Everyone knows that flannel is warm, soft, and plaid. But did you know that flannel was likely traded between Europe in Africa before 1486? And that the origins of the word are actually unknown? (And--it doesn't have to be plaid!)

Flannel was strongly associated with Wales, and we share about how this little country's flannel production moved from farms to small factories and eventually larger factories. Then, we talk about the legacy of flannel. Back in the fifties, flannel was commonly used to make suits--James Bond wore flannel suits in many of his films--which is a very different use of the cozy pajama fabric we know now. Listen in to hear about these and other famous flannels. Find show notes here: https://tinyurl.com/5n6v5jr6

Do you have a question or a topic we should cover? Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com! You can also find us on Instagram and Tumblr. Thanks for listening!

In the early 1900s, Berea College accomplished something extraordinary: they revived the mountain craft of weaving. Many women left their looms behind when affordable factory cotton became available, but Berea College created Fireside Industries, a commercial enterprise, as a way of preserving hand weaving practices in the area. Various heads of Fireside Industries--especially Anna Ernberg, a Swedish immigrant and weaving expert--expanded the consumer demand for handwoven goods by traveling and speaking in the North. The college invited expert craftspeople like Candice Wheeler to teach techniques and advise on design to local craftswomen and students who participated in the program. Eventually, Fireside Industries combined with other craft programs at the college to become Student Craft, an important part of the college today that allows students to work and develop craft skills. Listen in to learn this complicated but fascinating history and find out how crafts in this area were preserved and evolved through Berea College.

Thorough show notes with all of our sources here: https://tinyurl.com/2bdz7vz4

Do you have a question or a topic we should cover? Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com! You can also find us on Instagram and Tumblr.

If you were a Girl Scout (like we were) or went to summer camp, chances are you made a tie-dye t-shirt! In the US, tie dye is a fun, casual method of decorating clothes, but it has origins in thousands-year-old traditions all over the world. We talk about the elevated, ongoing art of tie dye in places like Japan (shibori), India (bhandani), West Africa (adire), and Chile (amarras). Listen in to learn the surprising orgin of the bandanna and how Aztec illustrators and modern-day Nahuatl speakers preserved the history of their unique tie-dye cloaks. Thorough show notes with all of our sources here: https://tinyurl.com/4vt9wczw

Do you have a question or a topic we should cover? Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com! You can also find us on Instagram and Tumblr.