Textile Tuesdays : #26 - Linen

With Summer pretty much here it is a good time to talk about one of the stars of textiles - Linen.

The look of linen is always distinct and classic. It speaks of warm weather, raw, basic goodness, integrity, and the natural world. It can be very chic and aristocratic, or rough and wild when fashioned by hippies or SCA members making peasant costumes. Either way, the slouchy wrinkled texture is part of the charm of linen.

Linen is one of the oldest fabrics known to humans. Pieces of it have been found in caves around Europe that are tens of thousands of years old and mummies in Egyptian tombs were wrapped in it. It is also one of the strongest of the vegetable fibers - two to three times stronger than cotton. Because it is highly absorbent it is great for warm temperatures. This is also why it is famous in the kitchen as a towel, napkin, or table cloth. In fact the word "linen" is synonymous with all cloths used in the home as in "the linen closet".

Linen is actually a fabric derived from the Flax plant, a delicate looking wildflower with a small blue blossom. It is a hearty perennial that grows just about anywhere but is primarily grown for fiber production in Europe and China. The most famous linen comes from Ireland, Italy, and Belgium. The flax plant (like hemp) is very useful to humans giving not only fiber for fabric but also highly nutritious seeds and linseed oil. (Did you know that the original Linoleum was made of flax bi-products?)

There is a post with lots of facts and trivia on Wikipedia and here in How Products are Made.

Read up if you want to be a textile nerd like me!

Here are some linen items from ETSY: Pamela Tang's top, Arva's tote, Marysgranddaughter's embroidery on vintage linen.

Skirts Project

I am still wearing my skirts and I have had them in lots of cities, tasks, happenings and situations. Unfortunately, I have been very busy and my camera battery has been dead. So, when I get it charged up, I will start taking pictures again. Sorry for being bad about writing.

Somewhere in the World - Scottsdale AZ

OMG! I have been racing around trying to do all my usual things and all the latest summer things on top of that! I have been making arrangements for our summer trip to Europe, going through the long, bureaucratic process of the Australian visa, getting our house ready to put on the market, planning my daughter's birthday party, father's day, family obligations and let's not forget my cats!

We had to go to Scottsdale for a medical exam for the whole family that included blood and x-ray. we thought it would take hours so we spent the night. (We spent the night before that at my in-laws.....). Anyway, the whole doctor thing only took 2 hours including x-rays so we went shopping and swam in the hotel pool. We ate sushi for dinner and had gelato for dessert.

It was beautiful down there with all the desert plants and landscaping looking so inviting even though it was 107 degrees out. It just made me sad to think of the racism and fear in some of the population there. The passing of the boarder control, racial profiling, anti-ethnic studies, etc. legislation is just wrong, ill-conceived, and destructive. It makes me ashamed to say that I live in this state and it makes me sad to think that people imagine that I and other good people share this small-mindedness.

We went to American Apparel and they had a shirt that was great! It says "Legalize Arizona: Immigration Reform Now!"

Sunday - Funday! Dream of Life

A few weeks ago I watched the dvd called - Dream of Life. It is sort of a documentary/collaboration with Patti Smith and the film maker Steven Sebring. I heard about it on NPR and was reminded of how much I used to enjoy her music and style. I had always wondered what had become of her.

This movie shows a view of her life that is so artistic, emotional and suited to her poetic style. I LOVED this movie. I loved being able to see some of the intimate moments of her life and to learn more about the trajectory it has taken. It was filmed over a period of 10 years and included lots of other vintage footage.

Besides being beautiful and inspirational it reminded me of how much more brave and ready for action I used to be. Seeing her still living an artist's life gave me motivation to face the rest of my life with gusto and artistic sensibility.

At the beginning she says a line that I plan to quote on birthday and graduation cards for a while:

"Life is an adventure of our own design,

Intersected by fate

and a series of lucky and unlucky accidents"

Watch this movie! If you like poetry, rock and roll, or biographies, you will love it!

Saturday Socializing- The Bloggin' o the Green

I am on three etsy teams and each has a blog. They are all fun and interesting in different ways. But one of my favorites is one that I stumbled upon by accident - Etsy Ireland. When ever I go there, it always seems like there is a lot of activity and energy. They have lots of interesting features and the site is visually pleasing as well.

Maybe it is because I have a soft spot for Ireland and all things Irish, but there is no denying the talent and team spirit of this group. I have them on my blogger reading list and I check in about once a week. Give them a visit and if you see something you like, go to their etsy store and buy it!

Skirts on Friday - Bare Legs

Now that the weather is warming up wearing a skirt means baring your legs. We all know now that tanning is a big no no, so what can we do to make our bare legs look their best.

I have already been doing the treadmill steadily so at least they are fit, but my skin is definitely not what it used to be. I inherited thin, pale, fragile skin from my Irish ancestors and I have really not cared for it the way I should have. The dry climate in Arizona does not help either.

So, what is a good regimen for summer legs? First of all, I have to shave more frequently than I did in the winter. I used to wax my legs (and I still recommend it for younger people) but now that I am older and menopausal I have very sparse peach fuzz. I have had my legs waxed in a salon and I have done it myself. It is faster in a salon, but if you can't afford it or there is no place in your small mountain town that does waxing, you can DIY quite easily. You have to use the hot wax (warmed in the microwave). The cold, sticky stuff does not work. Waxing does keep your legs (and any other area waxed) hair free for longer, and the new growth is not stubby.

The next step is to keep the dead skin off the legs. I use a pumice stone on my feet and a good, natural scrub on my arms and legs. Lather makes a variety of exfoliators that are all nice. It really comes down to what scent you like - peppermint, yuzu, lemongrass, cranberry, lavender...

They also make yummy, very effective lotions and creams. I like their manuka body butter with grapefruit & juniper. I don't mean to sound like an advertisement for Lather, but it is what I use and I have been very happy with it. Every time I shower, I rub in the cream while my legs are still damp and it really helps.

I do need to figure out some what to give my skin a more even tone and some healthy color without sun exposure. I used to use Clinque self tanning lotion and it made my skin a little tiny bit reddish brown. I don't know which tanners, if any really work. I have never felt flush enough to go for a fancy spa body wrap or skin treatment. The dermatologist tells me that age spots are normal! I guess they go right along with a saggy neck.

Anyway, I keep my skirts at or below the knee and I do splurge on a pedicure, so hopefully anyone looking will focus on my brilliant red toenails and be distracted from any imperfections above that.

Here's a link to a good article with some more tips for summer legs.

Textile Tuesdays : #25 FOUND in Sydney

When I was in Sydney, Australia last week, I walked all over the city. Day after day I trekked to and from my hotel, starting and returning to the same streets. One day, I told my husband we should cut down a small alley just for the diversion. It looked like an empty alleyway, just wide enough for pedestrians, with no doors, windows, or signs.

However, once in the narrow space, we discovered that there were display cases on the wall holding amazing works of art! It was like a secret surprise! Best of all, two of the cases had fiber arts!

The two works in the photos above have small bud or basket-like shapes crocheted out of plastic bags and plastic close tabs, bits of paper and string. The first one is arranged with old plastic knitting needles to look like a vase of flowers. The second one, with wood, lace and concrete, looks like a landscape, or something architectural.

There were no signatures or descriptions anywhere that I could see so the makers and the purpose is a mystery - one that absolutely made my day!