Stitching

/ˈstɪtʃɪŋ/ verb

Definition

Using a needle and thread to sew pieces of cloth together, or the pattern of thread created by this process.

Etymology

From Old English 'stice' (a prick or puncture), related to 'stick'; the action of repeatedly piercing cloth with a needle has been called 'stitching' for over a thousand years.

Kelly Says

Stitching is one of humanity's oldest technologies—we have 40,000-year-old bone needles from caves, and stitching allowed humans to make warm clothes and survive in colder climates, which probably helped us migrate out of Africa.

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

Stitching/sewing has been coded as 'women's work' and trivially domestic, historically excluding women from industrial/technical textiles. The skill was devalued when feminized despite its technical precision.

Inclusive Usage

Use neutrally for the technical craft without gendering. Acknowledge stitching/textiles as legitimate skilled labor.

Empowerment Note

Women master craftspeople and industrial textile workers have been erased from design and manufacturing history. Recognize stitching as engineering.

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