Loosing The Art of Making Anything By Hand!

Annabellethecat66 · ‎03-12-2010

I've been watching a show on TV called "Craft In America". It is discussing how this country is loosing the art of making anything by hand.

It talks about how everything today is so cheap and disposable. People expect things well made and beautiful. However, when presented with this well made and beautiful item, they don't want to pay what's asked. They don't take into account the number of hours it took to make it or the fact this it is usually made with much better materials than a mass produced item.

I get this all of the time. I often crochet scarves. I enjoy doing it because it because I have terrible arthritis in my hands and fingers and this keeps them agile (well agile wouldn't be the word to describe my fingers, more like, it keeps them moving). Ha!

I've been asked if I'd sell them. I always say, "No way! If I put a price on them, you wouldn't want to pay it." If I thought about the number of hours spent crocheting them, the money and going to the store to pick out the yarn, it would be more money than anyone would pay.

So, I, like pretty much anyone I know who does things like this (things by hand) make them for friends or charity. People don't understand that by telling me they are too expensive is actually saying my time isn't worth paying for it.

This show talked about people who realize how important it is to keep alive the art of crafters (providing sewing machines, a place to sew, etc) so that the art isn't lost.

Lately I've been reading about places like this. Also there are kitchens people can go to where they can prepare their food for a week (under the watchful eye of a chef).

I have one friend who makes amazing quilts for people. Say if you had a friend who is having a baby you might gather some of the pictures of the friend as a child, maybe a piece of their favorite blanket, etc and a quilt would be made for their baby.

I have another friend who makes (i.e. knit and crochet) anything and everything. She makes me afghans for young women I know who are having babies. I've lost count on how many she's made for me in the last 10 years. She's making one right now for a young woman I know (a cashier at my bank). I don't mind paying for it because I know how much work goes into it.

I used to make them but no longer do it because I'm slow these days. My scarfs go to a friend who hands them out at her church in the Winter when her church runs "Thermal Units" (places to sleep) when winter comes. They go out with one of my scarfs. Sometimes they are very colorful...my imagination goes wild. Never the same one twice!

I'm wondering if any of you make things? It can be anything. I have another friend (again, from high school) who paints amazing pictures.

brandiwine · ‎03-11-2010

I knit scarves, embroider kitchen towels, sew baby blankets, and make some other kitchen items. I make some clothes for myself. I did some sewing for my granddaughter, but my DIL ask me not to. No designer labels. My granddaughter was 2 at the time. I give my things away to friends and neighbors. Creating things is a dying art.

spix · ‎04-26-2013

Back in the day I did sew, made "special" dresses for my DD's, like Communion, etc, also crocheted (sp) poncho's for them, when DH & I had an affair to go to, my DSIL would make a dress for me taken from a pic in a mag, etc, usually a very $$ designer dress, she was a master at her craft.

My treasures are 2 afghans made by friends & given to me, I know how much love was put into them, I will hand them down to the kids when the time comes

Sadly you are right, hand made is a dying art

sparklestar · ‎03-09-2010

It didn't happen overnight. It happens over time as we progress. I think it's lack of interest on the younger generation and lack of effort on the older generation to involve their children and grandchildren.

deepwaterdotter · ‎03-09-2010

I cook from scratch with fresh ingredients. Not a fan of the taste of preservatives in my food. Haven't eaten from a 'fast food' outlet for years.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

Funny you should mention this! Although I don't MAKE anything, I appreciate lovely well made things that are constructed from good material. I am in the process of weeding down things I own, converting them to cash or donating them, and upgrading some to better things.

In this age of cheap stuff, I have bought too much chap stuff. Lots of old sterling jewelry I'll never well is going, I'm donating excess clothing, and this fall I may have a garage sale to get rid of some more stuff!

This gets me with less stuff to keep up with and better made stuff to enjoy. So I agree with what our OP is saying about enjoying the quality and the craftsmanship that goes into things.

Annabellethecat66 · ‎03-12-2010

@brandiwine I agree with you. People don't understand the pleasure of looking at something and knowing there is nothing like it (exactly) in the world because it was hand made.

I have 2 amazing sewing machines, every color thread made for x-stitching, just everything in my sewing/craft room. Tubs and tubs of yarn. Just saying it because it makes me sick to think my grandchildren and daughters have no interest in learning how to do or use these things. Instead I give the material and yarn to friends and I guess my daughters will eventually sell the machines for next to nothing.

Do you find yourself wishing someone in your family was interested in learning from you? My granddaughters used to come into the room and say one day they wanted some of the things, but now that some are entering their young teens, they aren't interested.

My friend who can knit anything has taught her daughter (she's now 18) to do it, but she's not interested in doing it.

I guess the afghans and x-stitch (in frames) will be passed down and stored.

It's like all of the toys we all saved that our children played with. I have one daughter (middle) with 3 young girls. She wants every toy she and her sisters had growing up. She already has many of them. She keeps them carefully stored away. Every now and then she'll get them out so her girls can play with them (i.e. Fisher Price little people).

She, her husband and 3 daughters recently went to the Cabbage Patch Hospital. She actually took her Cabbage Patch Doll and her sister's CP doll (which she 'adopted'). The people at the CP Hospital went bonkers about these dolls because they were among the first one's made. Told my daughter they were worth quite a bit of money! So funny...you should see how dirty these things are! My youngest daughter left all of her CP dolls here when she moved out. I think I counted 14 (yes you saw right) of the dolls and other things (i.e. Kooza, etc) made at the same time. They are laying out on the bed in one of the guest rooms.

I look at this stuff and think..."What is she going to do with them when I downsize"? She isn't married (she's 36) and has no children, but she still wants them.

Are any of you in the same boat with all of these toys, items and things you've been keeping since your children moved out? I have lived here for 38 years. So many albums, toys (girls never break toys), books you name it.

How about you guys? What did you say to your children? Come get it or it's going to Goodwill? Ha!

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

Having been to Michael's this morning, I can tell you crafting is not a dying art. It may be bigger than ever.

I still crochet, I still have my sewing machine and my spinning wheel. We decorate big time for holidays and I make a lot of the decorations.

I also cook from scratch just about every day. Last night we were a mother/daughter team making our first Thai spring rolls. You can learn to do just about anything by way of video instruction online, including how to roll those spring rolls 😃

Probably most people don't have time to make things they need or use anymore. It's a different world now where most families have a working mother and father.

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

Forgot to mention I've made jewelry for decades, I love it. I've also worked with tile and made one piece into a table.

My daughter is also very crafty.

We have to realize times change.

Susan in California · ‎06-02-2014

@Annabellethecat66

I enjoyed reading your post. I agree, hand-made items seem to be a thing of the past.

My grandmother used to make beautiful quilts, some of which I own and love to this day.

She used scraps from clothing that had meaning, and that was part of the fun: recognzing fabric from a favorite dress or shirt.

My step-mother had been a tailor as a young woman in Germany. She continued to sew and knit throughout her life. She made beautiful clothes, and it was such a pleasure to see her creations.

I used to sew but was never terribly talented. I made a few dresses in my twenties that turned out well, as well as a few cute outfits for my older son when he was a baby and toddler. As my life got busy with two sons and a career, I stopped sewing.

But, I agree. Clothing is cheaper, more disposable, and we seem to have lost a lot of the home arts that were passed down in the past.