Stitches in time: a consideration of domestic needle-crafts made by colonial Australian women

Downes, Jan

Title: Stitches in time: a consideration of domestic needle-crafts made by colonial Australian women
Creator: Downes, Jan
Relation: University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
Resource Type: thesis
Date: 2000
Description: Masters Research - Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
Description: Traditional needle-craft activities as practised by Australian colonial women: my focus is on the skills brought to the new colony and performed and developed thereafter by women for function and decorative purposes within their homes. Women's involvement with textiles is strongly linked to their traditional role in the home of providing and caring for their families. Needle-craft skills were passed on from grandmothers and mother to their daughters, and were until recently taught to girls in schools. During my childhood years my mother was often involved in needle-crafts. I was taught to sew and knot by my mother, my aunt and my grandmother. Women of all classes were involved in textile activities. The women sewed and knitted clothing, and made rugs and quilts and a range of household items. For ordinary women the making and mending of textile items was a matter of necessity. In the early history of Australia and up until the end of the Second World War times were often tough; women developed an attitude of thrift which motivated and informed their needle-craft practices. Decorative work such as embroidery was the domain of those who had the time and could afford the materials. Written colonial history has hardly recognised the role of women. In particular there is a death of information on women's domestic lives and their needle-craft practices. My research contributes to the documentation on this subject and informs my artwork: I want to bring attention to the women's textile activities, to celebrate their work and practices, which have largely been overlooked. As documentation is sparse, my research draws upon a diverse range of sources, Written history and oral history are combined. Written history includes official records, newspapers and magazines. Other information comes from visual and literary references. Autobiography in the form of diaries and letters gives insights into individual women's lives. Oral history is gathered through interviews of women about their memories of textile crafts. Needle-craft objects are used as biographies, they tell us information about the lives of the women who made them. Embodied in these objects is information about their daily lives including routines and activities, farm, family and friends. Their work also reveals attitudes to religion, morality and politics.
Subject: needle-craft; sewing; colonial Australia; colonial women
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1312467
Identifier: uon:22400
Language: eng

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