Handmade History

Sonia & Alicia
  • 5.0 (3)
  • CRAFTS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Two crafty sisters dig up stories and bust myths about people, materials, and practices related to all your favorite handcrafts. Listen to us while you craft! Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com and or visit our website at handmadehistorypodcast.com. New episodes every other week!

  1. OCT 6

    Episode 21: Hairwork, Victorian & Otherwise

    Sponsored by Folkwear Patterns. Folkwear – Where history meets your hands. Visit Folkwear.com and use code HANDMADE20 for 20% off your purchase. Code is good through the end of 2025!  "Hairwork" probably makes you think of intricate Victorian mourning jewelry and silky sculpted hair under glass. We take a broad view of this craft and talk about hairwork from ancient times (such as false beards made of metal) to modern day (the fabulous wigs Queen Charlotte wears in Bridgerton). We also share the varieties of hairwork that were made in the US from pre-colonial times (hair cord used to hang canteens in the cliffs of the Southwest) through the Victorian era (those silky sculptures, and so much more). Join us for a deep dive into what is considered a macabre craft that is actually fascinating, diverse, and occasionally very sweet. Show notes and sources here: https://tinyurl.com/4b9bsekd Have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com. Visit our website at handmadehistorypodcast.com for more information.

    25 min

  2. SEP 22

    Episode 20: Esther Inglis

    Sponsored by MCreativeJ: Visit mcreativej.com today and raise your embroidery to new heights! Esther Inglis was a skilled book artist, calligrapher and embroiderer who lived at the same time as Shakespeare. She created roughly 60 miniature handwritten copies of printed books and gifted them to nobles and royals (including Queen Elizabeth) to gain political and economic favors. Join us as we discuss her life, her books, and the complex patronage system that she worked in. The child of French Huguenot emigrants to England and then Scotland, Inglis was educated in calligraphy by her mother and French by her father. Though she married a clerk, she wrote under her own name for almost all of her manuscripts. Her books, some as small as 1.75 inches tall, were handwritten copies of printed religious texts, including books of the Bible and collections of poetry. She also drew several self-portraits–she was the first British woman to include a self-portrait in a book. Inglis used her books to further her political and religious goals (she was a Protestant, and she may have helped get James I onto the English throne) as well as earn money for her family. And, she handbound and embroidered the covers of several of her books. Listen in to hear how modern needlework historians recreated one of her 400-year-old covers, using velvet, tiny pearls, and gold thread.  We also share the mystery of one of her earliest manuscripts–did she write it herself? Show notes and sources here: https://tinyurl.com/494m4y3n Have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com. Visit our website at handmadehistorypodcast.com for more information.

    25 min

  3. SEP 8

    Episode 19: Historical Low & Zero-Waste Garments

    Sponsored by Folkwear Patterns. Folkwear – Where history meets your hands. Visit Folkwear.com and use code HANDMADE20 for 20% off your purchase. Code is good through the end of 2025!  Up until relatively recently, when factory-manufactured fabric became readily available, many garments around the world were naturally low and zero-waste. People who spent days (or months!) creating fabric (or processing animal skin) did not typically throw away pieces of it. Many cultures developed clever techniques to use up all of the material they created, to provide ease and comfort to the wearer, and to make precious fabric fashion. Join us as we explore garments like the Tarkhan dress (the oldest woven dress), the sari, the kimono, and various garments discovered on bog bodies, among others. Learn about the relationship between material and garment design, find out some of the interesting construction techniques people used, and follow us down deep dives into a variety of practices, from traditional weaving in Japan’s Ainu culture to how Egyptians made pleats without an iron.  Show notes and sources here: https://tinyurl.com/54asn73s Have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com. Visit our website at handmadehistorypodcast.com for more information. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!

    29 min

  4. MAY 26

    Episode 18: Aloha Shirts & Bermuda Shorts

    Sponsored by Folkwear Patterns: Visit www.folkwear.com today and sew something extraordinary. We're gearing up for summer--literally--with an episode on aloha shirts and Bermuda shorts! Aloha wear was invented in Hawaii in the 1920s and 30s, but it really took off during WWII, when millions of military personnel passed through the island--and picked up souvenirs to send home. We share the history of aloha shirts from their birth in Hawaii  to their boom on the mainland, and trace the evolution of two well-known aloha wear designers, Malihini Sportswear and Alfred Shaheen. We talk about the difficulties and opportunities given to different groups in Hawaii and share how Japanese American business owners found ways around discrimination to thrive in the Hawaiian economy. We also share inspiring and unique examples of modern aloha shirts in the New Zealand Museum's collection.  Then, we talk about Bermuda shorts. These long, formal shorts were invented--probably--on the island of Bermuda, which has an interesting history (did you know it was uninhabited until 1609?). We talk about Bermudas vs. Ghurka shorts, the official Boy Scout uniform, and how Bermuda shorts became "badges of independence" on Barnard College's campus in 1960. Plus, we recap our most popular and favorite episodes of our first season--see you in September for more Handmade History! Show notes & sources here: https://tinyurl.com/4bh8w3bd Do you own or make aloha wear? Do you have a favorite Bermuda shorts pattern? We'd love to see your creations! Or have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com, or visit our website at handmadehistory.com.  Happy listening!

    33 min

  5. MAY 12

    Episode 17: Indonesian Batik

    Sponsored by Folkwear Patterns: Visit www.folkwear.com today and sew something extraordinary. Batik is a beautiful resist-dye tradition that has a strong association with Indonesia. In this episode, we share the history of batik and some of the history of Indonesia. The fourth most populous country in the world, made up of 17,000 (yes, you read that right) islands, Indonesia has a thousands-year-old tradition of batik. There are even depictions of batik carved into the stone monuments at Borobudur, one of Indonesia's most famous Buddhist monuments (and a UNESCO World Heritage Site).  In this episode, find out about the ways that batik was traditionally made, learn the differences between classical and coastal styles of batik, and discover how batik that was sold in the West differed from batik sold in Indonesia. You'll also hear about the connection between African waxprints and Dutch imitation batiks. (And learn how to use the word "batik"--spoiler alert: it's noun and verb.) Show notes & sources here: https://tinyurl.com/3w5ymj3y Do you batik? Do you have any batiks? We'd love to see your creations! Or have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com, or visit our website at handmadehistory.com.  Happy listening!

    23 min

  6. APR 28

    Episode 16: Macrame & Knotting

    Sponsored by Folkwear Patterns: Visit www.folkwear.com today and sew something extraordinary. If you ever made macrame anklets out of hemp or friendship bracelets out of embroidery floss, you joined in on a tradition of macrame that is 3000 years old! Macrame fringe appears on stone carvings from the Assyrian civilization--a kingdom of Mesopotamia--that date to the 1000s BCE. The tradition has continued in the Mediterranean up through the present day, and it spread (perhaps via the Moors of Northern Africa) to Spain and Europe, as well as the Americas. In the US, macrame became popular in the Victorian era as part of the Victorian obsession with lace, and again in the 1970s. We talk about why this simple but extraordinary craft gained popularity with the hippies. We also touch on the broader tradition of knotting, which has been a part of human activity since humans became humans (and maybe even earlier!). We explore sailors' knotting art (a part of marlinspike seamanship) and how sailors may have helped spread the craft of macrame.  Also, those embroidery floss bracelets use a stitch created by a Victorian woman, Valentina Cavandoli, who ran a school in Italy. Hear all these fun facts and more in this episode! Show notes & sources here: https://tinyurl.com/mpesdbxu Do you macrame? We'd love to see your creations! Or have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com, or visit our website at handmadehistory.com.  Happy listening!

    23 min

  7. APR 14

    Episode 15: The Contentious Invention of Sewing Machines

    Did you know that it took 100 years for the sewing machine to be invented? The sewing machine automated a process done by hand for tens of thousands of years--and it does it completely differently. A sewing machine uses lockstitch, a stitch you can't do by hand (without serious difficulty), two spools of thread, and a four-part mechanism to sew fabric together. Each of these parts of the sewing machine was invented by a different person, leading to mayhem and litigation. In fact, sewing machines are one of the first examples of a patent thicket, which led to the invention of the first patent pool. Listen in to learn how Singer & Company successfully sold sewing machines around the world in the late 1800s and early 1900s, becoming one of the first mass-marketed global products. Find out how the sewing machine changed the readymade clothing industry, the lives of seamstresses (unfortunately not for the better), and the craft of quilting. And guess how many sewing machines we collectively own? Show notes & sources here: https://tinyurl.com/448xt7u2 How many sewing machines do you have? Do you have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com, or visit our website at handmadehistory.com.  Happy listening!

    25 min

  8. MAR 31

    Episode 14: Scottish Tartans & Clans

    Tartans symbolize Scotland, but what is a tartan, exactly, and what makes it different from a plaid? Do all Scottish clans have a tartan? (And what exactly is a clan?) We answer all these questions and more in this episode, and do a deep dive into one of the first and biggest manufacturers of tartan, Wilson & Sons.  We have a special offer for our listeners from Folkwear Patterns! Use code TARTAN to take 25% off two Folkwear Patterns: 152 Scottish Kilts (https://tinyurl.com/2pdba88z) and 154 Child's Scottish Kilt & Jacket (https://tinyurl.com/e2b6z4nj). Each pattern comes with detailed instructions to pleat a kilt, plus a pattern for a Prince Charlie jacket (152, the adult pattern, comes with a vest, too!). Thank you, Folkwear! Show notes & sources here: https://tinyurl.com/2s43mnwv Do you have a clan tartan or a tartan of your own you'd like to share? Or a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com, or visit our website at handmadehistory.com.  Happy listening!

    23 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Two crafty sisters dig up stories and bust myths about people, materials, and practices related to all your favorite handcrafts. Listen to us while you craft! Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com and or visit our website at handmadehistorypodcast.com. New episodes every other week!

Information

  • Creator
    Sonia & Alicia
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    Handmade History

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