Teaching textile traditions is a gift mothers pass to their children generation after generation. Whether in Mexico or Morocco, Afghanistan or Laos, mothers have been teaching their daughters (ands sons) to weave, to spin, to dye, to embroider for centuries. Sharing these skills with the next generation is practical, of course, because it creates a livelihood, but sharing that gift also passes down a cultural legacy. It’s a way to maintain strong family connections by working together, sharing ideas, and creating. In the case of some families, this work together is an almost sacred ritual.
We offer our gratitude to those mothers who hold traditions and families together. Whether they are busily conspiring with their daughters to evolve the complex weaving patterns of the Chiapas highlands, counting embroidered stitches in Afghanistan, or reeling and dyeing silk in Laos, their legacy, their beauty endures.
Happy Mother’s Day to mothers everywhere and to all who mother.
— Linda
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Thank you for bringing history to my little American rural sewing room. I’ve loved embroidery, crocheting and quilting all of my life, but when I started receiving your newsletter I became acquainted with the women and children of the world who really love working with thread. They use it for their history and livelihood, I use it for entertainment. My next journey will be weaving and I am so looking forward to it. I’m sharing your newsletter with my daughter who also loves using textiles and is now teaching my granddaughter to cherish this love. Thank you,
Nancy S. from GA
Your publications give me such joy and appreciation. They reflect our human tribe at its finest, loving and making. Thank you for a lifetime of inspiration.