Love.
Compassion.
Courage.
Together.
It's the only way forward. I want to move forward.
Love,
Jane
P.S. Some things we can do to fight hate.
Dawn Williams Boyd:: Three Marys: Freedom Riders Last Thursday Jo, Julia + I took in Dawn Williams Boyd's beautiful quilts. I was completely drawn into this one, above. Two days later, this horrifying scene played out again. It is difficult to know just what to do or say as a white woman. I do not want to say the wrong thing or to offend. I do not want to claim to understand or to shine a light on my own "enlightened" self. But I certainly do not want to be silent in the face of such disgusting hatred.
Love. Compassion. Courage. Together. It's the only way forward. I want to move forward. Love, Jane P.S. Some things we can do to fight hate.
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What happens to our clothes when we donate them.
Giving clothing a second chance. Design his jeans (made in the USA). The art of mending zine. This weekend I am working on my wardrobe as it relates to my list...and feeling cheered on by this minimal wardrobe (and this one too) that makes it look possible + even easy. I believe the quote I posted yesterday + never want to promote unnecessary purchasing around here...but I'm listing just a few things as I go...if any of those pieces might be helpful in your closet. ;) Hope you have a lovely weekend! Love, Jane If you are not content today,
there is nothing you can buy this weekend to change that. ~Joshua Becker This year I've been thinking about replacements. At the beginning of the year, I set a goal for myself to buy only replacements in order to save money toward paying down our mortgage. "Replacements" can be quite a broad category, if desired to be so. (How about I replace the hole in my wardrobe, with these cute shoes?) :) I'm not so sure how vigilant I have been about keeping my purchases only to replacements, although I have tried. I may have even forgotten about this commitment from time to time.
This notion of replacements in regards to my clothing has been on my mind. I don't hold fast to the one in one out principle, but I'm not really the type of person to let a lot of clothing linger in my closet either. I like to know what I have...and for all of it to have a purpose. I've been wondering if it could be useful to have a list of pieces...and then to simply fill in the corresponding blanks (+ let go accordingly as well). This system would allow the idea of replacements to work quite nicely. It has taken me a while to observe what I wear...what I prefer...and my patterns of boredom + frustration. I don't think that any of these things are set in stone, but there are some patterns that I can begin to see over time. For example, I feel like I should love wearing jeans every day, but I often find them constricting + uncomfortable. I don't need to wear jeans. Well, that's something to consider. As far as pants (trousers) are concerned, I prefer a high waist + a cropped leg on my figure. Good to know. And as far as boredom goes...even if I really like an outfit, I can get tired of wearing it over a period of months. I've been playing with the elements of a somewhat minimal list of year round clothing + here's what I'm thinking at the moment. -tank tops x 3 -t-shirts x 3 -long-sleeved tops x 3 -sweatshirt -pullover -cardigan -fitted jacket -dress? -jumpsuit -pants x3 (one pair being jeans?) -leggings -shorts -clogs -sandals -trainers -boots -flats total :: 25 pieces This does not include under layers, athletic wear, pajamas, or outerwear...although there is some cross over...+ those categories do have their own minimal numbers. I find the idea of the list appealing, because would make it simple to know that I have enough. I've thought through each season + all the combinations that this limited number of pieces would offer. It would help me to plan my wardrobe season by season and would reign in purchasing + spending. It feels freeing somehow to know that one button down is probably enough...and to have fun choosing the most versatile pullover. Of course, these are mostly things to look forward to...as at the moment letting go would be the most pressing part of instituting the list. I think that simply setting aside some pieces might be smart at first (rather than letting them go). I feel like this might be a good method for a mostly thrifted wardrobe. As pieces wear out, replacements can be found. Flexibility is also freeing to me, so if I found that I really would prefer to have four pairs of pants or two sweatshirts...that's fine. Time could certainly change desires, so the list could adapt. The observation + the conclusions would be satisfying. So what do you think? Is there any appeal to having a list? Love, Jane Every so often, I like to try to make useful things out of my leftover bits + pieces from past sewing projects. Sometimes it's patchwork quilts, but this time it's purses + bags. In the past, bags like these made fun (+ free) birthday gifts for Jo's + Julia's friends. The girls could help me pick out all of the scraps in their friend's favorite color...and we'd design some kind of bag out of what we had. Patchwork skirts, doll clothes, tea party blankets, and the girls' projects were also great consumers of the scraps. These days, I need a different approach. I think these bags will go to a thrift store that provides jobs + merchandise to a predominately refugee + immigrant population. The shop's profits benefit an organization that provides English as Second Language classes + other training programs. My hope is that the bags will be useful + generate a bit of income as well. Waste fabric holds a lot of potential, but making it into something useful does involve a bit of work + creativity. The combinations + shapes are not often the ones I would at first envision, but the available materials provide the constraints. I enjoy the challenge, but a challenge it is.
It's both surprising + satisfying to see actual useful pieces come out of a pile of scraps. Love, Jane Egg salad is nothing new, but sometimes it's the simplest things that I forget about. On this rainy day, a bit of sunny egg salad + a juicy pluot brightened up our lunchtime.
I'm sure everyone has their preferences for egg salad...so go with them! This time I added a bit of mayo + mustard, cayenne + salt to the boiled eggs. I don't use mayo + mustard often, but I look for glass jars when I do...so that they can be recycled. Sourdough bread + some parsley, chives, + spinach rounded it out nicely. Love, Jane Just a little more patchy inspiration today. When I see these images I truly see these pieces of clothing as wearable art. The colors and shapes and placement of the patches all seem to tell a story...not of poverty and want...but of care and pride. The images above all come from a Japanese Etsy shop called Sasaki Yohinten. Vintage clothing is rescued + repaired or remade...and given another chance to be valued + used.
Some other patching heroes: -The Montenegro sisters make patches beautiful. Everything they mend looks so much cooler afterward! -Matt kind of makes me want to go rip my pants. :) -Claire Hungerford's pieces look inspired by patches. -Kristen Lombardi makes moccasins + these adorable round patches. -Patagonia is a trailblazer in the patch + repair "business". -Though I couldn't find any pictures of actual repaired pieces, Ace & Jig did a series of swaps complete with a mending station + free patch kits. I imagine their pieces would only become better with more layers of color, pattern, + stitching. There is not a stitch of shame in patches...only beauty, love + pride. :) Love, Jane I'm loving these shapes from It is well LA. 10% of their profits go toward digging clean water wells in communities where clean water is needed. The pieces are made with mostly natural fabrics + sewn in downtown Los Angeles. I'm attracted to the ethos, shapes, fabrics + adaptability of these pieces. Depending on the additions made to each piece, they could take me from the carpool line to the ballet. I can imagine wearing all of these pieces together...but they could also be the base of a small collection of clothing that could serve as an entire wardrobe.
I'd love to pick up one of the shirts, both of the pants and add: -a tank top -a boxy, cropped top -a fitted tee -a fitted sweatshirt -an oversized pullover sweater -a jacket or cardigan -a pair of thrifted jeans or army pants -a slip dress -cute trainers -sandals now, clogs later This little collection could keep me happy + comfortable for quite a long time. :) Love, Jane All lovely photos via It is well LA. |
on a journey toward zero-waste, simplicity, + compassion :: daring to choose fair one choice at a time
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