SewingClubs

Sewing clubs have been a part of Icelandic society since the turn of the 20th century. These clubs are based around women gathering in their homes regularly with handicrafts, conversations and exchange of knowledge at the core of these get-togethers. Exploring sewing clubs gives an insight into the mindset, priorities, and zeitgeist of women’s culture.

Members of the household other than the hostess are usually shown the door during the sewing club, making the meeting mysterious: What goes on there? What is the purpose of the club? What handicrafts are being made? What are they discussing? What is served and how? Taking a look at five sewing clubs exhibits the diversity of clubs and shows how traditional crafts become a tool for creating social relationships and precious moments.

Saumó is a part of the exhibition series “Heimsókn” (Visits) in the Museum of Design and Applied Art where the role and form of modern sewing clubs are explored. Guests become a fly on the wall and take a peek inside today’s Icelandic sewing clubs. In Saumó, the museum collection is observed from a new perspective, connecting Icelandic design history and the home to domestic craft motives and sewing clubs.