Written by Bonnee, English 215 student
8 am, light cracking through, shovelling through your dresser, pulling out shirts, pants, sweaters, the unchosen thrown on the floor; disordered colour patches. Your phone dings a few times, packing things in your bag, you rush to the bus, list what needs to be done, try to remember something, worry about something else, flip through social media, adds for online shopping, sales are happening NOW, quick delivery, press some buttons.
The Fibre Museum asks you to slow down, take a breath, and touch some wool.
Living in a fast-paced world, our attention is pulled in so many directions, and meaningful connections become lost in all the commotion. We forget to think beyond style and prices to consider the history and humanity behind clothing.
My mom, growing up in a poor, Mennonite family, never had the chance to be thoughtless when it came to materials. She and her sisters had to sew their own dresses, and when those dresses faded or ripped, they would cut them into squares for quilts. My Grandma hosted quilting bees; friends would come over to help sew and discuss the goings-on of their community. Making a quilt takes a long time, but that made it all the more meaningful. Different colours of fabric would be arranged into a beautiful new pattern, with the stories of various women travelling back and forth above their deft working hands. The disordered patches would become connected, and so would they.
When you walk through the Fibre museum, you will see books which reveal the history of clothing. You will get to touch and feel fabrics, using your senses to connect more fully to the stories you read. You will see a quilt, and perhaps you will consider how materials can also connect us with the people behind them. Maybe we can all slow down enough to see the humans behind the clothing, and make better, conscious choices going forward.
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