Author Stitches Together First Ladies History With ‘Common Threads’
Debra Scala Giokas’ book recognizes 18 first ladies who have knitted, crocheted, embroidered, quilted, cross-stitched or sewed at one point in their lives.
It is said that former First Lady Ida McKinley (1897-1901) crocheted 4,000 slippers that were donated to charities and war veterans. It was her way of helping fulfill the role as the president’s spouse while in a fragile state of health. But for another crocheter and author Debra Scala Giokas, the history behind Ida McKinley’s crafted slippers is what ultimately hooked her into learning more about first ladies and their common threads.
Giokas is visiting the Bay Shore Historical Society in Bay Shore, New York, Thursday to present a deep dive into a lesser known hobby of America’s first ladies: knitting. Her book, Ladies, First: Common Threads, recognizes 18 first ladies who have knitted, crocheted, embroidered, quilted, cross-stitched or sewed at one point in their lives.
Giokas was appointed a Hutton House Lecturer at C.W. Post College/Long Island University and is a member of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education. Her upcoming event is just one stop on a larger tour of book talks. She recently spoke with East Wing Magazine about her inspiration.
Q: What is your earliest memory and interest in first ladies?
A: “The only first lady I could think of that we really learned about when I was going to school was probably Dolley Madison. I remember being told that Dolley Madison saved the portrait of George Washington, but I really wasn't taught a lot about the first ladies. I always loved American history. But I also was a huge fan, always, of Jackie Kennedy. She probably was my favorite first lady.
The first lady who I really became interested in—and it's because I'm a crocheter—[is] when I found out about Ida McKinley's crocheted slippers and that she crocheted 4,000 slippers in her lifetime. I was fascinated by that. I originally wanted to write a children's picture book about Ida McKinley crocheting all these slippers and giving them away to people in need and who were sick. And then I spoke with someone—I had an agent at one point—and he said, ‘You should write about more first ladies and their needlework.’ And that's what started me on the path to this book.”
Q: Where did your interest in crocheting originate?
A: “My grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was about 7 years old. And then when I got older, let's say like in junior high, you discover sports and boys, and you put the crochet hook down. I picked it up again about 12 years ago, just because I wanted to see if I could still do it—if it was like riding a bicycle. I went out to a yarn store on my lunch hour and I picked up a hook… and I could still crochet. So, I started making blankets and giving them away to a church that would give them to nursing homes and people in need. I think that's why I had an affinity for Ida McKinley when I found out about her crocheting slippers and giving them out to people in need.
That was about 12 years ago, and then my dad got sick. When people tend to go to the needle arts, they're very calming, and they help when you're dealing with grief, anxiety and things like that. So I picked up the hook again. I started making dolls, believe it or not, crocheting dolls, and I gave one away to my father's nurse for her little child. I started giving the dolls to charities. I have an Etsy account, and they’re called Debra Ann Dolls: D-A-D for Dad. I do them in memory of my dad.”
Q: What made you decide to write a book?
A: “When I first learned about Ida McKinley, there was this show called Pawn Stars. They were talking about this Ida McKinley tiara, and it just intrigued me, so I started researching her. And that's when I found out about the crocheted slippers… That was what hit me. I wanted to learn more about the first ladies while simultaneously, I had taken a children's book workshop on how to write picture books. That's when I had the idea: let me do a picture book about Ida McKinley. I found myself an agent, and he said, ‘No, I think you should do a middle-grade book on first ladies, and try to find out as many first ladies as you can and what they made.’
So many people are interested in the first ladies. Everybody basically says, ‘We didn't learn enough about them in school.’
— Author Debra Scala Giokas
I self-published the book, and one thing led to another. I got asked to speak at some of the historical homes that I dealt with—the first place I spoke at virtually was the James Madison Museum of Orange County, so it kind of comes full circle back to Dolley. I did 17 talks last year. The people I speak to, it could be a crowd of 10. The biggest crowd was 100. So many people are interested in the first ladies. Everybody basically says, ‘We didn't learn enough about them in school.’ They are just intrigued. They love seeing what they made. And they love learning about them. I get crowds that are interested in needlework, but I would say 85% of them raise their hand and say, ‘We're here to learn more about the first ladies.’ Most of the people who come are women, but I do sometimes get men in the crowd as well.”
Q: Do you know of any presidents who might have given knitting a try?
A: “Off the top of my head, Andrew Johnson. I don't think he knitted or crocheted, but I do believe he was a tailor by trade. But the funny thing is, if you've been to Springwood, the home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt where he lived with his mother, there's a picture of him knitting, and Eleanor is sitting next to him. And it's done in like, tongue-in-cheek. He's just joking. I probably would be 99.999% sure that Franklin Delano Roosevelt did not knit. But that's the only picture I ever came across of a president holding knitting in his hands. I didn't research every single president so I can't give you a 100% answer on that, but that picture is really neat.”
Q: What are some examples of more modern projects, compared to earlier projects? How has the craft evolved among first ladies over the decades?
A: “After I published the book, I found out that Michelle Obama loves to knit, she wrote in her book. She said that it calmed her down during the turbulent times we've been living in and she said knitting is a forever proposition. I think she actually crocheted halter tops for her daughters. I would say Michelle Obama probably has the most modern take on crocheted items—I don't think Dolley Madison made crocheted halter tops. Dolley Madison knitted baby caps. Eleanor Roosevelt, as far as modern, was making sweaters for the troops. Lou Henry Hoover made a traditional baby blanket there's three versions of it. Traditionally, they would be making hats, mittens, scarves, you know, baby blankets, things like that. Also, during war times, a lot of these women were helping sew uniforms for the troops. Martha Washington knitted socks for the troops. So there's a very practical side of crochet also and knitting.
As far as artistic goes, the three I have to mention are Martha Washington, Edith Roosevelt, and Grace Coolidge. Grace Coolidge made the coverlet that appears on the Lincoln bed in the White House, and it is a work of art. It has the American eagle in it. It has the Liberty Bell. Edith Roosevelt could cross stitch—there's a sampler from Roosevelt that tells the whole life, basically, of Theodore Roosevelt. It goes line by line—it has a picture of an elephant for his Safaris. It has six family members to represent all the Roosevelts. It's just absolutely beautiful. And you know she didn't buy that pattern in Michael's craft store; she created that.
The last lady who is really an artist is Martha Washington, for her quilts. They're about 225 years old. The tradition of quilting in the United States comes from repurposing scraps. She has a quilt using material from George Washington's banyan, and they're just beautiful geometric shapes. In the middle of it, she has a picture that tells the story of William Penn meeting an American Indian. It's called Penn's Treaty Quilt. She definitely was an artisan—she did cushions, footstools and silk embroidery work.
I don't know if we should ask current versus old, but maybe we should ask which first ladies were knitting for practical reasons, and which first ladies took it to another level of really making artistic creations.”
Q: What was the most surprising part of your research?
A: “I surprised myself because I was so upset that I didn't learn about all of these things in my education. I felt almost deprived, like I've always learned about American history through the eyes of the presidents. Even though I focused on the needlework, I really didn't just focus on needlework—I focused on who they were as people. I was surprised that we weren't taught this earlier.
I think the tides are changing. And I can tell you, from the grassroots effort I've been experiencing, people come out to the libraries and they want to hear about the first ladies. I have had someone come to my talk who's 100 years old and lived through the war. I have had people come up to me and tell me personal stories about Eleanor Roosevelt. There's a real desire to know more about these women, which I think is a good thing.”
People interested in attending Giokas’ book talk can find more information on the Bay Shore Historical Society’s website. The event is 7 to 8 p.m. at Bay Shore-Brightwaters Public Library, and is open to the public. Giokas has several additional upcoming book talks, which can be found on her website.