Working class or middle class

I can see me having a debate in my essay about my class status as a maker.

Samplers are strongly associated with women and their education. They were an indicator of middle class status when worked in silk on linen, using complicated stitches (raised chain band, Montenegrin), by women who were kept by their father/husband.  Evidence of occupying time by embroidery (idleness) was evidence of affluence.   When worked on cheaper materials (wool on sackcloth), using simple stitches (cross, running), with alphabets and numbers, they indicated working class status, teaching stitch skills for the marking of employers expensive linens.

I strongly identify as working class, yet I have received feedback that I come across as middle class.  My identity comes from a childhood supported by state benefit; having an East London accent, working in a large manual industry; always having worked to support myself (ie not funded by a male income); valuing manual workers.  (Lack of affluence; accent; self supporting; manual work)

Onlookers identify me as middle class because I gained a professional qualification (IPD); worked in white collar managerial roles; wore female managerial clothing; was able to retire early with pension, then gained higher educational qualifications.  Also in conversation with a homeless man, he told me I 'spoke posh'! (Education; job role; affluence)

This combination of identities is reflected in my samplers.   My samplers are worked in silk on linen (luxury).  I can use a variety of stitches, and adapt between techniques intuitively because of high skill and much practice (leisured skill).  As an early retiree (lady of leisure!) I occupy myself with stitch (time).  However my subject matter is insignificant, unknown women (working class); manual workers (working class); hobbies of sewing & gardening (working class).

So my analysis concludes that I am using middle class materials, techniques and time to represent people with whom I identify, and whom I respect.  I'm not sure whether working people would appreciate this.  They might appreciate being represented by high quality skills in high quality materials, but I'm not sure that anyone except stitch specialists would realise this.  But for me, my work is about respect for unsung women.

This embroidery has been completed after a class at V&A with Lynn Hulse and Nicola Jarvis.  I learned twisted chain stitch, sewn in the Elizabethan technique. It also uses Holbein stitch, seeding, couching and French knots.  It takes more time, and thread and is worked the opposite way to usual with the open end of the chain furthest away from the stitcher.  It is a skilled stitch, which gives better coverage than chain stitch worked via Mary Thomas Dictionary of Stitches technique. I want to use this stitch technique for the Ford piece.