The featured article in Mothering Magazine's March-April 09 issue is Crafty Mamas written by Jean Van't Hull. Its about how, "Everyday objects are elevated to the sublime in the art and blogs of five creative women."The five featured women are:
- Amanda Blake Soule - who blogs as SouleMama & is the author of The Creative Family How to Encourage Imagination and Nuture Family Connections
- Sally Shim - who blogs at Shim and Sons
- Amy Karol - who blogs as Angry Chicken & is the author of Bend-the-Rules-Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew
- Stephanie Congdon Barnes - she blogs at stephaniecongdonbarnes.blogspot.com & has published A Year of Mornings - 3191 Miles Apart: A Photographic Collaboration
- Eren San Pedro - aka Vintage Chica who blogs at vintagechica.typepad.com
Look at the above picture of Soulemama's studio space, how I covet it.
The article talks about how there is an entire movement of stay-at-home moms making things themselves rather than buying them, thrifting & re-purposing, trying to simplify their lives and re-connecting with nature. Van't Hul writes, that the movement involves stay-at-home moms "reaching out with or extending that creativity, through writing and photography, via their own blogs." She puts in perfectly in her article, "Blogs often serve a dual purpose of sharing information about crafts, and providing a welcome avenue for networking and "getting out of the house," if only via the keyboard".Once again Mothering Magazine "hits the nail on the head", the article perfectly describes and explores the reasons why I started to read blogs and why I started my own. There is a community of stay-at-home mothers that are connected via their computers not only by their love for their children but, by a love for all things handmade. There is a movement of re-connection to home economics, a whole generation is re-learning traditional crafting and teaching it to their children and sharing it with others through their blogs.
For me, the skills and knowledge of breastfeeding, sewing, quilting, knitting and food preservation skipped a generation. My grandmothers did these things, albeit out of necessity, but they did not pass the skills on to my parents. Now, it seems that the generations that follow are trying to reach back into time and re-learn these invaluable domestic skills and pass them on to their children. The difference is, now the necessity of it all isn't the Great Depression its a commitment to a green lifestyle.
I tie my apron strings around my waist with pride!
:: Wow, that was a long post and I even wanted to write more! Really, just buy the magazine and read the article (or you can borrow mine).
So True! We have lost a lot to the convenience of the times. I cherish the times I spent in the kitchen with my mom (although I usually got stuck doing the dishes). Every time she comes out to visit these days or when I go home I make her go through a recipe with me. The majority of the recipe's that she has are in her head - and require just a little of this and that. Last summer we backed a large batch of Fin coffee bread. I watched and wrote down her instructions as she tossed ingredients here and there and wiped here hands on her apron once in a while. We baked and baked and Kenny and I ate and ate. I also put away a large majority of the bread in the freezer and just ate the last slice a few weeks ago:(
ReplyDeleteI miss my mom, now even more that I am older and so far away. Sometimes when I'm knitting I see her hands in mine (especially as my hands are showing a little age). They are what I remember hers looked like when I was little.
Thank you for reminding Me of what to hold on to and how I have to video tape Georgia next time she visits and bakes! I am now more inspired to make an assortment of aprons for her next trip out West.
You are a great inspiration Marci!