Handmade History

Two crafty sisters dig up stories and bust myths about people, materials, and practices related to all your favorite handcrafts. Listen to us while you craft! Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com and or visit our website at handmadehistorypodcast.com. New episodes every other week!

Episode 33: Sports Gear, from Baseball Caps to the Sports Bra Seen Round the World 04/13/2026

Bonus Episode 2: A Conversation with Author Anne H. Putnam about Breakups & Mending 04/06/2026

Bonus Episode 2: A Conversation with Author Anne H. Putnam about Breakups & Mending In this bonus episode, Alicia chats with author Anne H. Putnam about her newest book, Make Do and Mend, a breakup memoir. Grab your favorite handcraft and listen in to learn about kintsugi, the Japanese art of filling cracks with gold and silver; why Anne decided to self-publish this memoir; and how embroidery and mending helped guide her through a difficult time. Scroll to the end for a giveaway! More about Make Do and Mend: Radically vulnerable and illuminating, Make Do and Mend is perfect for anyone who’s ever played one of Taylor Swift’s heartrending breakup songs on repeat or talked a little too much about her ex on a first date. Anne Putnam has a doting British boyfriend, a job in book publishing, an East London flat with a water view—even a published book of her own. But, having never expected the fairytale, 28-year-old Anne has no reason to anticipate its abrupt ending. When her fiancé cheats and their wedding is canceled, she’s knocked into a tailspin that takes out nearly everything that held her life together. She flees London for her hometown of San Francisco, which becomes the unstable base camp for the steepest uphill climb she’s ever faced: a torturous game of will-they-or-won’t-they with her ex. Slowly, painfully, and with a lot of snark and bravado, she claws her way back from depression, with the help of an assembly line of bad dates, her cohort of brilliant friends, and a lot of guidance from her annoyingly astute therapist. Ultimately, she faces one major decision: take back the one person who loves her most, or burn it all down and start over. A touching, and sometimes funny, tale of one millennial’s journey through the ugly parts of heartbreak, Make Do and Mend examines the decidedly unsexy process of healing and post-traumatic growth. To celebrate the publication of Anne's book, we're doing a giveaway of both of her memoirs! Enter to win a copy of Make Do and Mend and Navel Gazing in three ways: ! All of our members are automatically entered to win. --we are ! The giveaway post will be pinned at the top--just follow us and comment to win. Send us an email! Don't do social media? No worries! Just email us at and mention that you'd like to win Anne's books. , where you can find all of her books and writing. And for more information, please visit our website at . /episode/index/show/e4092dbd-8f1b-4464-ad27-5c95d33cac00/id/40560160

Episode 32: A Select History of Early Knitting Machines 03/30/2026

Episode 31: Brown Lung and Blow Outs: The First Mills and Millworkers in New England 03/16/2026

Episode 30: Stumpwork 03/02/2026

Episode 30: Stumpwork Have you listened to our latest episode yet? Here's the description: Stumpwork Embroidery from West to East: Birds, Bees, and Byzantine Icons! Ever seen a piece of embroidery where the petals literally popped off the fabric? Welcome to the decadent, dimensional world of stumpwork embroidery. Today, stumpwork artists love to stitch flowers, bees, berries, and birds. But stumpwork has a long history, stretching all the way back to the Byzantine Empire. If you love a craft that combines high-level skill with a bit of historical drama, this episode is for you. This episode also marks the start of our first ever stitch along! Grab our or from MCreativeJ and join us as we bring Handmade History to life with the ! Share your progress with #stumpworkstitchalong on social media! Here’s a look at what we’re unravelling: 👑 The Stuart Obsession: In 17th-century England, noblewomen weren't just stitching flat patterns. They were building entire 3-D worlds on mirrors and jewelry boxes. We’re talking about tiny doors that actually open and curtains you could push aside to peek into castles. 🌸 The First "Pansy": Did you know the very first time the word "pansy" appeared in the English language (way back in 1450!), it was being used to describe an embroidered flower on a cloak? 🌍 A Global Journey: Stumpwork's history crisscrosses Europe, the Americas, and the eastern Roman Empire. We explore: Byzantine Icons: Where gold thread and pearls made religious figures glow. Spanish & Mexican Traditions: The beautiful "alto relieve" elements found in colonial-era clothing. The Brazilian Revolution: How "Madame Maia" changed the game in the 1960s with high-shine rayon thread and bold, variegated colors. 🛠️ The Original "Craft Kit": Think embroidery kits are a new invention? Think again! 17th-century crafters could buy pre-drawn kits for mirrors and boxes that came with all the silks, beads, and mica they needed. The struggle to find the perfect supplies is truly timeless. Whether you’re a master of the bullion knot or you’ve never picked up a needle in your life, the history of how humans have used thread to create 3-D art is absolutely fascinating. Show notes and sources here: Have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? Email us at . Find links, images, and more on the free blog post for this episode; visit our Patreon page at Or visit our website at for more information. /episode/index/show/e4092dbd-8f1b-4464-ad27-5c95d33cac00/id/40247175

Episode 29: The Wild World of Millinery: Hatmaking Across the Ages 02/16/2026

Episode 29: The Wild World of Millinery: Hatmaking Across the Ages Sponsored by Folkwear Patterns! Visit to explore our collection and join a community that's been stitching history for half a century. What do a 27,000-year-old figurine, a Bronze Age coil of horsehair, and King Henry VIII’s "minions" have in common? They are all part of the wild, tangled, and surprisingly complex world of millinery. This week, we’re diving into the history of how we cover our heads. While we think of "millinery" today as the art of the women’s hat, it was once the "department store of the past," selling everything from jewelry and gloves to clocks and "certain stuff." We’ll trace the evolution of the craft from ancient woven fragments found in the Czech Republic to the high-fashion millinery shops of Revolutionary Williamsburg. Along the way, we explore the incredible 40-hour reconstruction of a 3,000-year-old Scottish hat, the cultural significance of the Native American warbonnet, and the business savvy of Victorian women who dominated the trade long before they had the right to vote. In this episode, you’ll learn about: The "Venus" Mystery: Why archaeologists now believe those ancient braided hairstyles might actually be the world's oldest hats. The 40-Hour Hat: A deep dive into the "wrapped twining" technique used to recreate a Bronze Age horsehair masterpiece. The King’s Shopping List: How much Henry VIII paid for his "bonnetts" (and who his minions were). The Shopping Experience: What it was like to shop in an 18th-century millinery shop (spoiler alert: there were pastries!) The Millinery Class Boom: Why classes in millinery exploded in the late 1800s and early 1900s–and why they fell short in creating a career pathway for most women Whether you’re a fiber artist curious about the special technique used to make a Bronze-age hat or a history buff interested in the economics of fashion, this episode is for you. Show notes and sources here: We shared the story of our family's immigration to the US and our views on ICE at the top of the episode. If you feel moved to call your representatives, you can find who to contact at this website: Know your rights if ICE agents confront you or your neighbors: Support people who are in danger of detention and who have been detained in Minnesota: Have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? Email us at . Find links, images, and more on the free blog post for this episode; visit our Patreon page at Or visit our website at for more information. /episode/index/show/e4092dbd-8f1b-4464-ad27-5c95d33cac00/id/40063045

Bonus Episode 1: Secret Societies and Silk Collars: A chat about heritage crafts and conservation with Willow Polson 02/09/2026

Episode 28: Rhino Armor and Dog-Tooth Purses: Leather's Long History 02/02/2026

Episode 27: Harriet Powers and Her Quilts 01/19/2026

Episode 26: Papercutting Around the World 12/15/2025

Episode 26: Papercutting Around the World A quick reminder: if you'd like to join us for the Wild Pansy Stumpwork Stitch Along with MCreativeJ in March, please pre-order your kit or pattern today! You'll get everything you need (pattern, supplies, and a great Handmade History article) to make a beautiful hand-embroidered 3-D pansy & learn to do stumpwork! Get 15% off the kit or PDF pattern before 12/31/25. Want to share the Stitch Along as a gift? Just put a note in your order and we will send a cute e-card to your giftee to let them know they are in, and their kit/pattern is on the way! Visit for more details. The art and craft of papercutting is as old as paper-- and in this episode, we cover both! Listen in to learn about the history of paper and paper-like materials such as papyrus and tapa. Then, follow us around the globe as we explore traditions of papercutting in several countries. We cover Chinese papercutting, Mexican papel picado, Indonesian shadow puppets, the tradition of Jewish papercutting, and scherenschnitte in Switzerland and the US--among others! We also talk about the variety of tools and supplies used by papercutters in different traditions, and the wide range of motifs that papercutters create. Finally, we profile two papercut artists from the early 1800s, Adele Schopenhauer and Martha Ann Honeywell. This is by no means a comprehensive survey of papercutting--but it's a great start! We will take a break for the holidays and be back in January with more Handmade History. Happy holidays, everyone! Shownotes and sources here: Have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? Email us at . Sign up for our free posts on our Patreon page at Visit our website at for more information. Listen in your favorite player, or in your browser at Quick note: If you'd like to join us for the Wild Pansy Stumpwork Stitch Along, ! Pre-order before December 31 and get 15% off! /episode/index/show/e4092dbd-8f1b-4464-ad27-5c95d33cac00/id/39292000

Episode 25: Polymer Clay & Artists 12/01/2025

Episode 25: Polymer Clay & Artists This episode is brought to you by Sculpey. Are you curious to try out polymer clay? Are you a polymer clay artist or enthusiast? We have a special offer for you from Sculpey, the original polymer clay company. Use code HANDMADE25 to get 25% off your entire purchase on . If you aren’t sure where to begin, Sculpey III clay is the perfect polymer clay for beginners. It comes in almost fifty colors and is easy to mold and shape into fun creations. You can also buy a multipack of Sculpey III clay, including sets of the Classic colors, Brights, Pastels, and Naturals. These sets are an easy way to get all the colors you need to get started. If you are an experienced polymer clay maker, then you know the variety of products Sculpey has to offer, from Liquid Sculpey to Sculpey Souffle, to all the tools you need to make beads, jewelry, sculptures, frames, dishes, and more. Visit use code HANDMADE25 for 25% off your entire order. Sculpey – Where creativity takes shape. Thank you, Sculpey! If you were a child of the nineties (like one of us was!), you probably came across polymer clay. This brightly colored clay that bakes in the oven can be made into beads, miniatures, and so much more. In this episode, we share the story of the invention of polymer clay from an oil-production by-product (in Germany) and a failed attempt to make a material for electrical transformers (in the US). We tell the story of Sophie Rehbinder-Kruse, who eventually made the first successful polymer clay in the 1940s called FIMOIK. We also tell the story of how Sculpey started in the US in the 60s with white clay and demonstrations at art shops and craft fairs. We share some of the wide range of techniques that people use to create with polymer clay, from caning to conditioning with a pasta machine (thank you, Marie Segal!). And we finish by profiling two very different but very cool polymer clay artists, Ford/Forlano and Yuka Morii. Join us and relive your time at the kitchen table making beads, buttons, and miniature versions of food for your dolls! Show notes and sources here: Have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? Email us at . Sign up for our free posts on our Patreon page at Visit our website at for more information. /episode/index/show/e4092dbd-8f1b-4464-ad27-5c95d33cac00/id/39141450