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Handmade – Rising from the dead! Part 1
Handmade – Rising from the dead! Part 1
I don’t think I’m philosophical very often, at least consciously. But something has bothered me for a long time. In fact, a very long time!
I remember as a young woman noticing how rewarding it was to make something from start to finish. The better it was, the better I felt. Of course, I fell into the addiction and bondage of Perfectionism and recovered slowly over the years by getting to know better the only Perfect One. 
Being interested in how things change (progress?), I saw that the Industrial Revolution had brought about the near death of ‘making something from start to finish’. Gone was the deep satisfaction of having made an object for private use or as a means of income and the resulting reputation. Before, weavers could shear one of their sheep, clean the wool, spin it thick or fine according to their own design requirements, thread their looms and weave warm cloth for their family, and for others (as the quality of their work became known). A novel, Jack of Newberrie, written by Thomas Delongey during Elizabethean times, tells us something about that.
Later, taking cotton cloth as an example, one person worked in a mill, ginning the cotton of its plant material, then it was shipped to mills to be spun by machines, and threaded in huge, steam powered machines to be woven into cloth. I won’t go into the social injustices that made this possible, such as slavery and child labor. My topic here is the loss of what I call ‘Pride in the Finished Product’.
If a product is made of pieces made by a progression of individuals, perhaps even unknown to each other, who can claim to have made it or take satisfaction in a job well done? Sadly, when that happens, quality often declines, it’s natural. But “That’s OK, we’ll just make more” – not!!!!
Now I admit I do not mine stones nor cut and polish them into glorious cabachons that reflect the beauty of their Creator (not me), but after reveling in their individual marbling of colors or their one definite color, I design combinations of them into jewelry for others who love Nature’s beauty.
I am happy to say that there is an increasing interest in hand crafted work. No, knitters do not often shear or spin, nor basket makers split or gather their own material (though some do). But to see that there are people who take that purchased ‘raw’ material and by their creative skills and energy make something they can claim as their own product, is very encouraging to me. Bravo!
Written by Silvercloud
Tags: HA, haf, HAFshop, Handmade, Handmade Artists, handmade jewelry, handmade weaving, HAS, history of handmade
Posted in Handmade, Information
12 Responses to “Handmade – Rising from the dead! Part 1”
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Thanks for sharing, it is so true that handmade items struggle in this day and age. I do however believe and hope that are still appreciated by some.
Hi Everyone – thanks one and all for taking the time to send the encouraging responses. Debbi, I like being able to thank you by name! As for Gemlover, you just ‘stole’ my Part 2, you know. Nancy, there is a 4 line saying that you quoted part of that I have thought should be printed somehow and spread around, eh? Lisianblue, I appreciate the comment on the Amazonite piece – it is a popular one when I ask for votes. Thank you for encouraging my writing too Mary, we make what we love to make, and will continue as long as we can buy supplies, and thereby we’ll keep the ‘torch’ alive. What would it be like if there were no handmakers? Carry on! Marilyn, keep making what you make and thanks for commenting.
Great article.
Sadly, for many decades now, many people prefer ‘quantity’ over ‘quality’ when it comes to their wants – ergo the ‘chains’ keep coming and furnishing all the ‘things’ we just can’t live without…lots of things. And when these things can be mass produced (especially in foreign countries) at amazingly low prices, why pay for that one unique, quality piece when you can have 5 of the other at the same price? Thanks so much for sharing what is the truth.
The economy of mass production was demonstrated very well by Henry Ford when the mass produced automobile was started. Before that we had the idea of interchangeable parts (Eli Whitney) so each musket/rifle was no longer an individual production. Quality does not need to be lost in mass production. However, the “capitalists” of industry relished personal wealth and personal coddling over quality. America started with cottage industry and has evolved into the anything for profit industry. Great blog. Remember that Paul Revere was a handcrafting silversmith.
Excellent article. I love the amazonite and MOP necklace – beautiful!
Wonderful truth here! My grandparents taught me the skill of make it or do without, so I have this built in and for some crazy reason I was not able to pass it to my children, sign of the times….I am not sure that’s progress.
great post…and I agree, people are missing so much with mass produced items. and handcrafted items are great for family heirlooms.
Debbi
–yankeeburrowcreations
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[…] recap the point of Part 1: “If a product is made of pieces made by a progression of individuals, perhaps even unknown […]
[…] recap the point of Part 1: “If a product is made of pieces made by a progression of individuals, perhaps even unknown […]