Print media + collage on paper

57.5”W x 42”L

My grandma MaryJane Shaw married at fifteen. A farmer’s daughter, then a farmer’s wife, she lived all 87 years on the same farm. She raised five children, had sixteen grandchildren and twenty-nine great-grandchildren, and worked her tail off.

She farmed, gardened, canned, cooked, quilted, crocheted, and took a second job at Rutters to help send my mom—the first in their family—to college. Making things by hand wasn’t a hobby. It was survival, love, and labor. Nothing was wasted- every scrap, piece of twine, and almost every material was used for something purposeful. They were also proud of the well-crafted and beautiful things they could make for their quality of life. 

It takes on average five to eight hours to crochet a ten-inch doily. These doilies have been passed down through my family and some have been thrifted. Doilies are useful and protect sofas and chairs from hair oil and are also made for wood furniture as a barrier for water stains and wear and tear.  

Maybe that’s what women have always done. Made something beautiful from what they had. Held things together. Kept going.

As Dolly Parton says, “I ain’t got time to be old.” Neither did my grandma.