- I really appreciated this blog post about conquering knits from Lladybird, because even though I started sewing on knits, sometimes I fall into a wovens rut and get scared of knits all over again. Her post contains lots of helpful hints about sewing stretchy fabrics successfully.
- Made by Rae posted about Pinterest and photo copyrights. I don't have kids whose faces I want to hide from teh interwebs, and I don't think anyone is pinning photos of Walnut, but it's definitely a good question for those of us who create things. I'll be interested to see what Ben's reply is.
- Simple Simon & Co. talked about lessons learned from sewing. I can totally identify with all of these! Especially #5, as I can be quite a perfectionist, and therefore quite hard on myself.
- I don't think I ever had thoughts about the word "dainty," as broached by Peter at Male Pattern Boldness, but my mom definitely tried to impress on me the Chinese equivalent, being 斯文, that is, polite and gentle and refined and cultured and, when used to describe a female, ladylike. Which if you lump that all together, is essentially "dainty" without the frills and ruffles. I like that a lot better. I may not always be ladylike, but I would like to always be the rest of those.
- Not sewing related, but I appreciated these thoughts about how the Asian-American identity intersects with faith. Having grown up in a Chinese church, with very very Chinese parents, sometimes it's tricky sorting out which of my values are Chinese church culture, and which are actually biblical. My ethnicity definitely influences how I interact with God and people, and it would be foolish to deny it.
- Extant Gowns is a blog dedicated to showing photos of vintage, nay antique gowns. If you're in the 1912 project, trying to make your own version of Lady Mary's wardrobe, or trying to sew up a gown for a Titanic party, this is an invaluable reference. These are real pictures of the insides, the details, the construction when possible -- all the stuff I'm interested in seeing.
- Boing Boing linked to this dictionary of vulgar language from 1811; I knew a few of the words from reading historical fiction, but a lot of them were new to me! For example, words for talking about the bust area: apple dumplin' shop and cat's heads! Readers, let's start talking about a small apple dumplin' shop adjustment, or full cat's heads!
And lastly, I was so thrilled to see that my little fake-torials* have been helpful to other sewists out there! Monika made this lovely, lovely dress from my maxi dress directions -- doesn't she look so glamorous? And the talented Liz actually referenced my cutout dress directions to make her V-Day dress! Have you used any of my fake-torials to make your own projects? I'd love to see pictures!
*fake-torials = fake tutorials. Fake, in that I don't realize until afterwards that I might want to make a tutorial out of my steps, so the photos aren't always complete/the best, and then I get embarrassed about actually calling it a tutorial.
Just so that this isn't an entirely pictureless post, have another gratuitous Walnut photo:
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| Walnut is a quality vegetable (he does nothing but sleep all day), he wakes up fresh 'n' natural (not quite: his salmon breath is anything but fresh, but at least it's natural?), he was organically grown (he grew up on a raw meat diet as a kitten!), and his fluffy coat will keep him warm even when refrigerated (not that we've ever done such a thing). |
One of my cats loves boxes as well. We have two boxes just like the one Walnut is in, only they are for romaine lettuce. One is stacked on top of the other, creating a two-story box house, or "castle" if you will. My husband and I have been meaning to take it out to the recycling for awhile, but we just can't bring ourselves to destroy the "castle". Crazy what one will do for cats. What kind of cat is Walnut, by the way?
ReplyDeleteHe's a purebred Siberian. We just keep going to Costco so that Walnut has a steady supply of produce boxes to sleep in. They definitely get in the way when guests come over, but it's so worth it seeing Walnut so happy!
DeleteI thought he was a Siberian! I have two Siberians. My silver one came from a breeder in LA when I was living in Pasadena, and she was also raised on raw food (still is, I didn't have the heart to take her off of it since she just goes crazy for the stuff). If you also got Walnut in LA, it would be fun if they were related. (My breeder's name was Eleonora.) It's funny that it took seeing him peeking out of a box to recognize similar features from the breed. Anyway, I have enjoyed following your blog and now have another reason to look forward to your frequent posts - a love for Siberians. Happy sewing!
DeleteOMG Amy! I just looked at Walnut's papers and he is totally from Eleonora's cattery too...explains the whole love of raw food thing, then. Walnut goes crazy whenever we cook salmon, shrimp, and scallops. I can't believe our cats might be related! Walnut's mom is named Dina. Yay for Siberian cat and sewing love!
DeleteMy cat Maya's parents were Barseek (dad) and Ruslana (mom). I remember Dina though. I met her when I picked up Maya, and she was such a protective Aunt! If you're curious, I posted a photo of Maya on my blog here. She's a silver Walnut! My other Siberian cat came from up in the Bay Area, which is where I moved after leaving Pasadena. He's much more of the crafter. I can't do anything without him wanting to participate. Maya's more of a watcher. Crazy that we have cat cousins. Small world.
Delete"...sometimes it's tricky sorting out which of my values are Chinese church culture, and which are actually biblical. My ethnicity definitely influences how I interact with God and people, and it would be foolish to deny it. "
ReplyDeleteWow, interesting. Since I grew up and left home, I have had a similar struggle... I'm (obviously) not Chinese, but the separation of faith and culture is a weird and tough one (I was brought up in a VERY religious household...). Do you ever find you cause grief to your family if you reject a cultural aspect of Christianity which has no basis in scripture? That's hard. How does one get around that?
Loved that post by Lladybird, too! She made me laugh loudly at the computer screen..
I think I've had less confrontations since I moved out after high school, but there were definitely times that my dad and I had heated arguments about whether or not there was such a thing as "Christian rap music" or whether honoring one's parents meant listening to their directions about the college I should go to or the major I should study. Nowadays, it's more about the place social justice has in Christianity, which is hard for my parents and their "Chinese people just pulled themselves up by their bootstraps" and "God helps those that help themselves" (which is totally not biblical!) mentality. But then, since I'm no longer under their roof, my time and money is mine to do with what I will, which they thankfully, finally, acknowledge :)
DeleteLOL at Walnut, what an adorable cat. I enjoy your fake-torials!!! I don't think I have used your fake-torial yet, but I have definitely taken up the "use M5845 as a sloper" from you!!! You made me realise it is possible! Thank you for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteHe is adorable, isn't he? I'm so glad that someone else gives that pattern the love it deserves! You've made some beautiful frocks from that pattern and I can't wait to see what else you do.
DeleteWalnut is pretty cute! My cat loves to sit in and on boxes too.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, cats and boxes. Have you seen Maru's videos?
DeleteI read the post about daintiness with some trepidation, because I have major issues with that word, and the post was in some ways what I feared, but also in some ways better than expected. I think I like the Chinese equivalent better. :) My main problem with "dainty" is that all those things you list (gentle, polite, cultured, refined) are good qualities for anyone, male or female, and calling the whole set "dainty" makes it a strictly female set of attributes, which can then be used to constrain women. It implies small and fragile and weak, and, to me, at least, veers to the manipulative. The general image of womanhood that "dainty" refers to seems to encompass accomplishing things through diplomacy at best and manipulation at worst. Of course, it makes sense -- when one has little direct power, manipulation is the way to go. But still, that's not an ideal I want for myself.
ReplyDeleteSo the tl;dr summary: gentle and polite and cultured and refined are all very good things when applied as universal ideals, but when we make them into strictly feminine ideals, as with "dainty," we do a disservice to both men and women. The Chinese version seems much better.
I was concerned, too, when I first started reading Peter's post, but then I generally like what he has to say about these issues, so I kept going. For someone who grew up as a tomboy and only came around to dresses in the last couple years, I've never liked the idea of being ladylike, because like you, I saw it as being weak, although not necessarily manipulative. The more I understand 斯文, especially hearing it used to describe a man's speech, I see that it's also about being respectful to others around you, and not being coarse or vulgar. So yes, it's definitely an ideal that I could get behind.
DeleteWhat an interesting post. Thanks for all the links and thoughts. 斯文 (yeah, I totally copied and pasted that!) sounds like the definition of 'Lady' as it was used until about 1910 - very much the female version of Gentleman, but with the added connotation of, well, ladylike. I think it was a sad thing when society stopped honouring the idea of bringing children up to be ladies and gentlemen. I've just been rereading Alcott's entire range of YA books, and its just so ridiculously sweet. The values are so wonderful, and so disregarded in too much of todays culture. I guess, based on the hints she gives in A Rose in Bloom, and Jo's Boys, as well as Good Wives, that there was plenty to dislike in Alcott's time too, but at least they saw the value in, and embraced, her books. Unlike, say, Twilight, or the alluring violence of the Hunger Games
ReplyDeleteOh, goodness. I've just realised I turned into my mother!
DeleteThe older I get, the more I realize I'm turning into my mother...
DeleteI think 斯文's versatility as an adjective is what keeps me from turning against it; it can be applied to both men and women, and now that I've thought about it more it's like the word "genteel" but without the affectation. I don't have kids yet, but I do hope that if I have charge of some small human beings one day, that I'll be able to teach them some of the values I love most from Alcott's books, which I reread every once in a while when I need a reminder of how to behave :) I enjoyed HG as an exciting read, but it's no great literature. And let's not get started on Twilight!
The picture of your cat is hysterical. At this moment, we too, have the same type of box our cats use mostly as a playground. One gets in and "hides" while the other sits on the outside. They just bat at each other until one gets angry and runs away. It's better than TV.
ReplyDelete