People today live with mass-produced goods and depend on electronics to get through the day. However, vintage crafts have not lost their appeal. Many people collect them, while others practice them as a hobby or a livelihood. Some historians also want to preserve old skills so they won't be lost entirely.
Traditional skills arose out of necessity. In many parts of the world, stone was the most plentiful material. Everything from houses, chimneys, and boundary walls to objects of worship were made of stone. Others had wood, or clay, or even paper to work with. All of the workers achieved the function they desired, but they often beautified their creations along the way. Necessity birthed art.
A good example is knitting. Fishermen in northern climes needed to keep warm even when drenched to the skin by rain or sea spray. Their women made them thick, closely-knitted sweaters out of wool from their native sheep. The natural lanolin was often left in the wool for its waterproofing qualities. The women were not content to knit plain patterns but developed intricate cables and ribbing that have beautified knitted garments ever since.
Household needs included bedding, furniture, clothing, shoes, and utensils. Hand tools were needed for all the tasks in field, forest, and town. Most of these things were made by the ones who needed them or artisans who served their neighbors. Bedding became embroidered sheets and pieced quilts; chairs had turned legs and beveled edges; dresses and coats were carefully cut and fitted, and tools were carefully forged to fit the hand of the user, to be perfectly balanced, and to make routine tasks as easy as possible.
We all know that useful things can be beautiful. Think of baskets, hunting decoys, pottery jugs and dishes, cut-glass drinking goblets, hooked rugs, woven blankets, and stained-glass windows. Soap was perfumed, flowers were dried to preserve their colors and scents, candles were tapered and curved, chair cushions and pillows were decorated with colorful tops.
Collectors preserve this heritage, as do museums. Older objects - from Colonial days, for example - may be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. Even cloth items sometimes survive. An attic may have an old trunk full of beaded dresses, kidskin gloves, or smocked christening gowns from grandparents or even great-grandparents.
People still practice most, if not all, of the early handicrafts. Today you can take a class at a shop or a community college and learn to hook a rug, cane a chair seat, restore an oil painting, or crochet an afghan. Visitors to Colonial Williamsburg can see glass blowing, silver casting, candle making, and iron forging. Arts and crafts festivals showcase the wares of potters, woodcarvers, quilters, weavers, jewelry makers, and even book binders.
Vintage crafting is part of the heritage of every culture. These things should not be lost forever. Those who collect or who practice things of yesteryear are doing us all a service. Objects made of wood, reed, metal, stone, clay, glass, or textiles recall how things used to be and remind us that we can do for ourselves if need be.
Traditional skills arose out of necessity. In many parts of the world, stone was the most plentiful material. Everything from houses, chimneys, and boundary walls to objects of worship were made of stone. Others had wood, or clay, or even paper to work with. All of the workers achieved the function they desired, but they often beautified their creations along the way. Necessity birthed art.
A good example is knitting. Fishermen in northern climes needed to keep warm even when drenched to the skin by rain or sea spray. Their women made them thick, closely-knitted sweaters out of wool from their native sheep. The natural lanolin was often left in the wool for its waterproofing qualities. The women were not content to knit plain patterns but developed intricate cables and ribbing that have beautified knitted garments ever since.
Household needs included bedding, furniture, clothing, shoes, and utensils. Hand tools were needed for all the tasks in field, forest, and town. Most of these things were made by the ones who needed them or artisans who served their neighbors. Bedding became embroidered sheets and pieced quilts; chairs had turned legs and beveled edges; dresses and coats were carefully cut and fitted, and tools were carefully forged to fit the hand of the user, to be perfectly balanced, and to make routine tasks as easy as possible.
We all know that useful things can be beautiful. Think of baskets, hunting decoys, pottery jugs and dishes, cut-glass drinking goblets, hooked rugs, woven blankets, and stained-glass windows. Soap was perfumed, flowers were dried to preserve their colors and scents, candles were tapered and curved, chair cushions and pillows were decorated with colorful tops.
Collectors preserve this heritage, as do museums. Older objects - from Colonial days, for example - may be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. Even cloth items sometimes survive. An attic may have an old trunk full of beaded dresses, kidskin gloves, or smocked christening gowns from grandparents or even great-grandparents.
People still practice most, if not all, of the early handicrafts. Today you can take a class at a shop or a community college and learn to hook a rug, cane a chair seat, restore an oil painting, or crochet an afghan. Visitors to Colonial Williamsburg can see glass blowing, silver casting, candle making, and iron forging. Arts and crafts festivals showcase the wares of potters, woodcarvers, quilters, weavers, jewelry makers, and even book binders.
Vintage crafting is part of the heritage of every culture. These things should not be lost forever. Those who collect or who practice things of yesteryear are doing us all a service. Objects made of wood, reed, metal, stone, clay, glass, or textiles recall how things used to be and remind us that we can do for ourselves if need be.
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