clothing their family
Sewing and weaving were yet another task that fell onto the women. For almost two centuries the majority of the preparation of material for clothing was done by the family; the spinning, weaving, dyeing, and making of thread preceded the creation of a garment (Holliday, 1960). The spinning and sewing were done in the spring and winter (Jamestown, n.d.). The colonists grew and harvested the flax plant to make cloth. Linen was the first material that was used in the colonies because flax could be planted in May and harvested at the end of June (Tunis, 1957). The tough fibers inside of the flax plant were spun on a spinning wheel to create the linen thread (Jamestown, n.d.).
If a woman was a quick spinner she could spin six skeins of yarn a day. However, spinning was a very tiresome job. The backward and forward movement that is required to run a spinner was very quick and active. If a woman spun six skeins in one day it would have been equal to walking twenty miles (Earle, 2007). The linen thread that was spun was later woven into linen cloth for clothing and bedding (Jamestown, n.d.). After the spinning and weaving, the cloth was dyed or bleached. This task alone was trying and difficult (Holliday, 1960). However, the task of sewing, weaving, and knitting did not fall solely on the housewife. Young girls were taught to knit as soon as their fingers could grasp the needles (Earle, 2007). It was common for girls as young as four or five to make excellent mittens and stocking (Holliday, 1960).
Spinning was one of the few honorable occupations for women during colonization. The term spinster was given to women who spun linen for a living, they were typically unmarried. The term spinster is used to this day to describe an unmarried woman (Earle, 2007). The daunting task of spinning, sewing, weaving, and knitting, eventually transformed from a tiring chore done at home alone, into a social gathering for women. Colonial women created events referred to as “bees” (Holliday, 1960). The women held quilting bees, spinning bees, knitting bees, sewing bees, paring bees, and several other types of “bees” (Holliday, 1960). These “bees” made the work more enjoyable and helped develop a spirit of community. Women in colonial times had several large tasks to undertake to care for their family. They were responsible for making goods that would be used daily in their homes and in the community. Without the work of women the colonies would not have survived. The items that women created made life possible for everyone in colonial America.
If a woman was a quick spinner she could spin six skeins of yarn a day. However, spinning was a very tiresome job. The backward and forward movement that is required to run a spinner was very quick and active. If a woman spun six skeins in one day it would have been equal to walking twenty miles (Earle, 2007). The linen thread that was spun was later woven into linen cloth for clothing and bedding (Jamestown, n.d.). After the spinning and weaving, the cloth was dyed or bleached. This task alone was trying and difficult (Holliday, 1960). However, the task of sewing, weaving, and knitting did not fall solely on the housewife. Young girls were taught to knit as soon as their fingers could grasp the needles (Earle, 2007). It was common for girls as young as four or five to make excellent mittens and stocking (Holliday, 1960).
Spinning was one of the few honorable occupations for women during colonization. The term spinster was given to women who spun linen for a living, they were typically unmarried. The term spinster is used to this day to describe an unmarried woman (Earle, 2007). The daunting task of spinning, sewing, weaving, and knitting, eventually transformed from a tiring chore done at home alone, into a social gathering for women. Colonial women created events referred to as “bees” (Holliday, 1960). The women held quilting bees, spinning bees, knitting bees, sewing bees, paring bees, and several other types of “bees” (Holliday, 1960). These “bees” made the work more enjoyable and helped develop a spirit of community. Women in colonial times had several large tasks to undertake to care for their family. They were responsible for making goods that would be used daily in their homes and in the community. Without the work of women the colonies would not have survived. The items that women created made life possible for everyone in colonial America.