Threads of Life

Threads of Life A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle

Paperback (20 Oct 2020)

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Publisher's Synopsis

"An astonishing feat, this patchwork of history, culture, and politics . . . takes us from Saxon England to colonized African tribes, Palestinian villages, rural China and the cramped homes of American slaves." ―Sunday Times (London)
 
Threads of Life is a chronicle of identity, protest, memory, power, and politics told through the stories of needlework. It's human history told from a new, surprising perspective.
 
This is a globe-spanning history of sewing, embroidery, and the people who have used a needle and thread to make their voices heard. From the political propaganda of the Bayeux Tapestry to the pink pussyhats of the Women's March, women and men have used the language of sewing to make their voices heard, even in the most desperate of circumstances. Topics covered include:
  • The English royals
  • The Catholic Church
  • World War I soldiers coping with PTSD
  • Maps sewn by schoolgirls in the New World
  • The AIDS quilt
  • Hmong story clothes
  • And much more!
Clare Hunter, master of the craft, threads her own narrative as she takes us over centuries and across continents-from medieval France to contemporary Mexico and the United States, and from a POW camp in Singapore to a family attic in Scotland-to celebrate the age-old, universal, and underexplored beauty and power of sewing.
 
This is a thoughtful work of history and craft, full of little-known stories, and an evocative and moving book about the need we have to tell our story.

About the Publisher

Abrams

Abrams

Abrams Books is dedicated to publishing visually stunning illustrated books on the subjects of art, architecture, photography, graphic design, interior and garden design, fashion, comic arts and graphic novels, sports, and general interest. Its long list of distinguished and popular titles includes The Art of Walt Disney, Earth From Above, Richard Avedon: Performance, Time: Andy Goldsworthy, African Ceremonies, Slim Aarons: Once Upon a Time, The Ultimate Picasso, Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century, Graffiti World: Street Art from Five Continents, Things I've Learned in My Life So Far, Vanity Fair: The Portraits, Twilight: Photographs by Gregory Crewdson, Kirby: King of Comics, William Wegman Polaroids, Tony Duquette, Louis Vuitton: The Birth of Modern Luxury, Landscape Design: A Cultural and Architectural History, Golf Magazine: Private Lesson's, and the best-selling 365 and Discoveries series.

Book information

ISBN: 9781419747656
Publisher: Abrams Press
Imprint: Abrams
Pub date:
Language: English
Number of pages: 320
Weight: 322g
Height: 210mm
Width: 140mm
Spine width: 28mm