I don't knit. I don't tat (crocheting lace from a fine fiber). I don't crochet. I am too impatient to cross stitch. Yet, I appreciate the fiber arts. Things hand created that can be passed onto the next generation with proper care. The fiber arts are generations old. "When we engage in fiber arts, we are creating something , but we're also participating in the historic traditions tens of thousands of years old. You are not only making art for your soul and future generations, you are embodying the work of our ancestors." -The Woven Road
I have a blanket my Grandma Maxine Opal made for my HS graduation. Her fingers kept busy to battle arthritis. Her busy hands left us true keepsakes. My great-grandma Hulda could crochet and tat. Somewhere, Mama has a Lord's supper that Great Grandma crocheted in white. It is gorgeous. Even when I didn't appreciate handmade things like I do now, I knew ...even as a child...that it was very special. Quilts are part of the fiber arts and they speak love into generation after generation.
My sister-in-law, Jennifer, is quick with her hands and more patient than I am. I have some beautiful scarves to prove it. It amazes me how she can hold a conversation and work effortlessly. I, simply, do not have that ability. I prefer paper, pen, paint and photos for artistic expression. Of course, a little fiber makes a perfect finishing touch, so I do have a small fiber collection.
Fiber arts... weaving cloth, embellishing garments, creating tassels and weaving rugs... are ancient crafts. Truly ancient. Women have spent century after century creating art from their hearts. For some, it was utilitarian and necessary work. For some, it was a business. For the ones who enjoyed it, it was a gift in their ordinary days to spend time making pretty things.
PBS has "Antiques Road Show" that occasionally highlights a rug, garment or clothing item from the past. It is always interesting to hear about the workmanship and the culture or time period in which it was created.
Today, men are not excluded from learning these crafts. In ancient trades, they men were In Jesus day, Paul was a tentmaker by trade.He stayed and worked with Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth, fellow tentmakers, for a time. It gave him work and helped them out, too.
Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.-Acts 18:3
Imagine the discussions, as they worked with their hands together. Paul was frustrated by his visits to the synagogue each Sabbath where he would share the good news of Jesus, but it was rejected by many. I imagine him rehashing the Sabbath visit with Aquila and Priscilla as they worked. Busy hands and busy minds. Can you imagines discovering a 2000 year old tent made Paul? What a discovery that would be.
I can't forget Lydia... she is a named believer and business woman in the Bible who dealt in the fiber arts. Purple cloth was for the kings, queens and wealthy.
One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. -Acts 16:14
Imagine Lydia's circle of influence for Jesus as she traveled with her wares. Her goods were precious... but the gospel she shared was life changing and soul saving.
Yes, fiber arts are real treasures. They are even more precious when passed down with a story.
What fiber art do you have to be grateful for today?
Today, I am grateful for the fiber arts.
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