Sewing as Social Practice
Decorative sewing is a Norwegian tradition that has been particularly important for women throughout at least the last thousand years of Norway's history. It's an activity that most girls learn when they are young, and they continue to improve their technique and creativity throughout their lives. Aside from being an amusing hobby, it serves other functions as well, such as the expression of identity, sociability, and generosity. Learning how to sew in different styles, perfecting these, and making one's own designs becomes a life-long activity. Often, girls and women seek out new styles to conquer and teach themselves.
Some say that the process of learning how to sew and do other handwork activities has been a major contributing factor to the Protestant work ethic. In the past, girls (and boys too, in other ways) learned to keep their hands busy when they were quite young. In many cases girls as young as 4 or 5 years of age were taught (by a mother, a grandmother, or another female relative) to sew or knit and they combined these activities with play. Often there were no toys, in terms of what we often think of as toys, and so sewing gave little girls something to do. Sometimes they would run out of their houses to play and then come back inside to do handwork like stitching doll clothes, purses, and other fun things.
Sewing also serves a number of functions which are socially useful. Sewn products can become a signature of one’s own identity, an elaborate display of generosity, as well as serve as the centerpiece around which social interaction occurs.
As an expression of identity, sewn items can reflect nationalistic, regionalistic, or more personal allegiances, whether used on the body, in the home, or as gifts. A number of regions have their own distinctive style of stitching. Embroidery can signal stylishness or keeping-up-with-the-times as well. They are particularly important as decorations within the home, as this is where much socializing takes place, since restaurants can be so expensive, it's more common to invite someone over than to invite someone out.
Sewn items constitute an important part of gift-exchange practices. This is particularly true in cases where there is not a lot of money available, but a nice gift for a wedding or other occasion would be appropriate. Generosity toward others is something particularly valued toward many Norwegians, and social obligations can be fulfilled with a personalized and labor-intensive item.
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