Audio
Mazie Young shares her experiences with church homecomings.Textiles
People have always depended on furs, fibers, and fabrics for protection and warmth, but these materials also served as a way to enrich their environment. Until the rail lines opened up routes to the South Carolina backcountry in the middle of the nineteenth century, residents had little access to imported goods. In the mountains and foothills, Scots-Irish immigrants brought a strong tradition of flax harvesting and linen production. In other parts of the rural south, plantations provided another source of homespun textiles. Textiles, especially quilts, can serve several functions. Quilts carry powerful emotional significance and many were made to show off fine fabrics and fancy needlework; others were composed of scraps and remnants. Whether using imported fabrics, domestically produced fibers, or material scraps from the family farm, quilts are intimately connected to the maker’s social and economic environment.
Content is provided by McKissick Museum, University of South Carolina.
For further information about any of the artists featured on Digital Traditions, send your questions and comments to hallagan@mailbox.sc.edu.
Within this Series
Photo
A master at her craft, Geneva Loewe made quilts for over 50 years. She learned to sew pieced and appliqued quilts from her maternal grandmother, Mary Porcher, who also practiced midwifery in the...Photo
Quilting Ms. Audrey Liddle is a shop owner and quilter in Lexington County. She learned the art of making quilts from her grandmother in Pennsylvania. She started when she was just six years old and...Photo
Dollmaking Ms. Kathy Houser has several unique talents including making art dolls, puppets, quilts, and sculpting figures. She has been practicing this art since 2005 and teaching it to others since...Photo
Resident of Promised Land, SC (Greenwood County). Learned how to quilt and make lye soap from her mother. Her father could make just about any type of split-oak basket: fish trap, clothes hamper...Audio
Resident of Promised Land, SC (Greenwood County). Learned how to quilt and make lye soap from her mother. Her father could make just about any type of split-oak basket: fish trap, clothes hamper...Audio
Resident of Promised Land, SC (Greenwood County). Learned how to quilt and make lye soap from her mother. Her father could make just about any type of split-oak basket: fish trap, clothes hamper...