Great Moments in Fabric Literature, Vol XV

Mom says each of us has a veil between ourselves and the rest of the world, like a bride wears on her wedding day, except this kind is veil is invisible. We walk around happily with these invisible veils hanging down over our faces. The world is kind of blurry, and we like it that way.
But sometimes our veils are pushed away for a few moments, like there's a wind blowing it from our faces. And when the veil lifts, we can see the world as it really is, just for a few seconds before it settles down again. We see all the beauty, and cruelty, and sadness, and love. But mostly we are happy not to.
Some people learn to lift the veil themselves. Then they don't have to depend on the wind anymore.

Rebecca Stead, When You Reach Me, 2009



Here fabric is used as a metaphor. The veil that we put between life and ourselves, to make life bearable, or understandable, or easier to deal with.

Like Gretchen Rubin, I like to read children's books for relaxation, or just to visit old friends.
This book was a happy surprise. A friend who works in publishing mentioned that I might like it, so I read it yesterday and was completely charmed. I won't divulge the plot other to say that the author references A Wrinkle In Time, a favorite book of my kids.
I always read whatever my kids were reading, and we'd talk about the books. We loved Harry Potter, as mentioned previously, but we also loved Philip Pullman's books and enjoyed non-fiction adventures as well. If you have kids, read this one with them. Then maybe re-read A Wrinkle In Time. Compare and contrast. (If you don't have kids, read it anyway.) There's a lot to talk about, and think about, in this story.

Aliens Among Us

An unusually long neck is a giveaway sign of alien life forms among us. Be afraid, be very afraid.
Pattern available here, for aliens who sew.

Get out your bowl and spoon

And I mean a BIG bowl. I made no knead bread yesterday and again today and my son says it is the best bread I have ever made(and I bake all the time.)
I bought this book back in November called Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.
I have to confess that I scoffed. I set the book aside as I was super busy in November and December, but earlier this week, I read it again and tried their basic recipe. (I have linked to the King Arthur Flour version, as it is awesome too.) It is amazing. The crust is crusty and crunchy and the crumb is moist and delicious. This is so easy to do even a beginner could do it.
I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Great Moments in Fabric Literature, Vol XIV

He walked up the spiral staircase to the first floor, where Diana lived: a little sitting-room with her bedroom opening out of it, the whole communicating with the rest of the house by a long corridor that opened into the main staircase. There was no one in the sitting-room. He sat down on the sofa and looked attentively at the gold-thread embroidery of a sari that was being turned into a European dress. Under the golden light of the lamp gold tigers tore a Company's officer lying on the ground with a brandy-bottle in his hand: sometimes in his right hand, sometimes in his left, for the pattern had many variations.

Patrick O'Brian, Post Captain, pg 77

This passage in Post Captain is particularly telling because Stephen Maturin is being torn apart by his love for Diana, but the author doesn't exactly say that; instead he shows you that with a description of the sari fabric that has an officer being torn by tigers. Diana is from India; tigers are from India. She is lovely and exotic and trying to make over her Indian life into life in England; thus the sari being made over into European dress.

If you are ever in Northern Virginia

...and you want an amazing hamburger, get yourself over to Ray's Hell Burger, in Arlington. (1713 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22209 (703) 841-0001 ) We went at the request of my son, for his 19th birthday dinner. He's a cheap date. The burgers were delicious and the prices reasonable. I had Vermont cheddar on mine and sweet potato fries, (they were wonderful), Mr. Hunting Creek and J. Hunting Creek both had the hot sauce option, and a good time was had by all.

Great Moments in Fabric Literature, Vol XIII

"And we mean to treat you all," added Lydia; "but you must lend us the money, for we have just spent ours at the shop out there." Then shewing her purchases:"Look here, I have bought this bonnet. I do not think it is very pretty; but I thought I might as well buy it as not. I shall pull it to pieces as soon as I get home and see if I can make it up any better."
And when her sisters abused it as ugly, she added, with perfect unconcern, "Oh! but there were two or three much uglier in the shop; and when I have bought some prettier-coloured satin to trim it with fresh, I think it will be very tolerable. Besides, it will not much signify what one wears this summer, after the ---shire have left Meryton, and they will be gone in a fortnight"

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, pg 211

People sometimes mistakenly think that Jane Austen is sweet or nice or romantic, but she is really very clear-eyed and tough about a woman's place in her society.
She is also wickedly funny.
Look here how she skewers the empty-headed selfishness of Lydia with just a few lines.
Funny story about this physical book: When I was looking for another book in my bookcase, I found two copies of Pride and Prejudice. My daughter said, "Oh I bought that one in Rimini (an Italian beach resort, where she was vacationing). The only books in English that I could find were classics, so I read Jane Austen, and Treasure Island on the beach in Italy."
This may be the first documented case of Jane Austen as beach reading.

Sew For Fun

We take you to a top secret meeting of McCall's Sew For Fun Product Development team:
"What about his and hers ethnic tunics? Chicks dig his and hers stuff!"
"Genius! Hey - Let's make it so both tunics will fit on a flat sheet - because we know girls love sheet designs! And give layouts for that."
"Brilliant! - Hey - I know- howzabout we throw in a special Sew For Fun Craft project?"
"Like what? A tote bag? A picnic blanket?"
"No...no, I'm thinking something guy-oriented - I know - a tent!"
"A Tent? Sew a tent?"
"Yes! Chicks will dig making tents to match their his and hers tunics! It'll be HUGE!"


This pattern cracked me up...but if making tents is your thing, here's the link to the listing. Be sure to send us a picture of your shirt with matching tent. Hello Kitty sheets not included.