Tag Archive: books

Tales Told by the Hemp-Dresser

Imagine yourself in rural France on a cool autumn evening in the 1840s.  After the work of the harvest, what would you do for entertainment? You might find yourself outside in the dark,… Continue reading

From String to Spandex — Books about Textile History

Today we’re going to take a look at some books covering world-wide textile history.  It is interesting to see how different authors organize and present this huge body of content. (I will link… Continue reading

Locked Down in History — Beauty from Harsh Surroundings

A man is sentenced to prison for an indeterminate time, condemned to stay there until he can produce what he has promised, gold from lead.  Even after four years in prison, with absolutely… Continue reading

Better Counseling through Costume Books

People rarely ask me for advice, but if they did, I’d be ready!  (At least as long as they limited their questions to the area of recommendations on costume history books.  And my… Continue reading

Basting, Bingeing, and Books

A while ago Kerry at Love Those Hands At Home mentioned in a post that she had tried this quilt-basting method from Sharon Schamber. The main idea is that you roll the quilt… Continue reading

A Family Textile Collection at the Smithsonian

Look at these two very similar samplers — They were made 57 years apart, the second one by the great-niece of the first, and based on her design. Many of us make quilts… Continue reading

Six Books on Sustainability and Some Things I Learned

Summaries and snippets of six books on fashion and textile sustainability.

Bayeux Tapestry – Books, Part One

The Bayeux Tapestry seems so modern in its objectivity.  It presents what happened, but you can never tell what side it’s on.  No individual stands out as looking more handsome and heroic than… Continue reading

Women Are Here to Stay!

We wrapped up our recent visit to Big Bend with a short stay in Marfa, Texas.  Marfa is famous for its mystery lights, (written about even before cars were invented), for its reputation… Continue reading

Immersed in the Impressionists – Part Two

In my last post I related how Dancing for Degas started me down the path of trying to find out how the Impressionists were affected by war. After reading that novel, my next… Continue reading