hairwork

I just started reading this interesting book called Love Entwined: The Curious History of Hairwork in America that I got from Christmas from my mom. It's a bit of an academic book, but my interest was sparked when I got married and my aunt lent me a beautiful piece of hairwork to wear that was my great grandmother's (a Norwegian immigrant). I could believe it was made of her hair! Of course I can't seem to find a picture of it as I wore it that day, but here are some other beautiful hairwork images:





This is what a lot of the plates in the book look like, but not what the piece I wore is like at all.



This one is a bit closer to it, although there were no metal parts. I also found this website that explains that a lot of this woven "Table work" technique began in Scandinavia. It describes the "Table work" technique as similar to bobbin lace making. There are also a lot of images around of hollow pieces (like the last image below) that are worked around a mold to keep them hollow.

passage quilts

Craft posted about Passage Quilts and while this project is totally low tech, it's so in sync with my interests lately. I can't stop copying and pasting quotes from teacher/maker Sherri Lynn Wood....

"Begining with the architecture of the clothing, these quilts are pieced without a predetermined pattern. This process provides the maker an opportunity to examine his or her life patterns."



"The resulting quilts reflect the relationship of the maker to the materials, retain a sense of the body, and in the case of bereavement, carry the consoling essence of the beloved."



"Making a Passage Quilt is an external, hands-on experience that mirrors and reflects the interior process of bereavement and transition."

"Often people express a fear that they may be overwhelmed by grief and I remind them that they are simply, always making a quilt. This process provides a safe container, which will enable you to literally touch your grief and stay present to the task at hand."

Mobile Darning

Agh!! The most lovely project!

The Free Mending Library in San Francisco. PSFK writes:

On his old ice cream cart-style, treadle-operated sewing machine, [Michael] Swaine sets about mending and altering people’s socks, jocks and frocks and it’s all for free. Michael is interested in engaging the community to rethink their relationship with clothing and the disposable nature of fashion.

See more here.

Happy New Year!

I started a new tradition this New Year's Eve: the baking of a Vinegar Pie! It seemed like a great way to end the old year, partaking of something sour. We then followed up with something sweet (a chocolate cake) to ring in the new year.



My recipe for Vinegar Pie came from an old cookbook a friend showed me a few years ago (thanks Ken!). I thought it was such a strange recipe I jotted it down right away. But truthfully this recipe was universally declared disgusting! So instead of passing that one on, here's a link to a recipe I found on Instructables while I was trying to find out more about Vinegar Pie (the photo above is from this recipe, not mine—of course I forgot my camera!). I actually discovered very little about it in my research except that is an old American recipe, and that there are probably better versions out there than the one I used. So next year I'm going to try it again and see how it goes, much to my family's dismay I'm sure!