaya lo que pueden llegar a contar esas «trivialidades ».
June 15, 2021
This is good, still relevant if a little dated. Would like to see a post Covid reflection in the next update, and would have liked a few colour photos - tho the references make it possible to visit a significant number of the pieces illustrated.
May 26, 2022
Fascinating scholarly study of the collective meanings of embroidery in women's history through time. Academic style but not dry. I took a bunch of notes about things to investigate later.
December 10, 2019
This was really interesting! It makes me want to get back into embroidery, not that I was ever very good at it in the first place but still. Embroidery, and I suppose textile art in general, has a history of being seen as "lesser" in comparison to the male-dominated fine arts such as painting or sculpture, but this wasn't always the case. The slow transition of embroidery from a fine art to a craft, from something both genders practiced to something relegated to the feminine, is a story of sad decline. It's not that the skill became less; it's that it became less valued (primarily because of its association with women). It also became, in its way, a reinforcement of the values society wanted to inflict. If training little girls to be silent, obedient adults was the goal, for example, then endless hours of highly structured stick-to-pattern stitchery, especially in the absence of any other education, was a useful tool. (Those poor sad little samplers!)
Parker, though, while describing these changes, also looks at how women used embroidery to subvert the expectations and roles thrust upon them. Many of the banners for women's suffrage, for example, used embroidery in contrast with a number of other artistic techniques to reinforce the point women wanted to make - and even when restricted to pattern, the choice of subjects is a telling one. Parker's example of the changing interpretations of St. Margaret in embroidery, for instance, is excellently drawn, as is the use of symbols that focus on women's experience of fertility and reproduction at a time when midwives were being forced out of childbirth and replaced by male attendants. Very, very interesting.
Parker, though, while describing these changes, also looks at how women used embroidery to subvert the expectations and roles thrust upon them. Many of the banners for women's suffrage, for example, used embroidery in contrast with a number of other artistic techniques to reinforce the point women wanted to make - and even when restricted to pattern, the choice of subjects is a telling one. Parker's example of the changing interpretations of St. Margaret in embroidery, for instance, is excellently drawn, as is the use of symbols that focus on women's experience of fertility and reproduction at a time when midwives were being forced out of childbirth and replaced by male attendants. Very, very interesting.
January 23, 2025
This is the worst book I have ever read.
April 28, 2023
i chose to read this for a class
March 19, 2017
A scholarly social history of embroidery and feminism? Yes, please. I gleaned a lot of insight into the evolution of northern-European traditon embroidery and how it became entwined and inseparable from femininity, from the medieval ages to nearly the present day. Although it was written in 1984, my edition of The Subversive Stitch includes a new introduction written in 2010, attempting to bring the subject matter more up-to-date. But really, it's not that dated anyway. Parker's last page, commenting on the then-current state of embroidery, has the following passage:
"Books, exhibitions, magazines and societies devoted to embroidery and dominated by women constitute a curiously autonomous female area. It is largely ignored by men. Chivalrous approval has given way to silence, unless embroidery is carried across the borders in to masculine territory. An embroiderer can become a sociologist but does not bring her work out in staffroom, boardroom, or pub."
Despite more and more men taking up needle as an art form, the above is still 100% true more than 30 years later. I do take my embroidery seriously and value it for personal expression...still, a few years ago when my employer decided to update the staff profiles, and we were all encouraged to complete a survey section on "hobbies" so that HR could present friendly humanizing elements alongside our professional achievements, my responses on needlework and embroidery were ignored, leaving the apparently more acceptable hobbies of hiking and photography to appear on my professional profile. So for as far as we've come, here we still are.
"Books, exhibitions, magazines and societies devoted to embroidery and dominated by women constitute a curiously autonomous female area. It is largely ignored by men. Chivalrous approval has given way to silence, unless embroidery is carried across the borders in to masculine territory. An embroiderer can become a sociologist but does not bring her work out in staffroom, boardroom, or pub."
Despite more and more men taking up needle as an art form, the above is still 100% true more than 30 years later. I do take my embroidery seriously and value it for personal expression...still, a few years ago when my employer decided to update the staff profiles, and we were all encouraged to complete a survey section on "hobbies" so that HR could present friendly humanizing elements alongside our professional achievements, my responses on needlework and embroidery were ignored, leaving the apparently more acceptable hobbies of hiking and photography to appear on my professional profile. So for as far as we've come, here we still are.
June 25, 2020
I'm pretty disappointed in this book after it was hyped to me as a wonderful history of women "taking back" the feminine arts - it's not that.
It's a VERY white history of English stitchwork by merchant class and royal women and men, with far too much emphasis on the church and religious imagery. Barely any discussion of the actual work of embroidery, materials used, or anything "subversive" until the chapters set mostly in the 1970s. The "updated" forward mentions a few newer artists, but doesn't discuss the specifics of their work with any meaningful detail. And as far as feminist content - lots about how women were subjugated or uncredited as stitchers, and as subjects of pictorial works, but nothing about overcoming any of that.
The photo quality of the plates is very low, all black and white, and presented in blocks instead of within the text. Poor book design and the content just doesn't live up to the title in any way. Disappointing.
It's a VERY white history of English stitchwork by merchant class and royal women and men, with far too much emphasis on the church and religious imagery. Barely any discussion of the actual work of embroidery, materials used, or anything "subversive" until the chapters set mostly in the 1970s. The "updated" forward mentions a few newer artists, but doesn't discuss the specifics of their work with any meaningful detail. And as far as feminist content - lots about how women were subjugated or uncredited as stitchers, and as subjects of pictorial works, but nothing about overcoming any of that.
The photo quality of the plates is very low, all black and white, and presented in blocks instead of within the text. Poor book design and the content just doesn't live up to the title in any way. Disappointing.
October 17, 2007
I started reading this work on a research trip, and then the library recalled it, so I need to get it back. This work discusses the use of embroidery by women as a mode of expression and in some cases rebellion. I have to say that one of the most striking things I have read in it so far - and I am not too far into it - is a section on a woman who was suspicious of her daughter's needlework. She doesn't like that during all other tasks her daughter hums and sings, but during embroidery, she is silent. The mother is afraid that this means that her daughter is thinking - but what about? Her daughter claims that she is merely counting her stitches.
I will write a better review of this work when I finish it, but it is an interesting addition to the reading list for my dissertation.
I will write a better review of this work when I finish it, but it is an interesting addition to the reading list for my dissertation.
November 26, 2015
I really, really enjoyed this look at embroidery and the making of the feminine throughout (mostly English) history. I give it 4 stars only because it would have really been improved by colour photos at a higher resolution...but this re-issue is very fine otherwise.
So many ideas to follow up on from this read; Parker did mention some newer textile artists in her new introduction, and I'd love to read about the path of embroidery past the late 70s where this book stops.
I found this inspirational and it has given me many ideas for my own embroidery projects in future.
So many ideas to follow up on from this read; Parker did mention some newer textile artists in her new introduction, and I'd love to read about the path of embroidery past the late 70s where this book stops.
I found this inspirational and it has given me many ideas for my own embroidery projects in future.
February 8, 2011
Insanely interesting and the last chapter was very exciting to read.
March 31, 2015
Very interesting. Minus one star because I was disappointed in the quality of the illustrations in the edition I have. I would have liked to see color and more detail on many of the pieces shown.
February 5, 2023
--- "I have decided to call embroidery art because it is, undoubtedly, a cultural practice involving iconography, style and social function" (Parker: 6)
--- "Far from fulfilling their intentions to validate embroidery, the Victorian history devalued it in the eyes of a society which equated great art with masculinity, the public sphere and professional practice" (Parker: 39)
--- "it is important to establish how far the choice of subject matter was determined by the general social, political and artistic developments of the time and how far women's specific experience and the history of embroidery dictated the needlewoman's choice. The suffering of humanity was a central subject of all the arts" (Parker: 160)
This book tells the history of embroidery. It shows how useful embroidery is to get to know the history of women or how similar it remains to other art forms such as painting.
The main focus is on embroidery in the UK, although from time to time references are made to other countries. The information that is part of the descriptions of the images comes up again in the main text and that I didn't like. I skipped most of the long quotes in the book, as I think they were not always necessarily significant.
At the very beginning I thought this was more a book on the history of feminism than on embroidery. But that idea soon vanished. The book includes examples and throughout it certain topics are covered, including how and why embroidery became a woman-only activity. The book is definitely an ode to (British) embroidery and it exemplifies quite well the attractiveness of it as a field of study.
--- "Far from fulfilling their intentions to validate embroidery, the Victorian history devalued it in the eyes of a society which equated great art with masculinity, the public sphere and professional practice" (Parker: 39)
--- "it is important to establish how far the choice of subject matter was determined by the general social, political and artistic developments of the time and how far women's specific experience and the history of embroidery dictated the needlewoman's choice. The suffering of humanity was a central subject of all the arts" (Parker: 160)
This book tells the history of embroidery. It shows how useful embroidery is to get to know the history of women or how similar it remains to other art forms such as painting.
The main focus is on embroidery in the UK, although from time to time references are made to other countries. The information that is part of the descriptions of the images comes up again in the main text and that I didn't like. I skipped most of the long quotes in the book, as I think they were not always necessarily significant.
At the very beginning I thought this was more a book on the history of feminism than on embroidery. But that idea soon vanished. The book includes examples and throughout it certain topics are covered, including how and why embroidery became a woman-only activity. The book is definitely an ode to (British) embroidery and it exemplifies quite well the attractiveness of it as a field of study.
March 4, 2025
The Subversive Stitch
I read this as research for a project I am doing on subversive stitchery and the title let me know that I was in the right place. It was the book I immediately thought of and was pleased to find a copy.
Although it did feel a bit dated, the author’s copyright was 1984 and my edition was dated 1994, it held really useful and sometimes startling information. However, the illustrations were black and white and not of great quality but this may have been prior to the dawn of cheap colour reproduction and Photoshop. Some of them would have been wonderful in colour.
However, it was a fascinating and informative look at needlework and embroidery and how it became to be seen as a pastime for girls and young women to pass their time between a sketchy education and marriage. The piles of watch cases, boxes, pictures, samplers and the holding of bazaars at which to sell them is well covered. When I was at junior school needlework was on the curriculum for girls as people made their own clothes in those days whether they bought them in a kit to be sewn together or from a pattern.
Recently there has been a resurgence in handicrafts with Knit n Stitch and crafting in general but it still seems to be a minor interest. There was an interesting but short chapter on embroidery’s use in the 20th century especially for political purposes.
But the book does cover in depth the development of embroidery in society from the Middle Ages to the Victorian era. It has led me to other sources and places to visit as I would like to see some of the pieces featured in the flesh so to speak,.
I read this as research for a project I am doing on subversive stitchery and the title let me know that I was in the right place. It was the book I immediately thought of and was pleased to find a copy.
Although it did feel a bit dated, the author’s copyright was 1984 and my edition was dated 1994, it held really useful and sometimes startling information. However, the illustrations were black and white and not of great quality but this may have been prior to the dawn of cheap colour reproduction and Photoshop. Some of them would have been wonderful in colour.
However, it was a fascinating and informative look at needlework and embroidery and how it became to be seen as a pastime for girls and young women to pass their time between a sketchy education and marriage. The piles of watch cases, boxes, pictures, samplers and the holding of bazaars at which to sell them is well covered. When I was at junior school needlework was on the curriculum for girls as people made their own clothes in those days whether they bought them in a kit to be sewn together or from a pattern.
Recently there has been a resurgence in handicrafts with Knit n Stitch and crafting in general but it still seems to be a minor interest. There was an interesting but short chapter on embroidery’s use in the 20th century especially for political purposes.
But the book does cover in depth the development of embroidery in society from the Middle Ages to the Victorian era. It has led me to other sources and places to visit as I would like to see some of the pieces featured in the flesh so to speak,.
September 26, 2024
getting the most superficial issue out of the way: the pictures in the book were in black and white and could best be described as globby. I wound up needing to search for them online anyway, so it was kinda pointless to include them. I did like the way the chapters were divided, each roughly covering a specific timeframe and its most popular embroidery styles and themes. I love art in all of its expressions, and I was extremely interested in embroidery's relationship to femininity. I was, however, disappointed in that this book focused only on white, middle-upper class British femininity (with a brief shout-out to the Russian revolution). i think it franky incredible that a book about embroidery wouldn't include a multinational look at the art. especially since the author references artists using Chinese styles, peasant styles, &c. the final chapter was the only bit that focused in detail on subversion through embroidery, but i didn't find it especially compelling. more just "you can be feminine and want rights!" which, yeah, but that kinda misses the whole point of feminist activism and theory (systemic change, hello!?). I did enjoy the read, but it just didn't seem complete
September 12, 2019
This book gives an historical perspective on the way embroidery changed from being a profitable business for women to a method of oppressing and exploiting women and their emotions. Only in the final two chapters do we begin to hear about how women have reclaimed embroidery to use it in subversive ways, such as the use of embroidery by suffragettes in their banners, and by more recent feminist artists.
As well as providing an interesting and well-researched history of embroidery, this book made me question my own relationship to embroidery. I loved embroidery when I was younger, and "wasted" very many hours making quite "useless", but beautiful items. Was it because I saw embroidery as a "ladylike, romantic ideal"? Yes, indeed. Did it stop me from developing a richer intellect? No, because unlike earlier generations, I was taught more than needlework at school. I think that the questions raised by this book about embroidery as art or foolish hobby remain highly relevant and worth continuing to question. There remains in popular culture a thread of the old-fashioned Victorian era image of someone to "sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam", that embroidery struggles to overcome. I will be thinking about this for a long time yet.
I read this book shortly after reading Threads of Life: A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle, and enjoyed observing how the two authors viewed the same embroidery works through different lenses. It was good to read them in such close succession.
As well as providing an interesting and well-researched history of embroidery, this book made me question my own relationship to embroidery. I loved embroidery when I was younger, and "wasted" very many hours making quite "useless", but beautiful items. Was it because I saw embroidery as a "ladylike, romantic ideal"? Yes, indeed. Did it stop me from developing a richer intellect? No, because unlike earlier generations, I was taught more than needlework at school. I think that the questions raised by this book about embroidery as art or foolish hobby remain highly relevant and worth continuing to question. There remains in popular culture a thread of the old-fashioned Victorian era image of someone to "sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam", that embroidery struggles to overcome. I will be thinking about this for a long time yet.
I read this book shortly after reading Threads of Life: A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle, and enjoyed observing how the two authors viewed the same embroidery works through different lenses. It was good to read them in such close succession.
January 18, 2023
Parker's history of embroidery's role in constructing femininity is interesting and readable. She traces the relationships between social and historical change, shifting gender roles, the ideological and practical place decorative sewing occupied in women's lives, and the evolution of style and subject matter in embroidery itself. Throughout, Parker is careful to strike a balance between valuing embroidery and the (mostly) women who produced it and critiquing it for the ways in which it was used to justify restrictions on women's opportunities. Although I didn't always agree with her assessments of specific phenomena or her readings of certain texts, I appreciated the wide range of cultural materials she brings to her analysis. Her argument is generously illustrated with photographs of both specific textiles and examples of period work; however, these photos are black and white, and sometimes rather small, limiting their usefulness. Overall, though, The Subversive Stitch is an enjoyable account of an important part of women's history.
August 29, 2020
Since I am new in the world of embroidery, I was eager to read such an interesting looking work as this and I must say I was not disappointed.
Even though sometimes it was hard to link the theme of the chapter to its slightly rambling content, it didn't matter much since the orderly reading of this book gives you a timeline of the social, cultural and economical implications of embroidery from the medieval era to the twentieth century. As I advanced though it, I realized how prominent are the ties between the history of embroidery and the Making of the Feminine, giving a good view on what the place of women has been like in western culture.
Also, this books made me feel much more respect towards the history of embroidery and the work of modern women in it and how they work towards a new conception of the art.
The only negative point I can made is in how the book is western focused only. This makes sense, since making a book about embroidery history from all over the world would need many books, and this western perspective is needed for the embroiderers and historians implied in it. But, the problem is not the focus but the almost inexistent acknowledgement of other cultural and historical implications of embroidery, such as indian or chinese, for example. For most of it, the book feels as if only english embroidery exists. I believe that if the author tried to mentions and compare other realities of embroidery now and then, the book would have a much more interesting and empathic perspective on the art.
Overall, this book is a complete, captivating and detailed view on western history of embroidery and the feminine, that will leave understanding much of the symbols and connotation this modern form of art.
Even though sometimes it was hard to link the theme of the chapter to its slightly rambling content, it didn't matter much since the orderly reading of this book gives you a timeline of the social, cultural and economical implications of embroidery from the medieval era to the twentieth century. As I advanced though it, I realized how prominent are the ties between the history of embroidery and the Making of the Feminine, giving a good view on what the place of women has been like in western culture.
Also, this books made me feel much more respect towards the history of embroidery and the work of modern women in it and how they work towards a new conception of the art.
The only negative point I can made is in how the book is western focused only. This makes sense, since making a book about embroidery history from all over the world would need many books, and this western perspective is needed for the embroiderers and historians implied in it. But, the problem is not the focus but the almost inexistent acknowledgement of other cultural and historical implications of embroidery, such as indian or chinese, for example. For most of it, the book feels as if only english embroidery exists. I believe that if the author tried to mentions and compare other realities of embroidery now and then, the book would have a much more interesting and empathic perspective on the art.
Overall, this book is a complete, captivating and detailed view on western history of embroidery and the feminine, that will leave understanding much of the symbols and connotation this modern form of art.
March 16, 2021
Really enjoyed this book. It was a much slower read because fitting in reading an actual book is much harder for me these days than kindle or audiobook, but this book literally doesn't exist digitally. Knocked off a star because some parts are a little repetitive and as other reviewers noted, a lot of the pictures are sadly very hard to make out. But what a cool book this is. I kept finding myself wishing I could highlight things because this book is filled with gems. Truly the best part about it are the primary source quotes throughout different times in history. The last chapter is one of the best in the whole book, bringing everything to a close in the "present day" (I use quotes since this book was written in the 80s lol which is definitely no longer the present 😅). Overall a great read but not one I would necessarily recommend to friends unless they were specifically interested in embroidery.
June 7, 2023
The research is really interesting, returning to primary sources, no relying on Victorian writers (who often made up things - yes they did!!). The writing is let down by repetition and a bit of rambling, a tighter edit would have been good. The illustrations are relevant but the quality lets them down.
SO interesting to hear what men thought of women 'back in the day'. Nothing much has changed, except what men blame on women's 'demise' (by not doing embroidery will lead to abandon of morals). Gosh, we have come a long way, but oh such a long way to go. Also interesting about the guilds, and the distinction between 'fine art' 'art' and 'craft'. All about power, money and control. Things change, but also remain the same.
SO interesting to hear what men thought of women 'back in the day'. Nothing much has changed, except what men blame on women's 'demise' (by not doing embroidery will lead to abandon of morals). Gosh, we have come a long way, but oh such a long way to go. Also interesting about the guilds, and the distinction between 'fine art' 'art' and 'craft'. All about power, money and control. Things change, but also remain the same.
January 12, 2023
I used this book as a major component of my research for my masters thesis. I was writing about the Glasgow Girls, specifically Ann Macbeth. I am so thankful for this book for having more information on these remarkable women than almost any other text and so much insightful knowledge about this brave woman.
I’m so glad i bought a copy for myself so i can continuously go back and re-read to my hearts content. I loved learning about all of these figures in our history that i had always known had been there, but that i was completely ignorant of.
Rozsika Parker was a blessing and i wish i could thank her personally for her efforts in this research field.
I’m so glad i bought a copy for myself so i can continuously go back and re-read to my hearts content. I loved learning about all of these figures in our history that i had always known had been there, but that i was completely ignorant of.
Rozsika Parker was a blessing and i wish i could thank her personally for her efforts in this research field.
January 12, 2023
This book took me a year and a half to get through, and yet somehow I never wanted to give it up. It is dry and a very bland read at some parts. The feminisms are dated (expectedly), and some of the logics are a bit tricky to follow.
If I were to read this again, I would probably only re-read the last chapter, "A Naturally Revolutionary Art?" And to be fair I probably will read that again. I really appreciated the histories and details provided in the first part, they are important and worth knowing, but it was just such a painfully dry read. Very much looking forward to reading Queering the Subversive Stitch by Joseph McBrinn as a follow-up/companion piece.
If I were to read this again, I would probably only re-read the last chapter, "A Naturally Revolutionary Art?" And to be fair I probably will read that again. I really appreciated the histories and details provided in the first part, they are important and worth knowing, but it was just such a painfully dry read. Very much looking forward to reading Queering the Subversive Stitch by Joseph McBrinn as a follow-up/companion piece.
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