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Week 8 March 5, 2020

Unit Three as Nonstandard Textualities: Tissu/Tapestry/Textile

WeHistorical Narrative #2 Myth, the industrial revolution, changing patterns of orality to textuality 

“Textura is the name of gothic lettering in its own time. It meant “tapestry” (Marshall McLuhan Gutenberg Galaxy, 83)

  1. Kruger, Kathryn Sullivan. “Myth, History, and the Material World” and “The Semiotics of Cloth and Thetic (Re)Production” Weaving the Word: the Metaphorics of Weaving and Female Textual Production. Selinsgrove, PA: London, Susquehanna University Press; Associated University Presses, 2001. PDF (21-33) and (34-52)
  1. Alfred Lord Tennyson “The Lady of Shalott” (1832) https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45359/the-lady-of-shalott-1832

Textual Practice workshop: cross stitch. Is Cross-stitch a leisure activity or can it be a subversive act? Try this tool that bridges the material and the digital:  https://www.pic2pat.com . On this site you can upload an image you have selected that tells a narrative through pictures or an image of words that you would like to stitch–use the tool to convert it into a cross stitch pattern. 

Samirah writes, The materials of the textual practice of cross-stitch will utilize floss thread (three strands when cross-stitching), Aida cloth, a needle with a large eye, a scissor, and an embroidery frame. Cross-stitch is a visual craft that incorporates technology in its writing and reading. The patterns since their beginnings have symbols that tell a great deal about the stitchers and their historical periods. Multiple patterns can be found and bought online. People sometimes can generate their own patterns as either texts or images. Cross-stitch dates back to the Medieval Ages. It was practiced by women. It was also used to ornament household items such as cushions and napkins. Their  embroideries also contribute to the making of their culture and history as they cross stitch historical events and patriotic slogans. The images they stitch reflect their thoughts and perspectives. Contemporary trends of cross-stitch show that men have started to practice the craft. Some techniques include subversive and twisted cross stitch. Cross-stich is still in use, and has brought financial income for its practitioners.