GAYLORD – You may not think much about it, but textiles, or the fabrics that make up our clothes, towels, and other objects, are almost as old as human civilization.
On April 20 at 6:00 p.m., textile specialist Joan Sheridan will discuss how textiles have evolved throughout history at the Otsego County Library on South Otsego Avenue.
“I’ve always loved being creative. For me, working with textiles is a connection to the past and a way of continuing traditions. Being able to witness the entire process of making a garment from an animal or plant from start to finish is magical. By collecting textiles, I learned about history and processes and how important they are to civilization. Textiles are not permanent. They are fragile artifacts. As such, they are rare and ubiquitous and endlessly fascinating,” Sheridan said.
“I start with a timeline of textiles and how the industrial age changed the way textiles are made. I also cover the history of things that made clothing possible – like zippers, buttons, hooks and eyes, and the sewing machine. I have many artifacts on display, the earliest being a towel from 1810,” Sheridan said.
Originally from East Jordan, Sheridan started collecting textiles at the age of 12 and hasn’t stopped.
“I have many artefacts that are on display, the earliest being a towel from 1810. Many pieces are household items like rugs, pillowcases, and towels, and also wearable items like socks, baby hats, and purses. My presentation will examine many of these objects and the tools and techniques used to create them. The second part of the presentation will cover my work at the Henry Ford Museum (in Dearborn), where I have been a volunteer Textile Conservation Specialist since 2012 to conserve textiles and prepare it for display in the museum or for use in Greenfield Village,” she added.
Textiles can be made from cotton, wool, silk, and flax/linen, or the “big four,” according to Sheridan. Linen is the yarn or fabric made by processing flax.
With World War I, the Great Depression, World War II and during the Baby Boomer era, significant changes occurred in textiles with the developing technology, the role of women in society and the movement of people from one country to another, noted Sheridan.
“The introduction of aniline dyes in the mid-19th century gave way to ‘white work’ in the early 20th century. The depression called for thrift and repurposing of household goods, some of which ended up in quilts. World War II introduced new materials and processes, including nylon, polyester, and durable press treatments, which quickly found their way into homes,” she said.
Weaving, knitting and spinning were once a necessity and are now a craft and art form, Sheridan said. “They all used to be must-haves, but in the US now they’re must-haves and mostly done as a hobby. The uses of textiles have not changed, but the way they are made has changed thanks to advances in technology. Today, mass production has made clothing almost disposable and there is currently a trend to buy better made clothing so that it can be worn longer and is more responsive to patches. Wool is making a comeback after years of synthetics taking the front seat,” Sheridan said.
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