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A man sits in a woodcarving studio, surrounded by tools of his craft. He holds up a hand-carved owl statue and looks directly at the camera, a small smile on his face. His clothes are protected by a thick canvas apron.
C.M. Copeland displays a hand carved owl sculpture in his woodcarving shop in Fitzgerald, Georgia. David Stanley, photographer. August 12, 1977. South-Central Georgia Folklife Project Collection (AFC 1982/010), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/resource/afc1982010.afc1982010_17554_2/?sp=31

Handmade and Heartfelt: Traditional Crafts

Posted by: Meg Nicholas

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As we head into the final days before the end-of-year holidays, I find myself in a familiar place…namely, sitting in my craft room, surrounded by a pile of in-progress hand-crafted gifts I have been planning for friends and family. No matter how early I start working on things, I always end up putting the finishing touches on several gifts at the 11th hour. This year, knowing I also needed to write one more blog post before the end of the year, I decided to have a poke around the collections for photographs and audio recordings that could serve as inspiration for both myself and other makers who are in a similar year-end rush to finish all their handmade gifts.

Whether you are a quilter, a knitter, a leather craftsman, a basket maker, a weaver, a carpenter, or a maker of another of the hundreds of traditional crafts out there, chances are there is something in the Center’s collections which can serve as inspiration to get you over those last hand-made hurdles.

Embroidery and Beadwork

Unframed example of embroidery. The phrase “No roses without thorns, no love without sorrows” is stitched in blue block letters, surrounded by embroidered pink roses, leaves and thorns.
Unframed embroidery stitched by Terry Teahan, Chicago, Illinois. Jonas Dovydenas, photographer. May 5, 1977. Chicago Ethnic Arts Project Collection (AFC 1981/004), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

I loved this embroidery example from the Chicago Ethnic Arts Project Collection. Terry Teahan, the artist, moved to Chicago from Kerry, Ireland in 1928. In 1977, Mick Moloney interviewed him as part of the Center’s field survey, acknowledging in his fieldnotes that Terry “plays music on the concertina and melodeon, dances, writes poetry, is an expert gardener, and does embroidery.” According to the recording of Moloney’s May 5th visit, Terry refers to some of his embroidery as “needle painting.” [The section of the interview concerning embroidery begins at the timestamp: 24:48]

Terry: Well, one is needle painting. It’s done on a special material called huck toweling. And you do the design out first, and then you pick it up for [unintelligible]. But, like this is embroidery. This is a different cloth all together.
Mick: Now what is that called? What kind of embroidery.
Terry: That’s embroidery – well, it’s just various stitches, like satin and lazy daisies and back –
Mick: When did you start doing it?
Terry: Well, I saw so much of it in Ireland, when I was growing up, and it kinda stuck in my mind, when the kids were growing up.
Mick: Where did you see it?
Terry: At home in Ireland.
Mick: Where would people get the designs?
Terry: Well, from Weldon’s. It was an English concern, and you ironed it on a cloth with a hot iron. And, um, twasn’t anything like these peacocks or stuff like that, it was, you know what it was, stuff for, for costumes and stuff, you know, like designs of roses and Celtic designs – Celtic or Celtic [pronounced sell-tick], I don’t know what you call it. But they did all kinds of it. And crochet, of course, was very popular altogether in Ireland. And the Irish lace, all that business. So I saw it and then as the kids grew up, they all started – Ma does it as well, she did this one.
Mick: Now, how many of them have you done?
Terry: Oh, away to the hundreds!
Mick: How long would an average one take you to do?
Terry: Well, that would take – I’d say that would take about fifty hours, that peacock. Yeah, definitely 50 hours. But some of those would take more. Like that one with St. Joseph and the child, with the world in his hands. That’d take definitely at least a hundred hours.

When asked what he does with the finished pieces, Terry chuckled and replied “Keep ‘em,” though he admitted that his kids had claimed a number of them, and he gave others away to friends. The interview with Terry reminded me of the work of my mother and several aunts, who put hours and hours of their rare free time into embroidery, quilting and crochet and largely gave these items to friends and family for free.

The Center’s needlework subject file included a booklet about Polish needlework patterns, including explanations of Polish cutwork, goldwork, and beadwork. Included in the booklet are several hand-drawn examples of common Polish needlework patterns.

Hand-drawn illlustrations of flowers, leaves, and vines. The flowers resemble tulips, daisies, sunflowers, and zinnias.
Hand-drawn illustrations for Polish embroidery and beadwork, found in a booklet in AFC’s needlework subject file. Photo by Meg Nicholas.

As I looked through these, I was struck by the similar between these Polish embroidery designs, Terry Teahan’s embroidered flowers, the beaded rosettes, necklaces and medallions for sale at a powwow documented in the Paradise Valley Folklife Project collection (AFC 1991/021),

An assortment of beadwork is set out for display on a slab of concrete. The beadwork is done in several different styles: Plains style designs made on a loom, a beaded net necklace with a design resembling baskets found in the Southwest, and several circular medallions. The two small medallions depict what appear to be a circle of feathers, made up in two different colorways. The third medallion is much larger and depicts a red rose against a white background.
Beadwork examples for sale at the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation, made by the daughter of Ethl Cavanaugh. Thomas Vennum, photographer. August 1978. Paradise Valley Folklife Project (AFC 1991/021), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

and the floral designs depicted in photographs of Adelaide Parker Matt’s beadwork, as documented in the Montana Folklife Survey (AFC 1980/005).

Three examples of beadwork are displayed, each resting atop another. The bag in back includes red and yellow flowers against a white background. Fringe decorates the edges. On top of that, out of focus, a smaller piece of red and yellow flowers against a light blue background can be seen. In the front of the photo, on top of the other pieces, sits a small beaded purse depicting three red four-petaled flowers with a black center, leaves in green and turquoise, against a dark blue background. The blue beads on this piece have a flat, reflective edge, making them sparkle in the light.
Small purse made using cut beads (with small, flat reflecting surfaces). Created by Adelaide Parker Matt. Barre Toelken, photographer. September 10, 1979. Montana Folklife Survey Collection (AFC 1981/005), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

I also couldn’t help but be reminded of the Eastern Woodlands floral patterns I grew up with. In fact, some of these designs were extremely similar to a pair of beaded medallions I am currently finishing up as a gift.

Quilting

Perhaps the best documented traditional craft within the Center’s archives is the quilt. Examples of quilts – and the talented people who make them – are found across a number of collections, including the Coal River Folklife Collection (AFC 1999/008),

A four poster bed is made up using a handmade quilt. The pattern is a multicolored double wedding ring pattern, set against a white background.
Quilt made by Elsie Rich in the pattern Double Wedding Ring. Mary Hufford, photographer. December 14, 1992. Coal River Folklife Collection (AFC 1999/008), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

the Blue Ridge Parkway Folklife Project (AFC 1982/009),

Two women stand in the front yard of a house, holding up a crazy quilt between them.
Alma Hemmings displays a crazy quilt dated April 5, 1937. Lyntha Scott Eiler, photographer. 1978. Blue Ridge Parkway Folklife Project collection (AFC 1982/009), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

and the South-Central Georgia Folklife Project (AFC 1982/010), to name a few.

An African-American woman, her hair pulled back from her face, sits in a chair on her front lawn. A multi-colored piece quilt top is draped across her lap. A barrel of flowers is visible behind her.
Leola Lippitt sitting in her yard with a pieced quilt top she was working on. Beverly J. Robinson, photographer. 1977. South-Central Georgia Folklife Project Collection (AFC 1982/010), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Many of the pictures and audio recordings from these field surveys, as well as photographs from the Lands’ End All-American Quilt Collection (AFC 1997/011) were combined together for the digital presentation, Quilts and Quiltmaking in America, 1978 to 1996. Here, researchers can view color photographs of the beautiful quilts made by many different artists and hear what this traditional craft means to the people who make them. I particularly enjoyed listening to responses to the question “What makes a quilt pretty?” The answers – and the accents of the women responding – brought to mind similar conversations I had years ago with my Aunt Eva, who grew up in the mountains around Wise, Virginia and was the person who taught me how to quilt when I was 10.

Basketry

A rocking chair sits center frame. The back of the chair has recently been recaned with woven ash splints. The seat of the rocking chair is half-finished. A wooden clothespin holds the new caning in place on the seat.
Re-caned rocking chair on display at the Georgia Agrirama. David Stanley, photographer. August 11, 1977. South-Central Georgia Folklife Project collection (AFC 1982/010), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

In addition to interviews with basket makers and chair caners such as Walter Handy and Sam Davis, the Center also includes an interview with Randy Winn and his daughter, Megan Winn, who repair chairs in Franklin County, Virginia. It was great to see the connection between the work of Sam Davis, and the work the Winns were doing to help preserve this skill years later.

Closeup shot of a woman’s hands, holding the circular bottom of an in-progress pine needle basket. The woman wears a thimble on the tip of one of her middle fingers, and stitches a bundle of pine needles into a tight coil.
Alma Hemmings weaving a pine needle basket in Dobson, North Carolina. Lyntha Scott Eiler, photographer. 1978. Blue Ridge Parkway Folklife Project (AFC 1982/009), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

While looking for images about baskets and basketry, I was also struck by these images of basket maker Alma Hemming’s hands, as she works on a pine needle basket – especially by the presence of the thimble on her middle finger. Too often, I think people forget about the toll that many of these crafts take on each artist’s body. If you are trying to think of something for the craftsperson in your life, you might consider something to help them take care of their hands.

Closeup shot of a woman’s hands, working on a coiled pine needle basket. The flat, round bottom of the basket is mostly hidden under her hands. She wears a metal thimble on the tip of one of her middle fingers and is using both hands to tighten a knot, securing the working end of the basket to the other rows. A slightly conical metal tube measuring about an inch holds the bundle of pine needles closely together for weaving.
Alma Hemmings weaving a pine needle basket. Lyntha Scott Eiler, photographer. 1978. Blue Ridge Parkway Folklife Project (AFC 1982/009), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Leatherwork

The most personally moving photograph I came across during my search was this picture from the Paradise Valley Folklife Project Collection.

A brown, rectangular case sits on the edge of a wooden work bench, illuminated by light from a window behind it. The case is angled to show a wide array of leather stamping tools. The front of the case has thrown part of the desk into complete shadow. In the foreground, a strap of leather and a hammer rest on a small slab of marble. The leather strap is partially tooled with a basketweave pattern. The hammer is made from a short wooden cylinder, affixed crossways to a wood handle. It shows signs of wear.
Leatherworking tools in Herron’s Saddle Shop, at Grason Ranch. Richard E. Ahlborn, photographer. July 1978. Paradise Valley Folklife Project Collection (AFC 1991/021), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

The tools pictured belong to Bonnie Herron, who worked in Herron’s Saddle Shop, on Grayson Ranch. The hard-shell case at the back holds an assortment of leather stamping tools. To tool the leather, a craftsperson will first dampen the area to be worked, carefully place the chosen stamp, and then hammer the design into the leather strip using the mallet. The mallets are generally made of rawhide (or, today, plastic or rubber), which are softer and won’t damage the metal stamping tools the way a metal hammer will. The head of this mallet appears to have a wood grain pattern, though, making me wonder if it is entirely made of wood.

On its own, this photograph likely wouldn’t elicit much of a response from most people beyond “that’s neat.” For me, though, it felt like seeing an old friend after a long separation.

An old mallet made from a piece of rolled rawhide affixed to a wooden handle rests atop an old plastic bag holding a number of metal leather stamping tools. Three stamping tools rest against an example of a finished tooled leather checkbook cover.
Examples of leatherworking tools that belonged to the author’s father and grandfather, along with a tooled leather checkbook cover made by the author’s father. Photograph by Meg Nicholas.

Even without the caption, I would have recognized the items in this photograph, as they are essentially the same as the tools that currently sit in pride of place on a self in my own craft room. My tools belonged to my father and, before that, to my grandfather. My family used to have a small shop in Central Ohio, selling what my dad used to call “beads and trinkets” to tourists, and also tooled leather wallets, purses and checkbook covers. Like the Herron Saddle Shop, we also had a large slab of marble to help protect the wood top of the worktable, but it was lost during a move from our old family home. You can see it (and some of my family’s tools) in this family photograph of my uncle, Dan, working on a piece of tooled leather in my family’s old shop. [Note the floral beadwork designs on his shirt and cuffs.]

Black and white photograph. A smiling man looks down at a piece of leather he is working on. He is wearing a gorget around his neck and a dancer's roach on his head, covered with beadwork typical of Eastern Woodlands tribes. Leatherwork tools are spread out around him. Several feathered dance bustles hang from the wall and ceiling. A young man, also wearing beadwork, looks on in the background.
Family photograph showing the author’s uncle working on a piece of tooled leather, using the same rawhide mallet pictured earlier. A large slab of marble can be seen, protecting the surface of the worktable from the stamping tools.

Sadly, both my father and my uncle passed away before I could learn the techniques of leathercraft from them, but I keep the tools close as both a reminder of my family’s long history with traditional crafts, and as a promise to myself to one day add leatherwork to my list of skills.

I hope that this stroll through some of the Center’s collections has inspired those of you who, like me, are engaged in the last-minute rush to finish all of your handmade gifts. Even as your hands ache and you blink bleary eyes, trying to finish those last few stitches or sand the rough edges from your woodcarving, I hope you take the time to reflect on your connection to the crafts and tradespeople who came before you, who taught you how to cane chairs, quilt bedspreads, knit scarves, and whittle soup ladles. You are part of a long folk tradition of handmade crafts, passed down through folk communities the world over, and immortalized in the photographs, manuscripts, and recordings of places like the American Folklife Center.

For those readers who will be the lucky recipients of a handmade gift this holiday season: may you recognize the long hours spent learning and crafting your gift and know that it speaks volumes about its maker’s love and care for you.

Further Reading
Interested in reading more about folk and traditional crafts? Check out these blog posts from Folklife Today:

For more information on quilts, make an appointment to visit the American Folklife Center Reading Room to view these collections:

Additionally, many of the photographs and audio recordings related to quilting in the Center’s field survey collections are presented in the digital presentation Quilts and Quiltmaking in America, 1978-1996.

Examples of these (and many other) traditional crafts can be found throughout the Center’s collections, including:

Comments (2)

  1. Cheryl Lederle says:

    Thanks for this tour of the Library’s collections, Meg, and especially for the personal connections you shared. I’m a dedicated knitter (mostly socks) and your description of the before-holiday scramble is quite familiar.

  2. Susan Burney says:

    I read with interest about Terry Teahan. He reminds me of the Irish embroidery artist named Owen Kelly who is also a gardener, writer and musician. His work is outstanding and well worth following for anyone interested in this subject.

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