Every now and then I find a link which takes my breath away.

The other day I discovered the ebook of Beeton’s Book of Needlework originally written in 1850.

The preface states:
The Art of Needlework dates from the earliest record of the world’s history, and has, also, from time immemorial been the support, comfort, or employment of women of every rank and age. Day by day, it increases its votaries, who enlarge and develop its various branches, so that any addition and assistance in teaching or learning Needlework will be welcomed by the Daughters of England, “wise of heart,” who work diligently with their hands.

While needlework now transcends gender, it largely remains in the cultural conscious as “women’s work,” a term which in itself has been denigrated over time. Despite language seen in modernity as old-fashioned, it also speaks to what is perhaps craft’s greatest gift, allowing the transferral of knowledge without worrying about stolen ideas or copyright. Craft has a legacy that is beyond legal confrontations or who had what idea first, it’s about taking skills and passing them on.

To me, this is where craft truly diverges from art, in the radical notion that knowledge can be given to others without fear of someone else running away and profitting from it. I have found myself trapped by this at times, and have had to remind myself that what matters to me is that transfer of knowledge and the perpetuation of ideas.

Also available is The Ladies’ Workbook by Unknown, thanks to The Gutenburg Project.

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