Image Caption: Details of a needlework picture worked by Ann Plato, Hartford, Connecticut; ca. 1830s. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Henry Francis du Pont Collectors Circle 2018.0029a-d.
September 17, 2022–January 8, 2023
The Needle’s I: Stitching Identity examines how we work with needles and thread to create a sense of self. From historic samplers and clothing to contemporary pieces, the exhibition presents stitchers and stitchery from the 18th century to the present day and explores these makers, their marks, and their stories through themes of family, memory, and craft tradition. The exhibit is inspired by The Needle’s Eye: Women and Work in the Age of Revolution, Marla Miller’s important examination of 18th and early 19th-century identity, gender, and craft and moves it to the present day.
On October 6 and 7, The Needle’s I: Stitching Identity, A Winterthur Conference will explore the themes of the exhibition, further examining how we work with needles and thread to create a sense of self. Join visiting scholars, designers, artists, and Winterthur curators, conservators, and other staff for this two-day conference. Register now.