Project Statement
My
Grandmother, Janice, is a farmer. She has working hands that have been
weathered by 80 years of tilling land, managing livestock, raising five
children, and “tending to the marital duties of a woman” of her time. When I think of fabrics and stitching I am reminded of her role as a woman. I think of Grandma Janice as a symbol of strength in
the home. Every year around springtime I visit her to begin taking care of her
82 acres of land and 200 year old farmhouse with the rest of my family. With
every visit my grandmother provides the women with a special garment, an apron.
Each apron has a special use associated with it. There are aprons for cooking,
yard work, laundry, farming, and cleaning. Fabric draws my artistic focus to strength and the home through the exploration
of different kinds of work aprons. Re-creating aprons based on my grandmother's original work aprons helps me to form a connection to the roles of women as pillars in the household, recognizing the elbow grease that has served as the stitching that has held American households together.