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Stitching the Self

Identity and the Needle Arts
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Stitching the Self explores needlework as a powerful art form that transcends traditional associations with domesticity and femininity. This illustrated anthology, featuring contributions from ten art and craft historians, examines the ways in which stitchery shapes social, political, and non-conformist identities from 1850 to the present. Through case studies ranging from settler Canadian quilting to suffragist banners and Bloomsbury Group embroidery, it highlights needlework’s role in expressing political ideas, documenting shifting identities, and forging professional and communal relationships.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$6599
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers interested in art history, textiles, feminist studies, and cultural identity, especially those keen on exploring the intersections of craft, politics, and personal expression within historical and contemporary contexts.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The needle arts are traditionally associated with the decorative, domestic, and feminine. Stitching the Self sets out to expand this narrow view, demonstrating how needlework has emerged as an art form through which both objects and identities – social, political, and often non-conformist – are crafted.

Bringing together the work of ten art and craft historians, this illustrated collection focuses on the interplay between craft and artistry, amateurism and professionalism, and re-evaluates ideas of gendered production between 1850 and the present. From quilting in settler Canada to the embroidery of suffragist banners and the needlework of the Bloomsbury Group, it reveals how needlework is a transformative process – one which is used to express political ideas, forge professional relationships, and document shifting identities.

With a range of methodological approaches, including object-based, feminist, and historical analyses, Stitching the Self examines individual and communal involvement in a range of textile practices. Exploring how stitching shapes both self and world, the book recognises the needle as a powerful tool in the fight for self-expression.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised as a fascinating and varied read, Stitching the Self is recommended for art history enthusiasts interested in textiles. Reviewers commend the book for showcasing needlework as a form of personal and group identity crafting across diverse contexts, such as the English Bloomsbury Group and a Swiss psychiatric asylum. The volume is noted for revealing the complex history and cultural significance of needlecraft, challenging traditional artistic categories, and illuminating hidden histories while disrupting gender stereotypes.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781350242418

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 July 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Visual Arts

Illustration: 17 color and 19 bw illus

Contributors:

  • Edited by Lisa Binkley
  • Edited by Johanna Amos

Audience: Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 154.0mm

Height: 232.0mm

Weight: 402g

Pages: 256

About the Author

Johanna Amos is Assistant Professor (adjunct) of art, textile, and fashion history at Queen's University, Ontario, Canada

Lisa Binkley is Assistant Professor in Material Culture, and Indigenous and Settler Women's Histories in the Department of History at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

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