Last night I was talking with a number of local handweavers (and spinners, dyers, and fiber artists in general) and yet again the subject came up about how people who have never woven, spun, dyed, crocheted, etc. generally 1/ vastly underestimate the complexity of these arts, and the science, math, engineering, and overall STEM skills required, and 2/ don’t understand the foundational role textiles have played in everything from writing to commerce, industry, chemistry, engineering, physics, and so much of our modern world.
In last night’s discussion, several of us agreed these two books (among many) are great starting points to understand this complex and under-told history:
The Fabric of Civilization, by Virginia Postrel
Women’s Work – The first 20,000 Years, by Elizabeth Wayland Barber
Great to read and to give as gifts!
