Madame Defarge

When I'm stitching, my dad always refers to me as Mme Defarge. How many times do I have to answer, "She knit!" before it sinks in? Like my friend MB says, it's that stupid Quilted Northern commercial all over again. Remember? The women were quilting with knitting needles. D'oh! No one in the ad office or the tp company had ever seen anyone quilt before? Or were they just not paying attention? The ad came out after How to Make an American Quilt.

I guess there's a lot about "women's work" that's invisible to outsiders (male or female). It seems so obvious to the insiders, but I guess it's not:

I've had people thank me for the petit-point and needlepoint I've done for them (it was cross-stitch)

the soldier who asked me to sew his button didn't realize my needle was blunt while sewing needles are sharp (much better to ask a quilter)

the confusion between knitting/quilting/needlework in contemporary culture and my contemporary family

the program director who assured me that all Polish girls would be accomplished needleworkers (she's living in fantasy land)

Maybe stitchers need a stitch-out like the knitters and crocheters have. Tiny-needled women of the world, unite!