The Hagley Handwork Group exemplifies the Hagley motto of “where innovation inspires and imagination runs wild.” “We all have our own specific talents that we utilize in different areas while still coming together as a group to create,” said Nora Andresen, a member of the group for three decades. The group is all-volunteer, and all materials for sewing, knitting, and crocheting are donated.
Consider a quilt that Andresen helped create. “There was an old quilt in the Gibbons House, a beautiful piece that sat on the bed, full of intricate lace appliqué. It was more of a decorative piece that unfortunately ended up falling apart with age, and I wanted to make a replacement for it. I wanted the quilt to be as close as possible to something the workers would have used back then for warmth.”
Acknowledging that some textiles might not have been readily available to workers of the time, she believes that group members accurately depicted the utility of the quilt for the period. “It was a group effort and a piece that we are all very happy with,” said Andresen, who brought her own twist by using ties instead of stitches to connect the three layers of the quilt. The quilt is currently on display in the Gibbons House on Workers’ Hill.
The Handwork Group works Monday mornings at Hagley throughout the year, mostly on pieces sold at the Hagley Craft Fair. The group also works on smaller projects for the museum, such as period-specific costumes for reenactments, interactive kids’ activities, and jewelry items. To learn more or get involved, contact Susan Strawbridge, Hagley’s volunteer manager, at sstrawbridge@hagley.org.