Back in the day, little girls were expected to learn how to sew, how knit, how to embroider, and how to quilt, because it was part of the skills women needed in order to run their households. With the advent of mass produced clothing and home products, the necessity of knowing traditional “women’s” skills became less important, and for a time, knitting and sewing seemed to be terribly “old fashioned” and almost hokey. Not so anymore. Books and videos on quilting and knitting has exploded…and there is a revival of the old fashioned sewing or knitting circle…with a modern edge. And you’re likely to find more than just lady-like doilies and baby booties…today’s generation of knitters, quilters, and embroiders are creating amazing things. On today’s show, we’re looking at Women’s Work…the traditional domestic skills of sewing, embroidery, and knitting and how today’s artists are using these skills to make incredible art.

Guest List

• Daina Taimina (crochet artist)
• Linda Gass (quilt artist)
• Martha Fieber (fiber artist)

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• Women’s Work [58:53m]: | Download

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Segment Guide

0:00 – 3:18 – Intro
3:18 – 5:22 – Song: 76 Stitches
5:22 – 18: 10- Interview with Daina Taimina
18:10 – 19: 58- Song: Katrina’s Stitch and Bitch
19:58 – 39:40 – Interview with Linda Gass
39:40 – 41:24 – Song: You Don’t Miss Your Water
41:24 – 54:23 – Interview with Martha Fieber
54:23 – 58:53 – Closing & Song: Twilight

Web Sites Mentioned in This Episode

• Daina Taimina’ profile page- http://www.math.cornell.edu/~dtaimina/
• The Institute for Figuring- http://theiff.org
• Linda Gass’ web site- http://www.lindagass.com
• Martha Fieber’s Web site- http://fiebers.com/martha

Music

Song: 76 Stitches
Artist: Wren Ross

Song: Katrina’s Stitch and Bitch
Artist: Kentucky Jelly

Song: You Don’t Miss Your Water
Artist: Roscoe Chenier

Song: Twilight
Artist: Vividity

Music for this show was provided by the Podsafe Music Network.