Hands in History: Activating historical darning samplers through hands-on workshops

This paper investigates how historical darning samplers from the textile collection of the National Museum of Denmark (NMD) can be used as objects of inquiry in a contemporary context such as described here – in a workshop format under the NMD’s event series Hands in History conducted in 2024. The study highlights how textile repair and mending techniques have gained increased attention due to a growing awareness of the climate and environmental impact associated with the production, use, and disposal of textile products. It also shows how the decline in textile knowledge and skills for undertaking mending and repairs represents a barrier for building basic textile literacy. The study is based on 59 darning samplers in the NMD’s collection dating from 1721-1891. These tell an important story of handicraft education in Denmark. They show the pervasive role of textile crafts in the society at the time, and illuminate the strong ideals associated with textile techniques. The Hands in History: Darning workshops consisted of hands-on darning exercises and lectures highlighting the history of darning samplers. Results highlight how textile-historical insights relate to contemporary perspectives and ongoing debates about sustainability and circularity of textiles. The present article focuses on the insights obtained during the interaction between the workshop facilitator-researcher, the participants, and the darning samplers in regard to historical research conducted at museums, and considers wider contemporary perspectives on textile crafts.