A few years ago I decided that I wanted to learn to make jam. I wanted to experience the whole shebang: gather fruit, cook it down with sugar, put the mixture in sterilized jars, "cook" the jars, etc., etc. I got a great book called Food for Friends, which introduces the basics of canning fruit, jam, salsas, compotes and vegetables. My first attempt was prune plum jam with fruit from the Farmer's Market. It was delicious, and I felt so very clever at having, in one afternoon, made enough jam to keep us happy for a year!
I also felt the spark of a flame that now burns very brightly within me: returning to the simple pleasure of making things from scratch and along the way reclaiming some of the knowledge, craft and wisdom of generations of women before me. As a feminist, I feel it is very important to honor the work of all women, no matter where it takes place (the office, the home, in government or at a supermarket). Some of us have recollections of our mothers' generation sewing, baking bread, gardening and canning. Perhaps we were lucky enough to learn these skills from them. Others of us have only ever heard or read of such endeavors, perhaps in family stories about some wonderful skill a grandmother or great-grandmother had.
I sought to reconnect with those skills, even if I had to teach them to myself. I learned to sew as a teenager, my mother being quite adept at creating dresses and other clothes for us kids. As an adult, I started - rather on a whim - with jam, but that has grown as my life has shifted over the past few years. Rob and I are strong believers in the slow food and slow life movements, believing that true happiness comes not from increased earnings followed by increased acquisition/consumption, but rather from the simple pleasures of doing meaningful/fulfilling work, spending time truly interacting with loved ones, going about our lives in a deliberate/intentional manner and slowing down enough to be able to consider and enjoy our spiritual lives. Learning how to make handmade products, from food to lotion, knitted garments to hand-sewn clothing, has all been part of this slowing down for me.
In the process, I have gained a new perspective on the work of women. I understand now the quick thinking that develops as we problem-solve projects. Just today I was in line behind a woman purchasing fabric at the store. She asked the saleslady the width of the fabric she'd chosen, then calculated in her head the length she would need in order to make whatever it was she had planned. No calculator, no "hold on, let me look at my specs", just figuring it out! I have experienced the deep pleasure of gifting handmade crafts to friends and seeing the spark spread to them as they ask for recipes, patterns or tips. I have learned a new appreciation for good craftsmanship and the love that goes into the work we do with our hands, hearts and minds.
Recently I have fallen back in love with sewing. I cannot tell you how very much I dislike shopping (unless it's at the yarn or fabric store). :-) Now that my creative juices are properly flowing again, I can't wait to get my sewing machine out and get to work on summer skirts and dresses. I'd like to try my hand at tops and, someday, baby clothes. This morning I eyeballed our aging shower curtain with a new sense of confidence - heck, I could make us a new one, after all, no need to go to the horrid big box store! So many items are things that I can make, sparing myself and my loved ones the discomfort of a shopping trip in which we will inevitably not be able to find what we want.
This brings me to the "big" point of today's post: learning to do these things myself has given me a new sense of freedom. I don't have to just deal with what's available from a major manufacturer, or search high and low for an independent/artist source. With a little effort and a lot of laughter, I have learned how to provide for my needs, and the needs of my family and friends, in ways that are much more meaningful and satisfying (and, not-coincidentally, easier on the earth). This work, in which women have toiled for ages, does not tie us down or limit our possibilities. Quite the contrary, it liberates us from consumerism, mass consciousness, and the general self-image stomping that a trip to the mall entails.
What's your take on the surge of "crafty" aspirations we see all around us?
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