I’ve used the Happy Housewife fabric before, but not in this way. Going through all my fabric has inspired me to use all the good stuff I have and the house wives and the butterfly fabric are a natural match.
The colors are the same tone and the illustrations have the same seriousness to them. But it goes beyond that. Butterflies are a symbol of the Goddess. They show up again and again on ancient pottery and on goddess sculptures. So I love the idea of juxtaposing the 1940’s house wives with the ancient goddess.
But even if you didn’t know about the goddess connection, the butterflies still work in depicting a sense of freedom compared the restrictions placed on women, not just in the 1940’s but throughout history.
I also couldn’t help thinking of how all those happy housewives are so happy to be vacuuming and showing off their refrigerators because those appliances actually did free up time for them and in many ways made life easier.
I’ll be making more of these this week, until I run out of fabric, and will have them for sale next week. They’re $15 each + shipping.
A magnet on our fridge that Jon gave me
Oh, Maria, please put aside at least one, if not two, of these ‘housewife’ pot holders. I feel compelled to pay homage to an era I vividly remember and desperately fled from ever joining! As a woman child born of the 50’s, embraced by the 60’s and liberated by the 70’s, I was one of the ‘lucky’ ones—able to create my own independent reality and find happiness now in a very domestic way. Full circle; but by choice!
Perfect for you then Cheryl, You got it all in and in your own way. I’ll put two aside for you. Thanks.
Where did all the ‘i’s’ go?????
Cheryl, I’m seeing the “i’s” on my computer. Anyone else having this problem?
I would like to order 4 of these Housewife & Butterfly potholders. Please email me with details so I can provide payment and shipping address.
Great Cheryl, I”ll email you. should have them all done by next week.
Maria this was a synchronous sighting of butterflies. I had just started reading a lovely book called The Butterfly’s Daughter. And then checked Facebook and saw Jon’s posting of your butterfly potholder. Then an hour later I turned on the tv and the Hobbit movie popped on the screen and it was a scene with Bilbo climbing to the tops of the trees in the forest to see if he could discover where they were. He disturbed hundreds of lovely butterflies that were resting at the top of the trees. How delightful it was to be reminded of inch beauty and transformation. Love the potholder a!
Nice Connection Pat. I’d say there’s meaning in butterflies for you today.