Tidbits #5

Dear readers,

Welcome back for a new edition of Tidbits, where I gather links of what I enjoyed reading, watching and listening lately. This week is all about inner conflict and my naturally french contradictory spirit. You can blame it on my on-going binge watching of In Treatment. That show is seriously addictive!

Sewing Bits

Indie patterns

Pillowcase Pattern CoThe patterns will be available soon from Etsy for just $24, and include detailed instructions with full color photographs, beautiful packaging, and all the information you need to get started. There will also be a big blog tour so get ready!

Made by Meg

This April fool's joke was hilarious. I do see the irony of me saying that, since I just started selling sewing patterns. I decided to jump on the bandwagon, when I realized that there were 2 ways of not selling 24$-beginner-friendly-hipster-sewing-patterns: One is not to sell sewing patterns at all, which is what I had been doing until then. The other is to sell cheaper patterns that would build on sewer's experience and encourage self-confidence rather than hand-holding. So far, we had a little over 30 sales with our marketing efforts are very minimal and inconsistent so I feel it goes in the direction that there is appetite for a different offer...

Sewing Polar Bear

I admire makers that are able to create visually pleasing Instagram accounts. I certainly don't have the discipline to do it myself (hum hum... all the baby pictures) but I wish I did! See what I mean with this lovely lady, Sewing Polar Bear. At the same time, I look at my feed and I like that it reflects my real life, or at least a filtered version of it...

Other Bits

The White Wall Controversy:

How the All-White Aesthetic Has Affected DesignSo what does that mean for white rooms and the all-white trend? I think this look is one of the many styles in this particular zeitgeist that will be beloved and revered by some for years to come, but changed and moved past relatively soon for many

Grace Bonney, Design Sponge

My walls are all whites and my style revolves around classic and simple silhouettes. Still, at times, I am embarrassed about how much it fits current trends. Is it what I really enjoy, or am I a product of too much Pinterest? How do we keep challenging myself visually? Obviously home and fashion trends follow similar cycles. Are we on the verge of going back to a more maximalist approach to design?

Minimalism is Boring

Can I have both — the noise and the quiet; the jeans and the neons? Here are three outfits born out of the totems of a minimalist wardrobe.

Leandra Medine, Man Repeller

Gretchen Jones touched upon a similar issue in Episode 7 of Seamwork Radio when she said that she wasn't really interested in the current fashion scene. I like Leandra's differentiation of a maximalist style vs consumption. Hopefully, you can achieve an over the top look without over sized closet size.

Minimalism: another boring product wealthy people can buy

We cannot pretend that performative reduction in consumption, or choosing to only consume in certain ways, is not one of the most gratuitous displays of privilege out there, and to frame it as in any way a moral choice is more than a little offensive.

Chelsea Fagan, The Guardian

I'm a Konmari convert, but I couldn't help agreeing with a lot of what was said in the article. This type of writing is essential for me. Although I can never be free from trends or my preconceptions, recognizing that they exist is the first step in minimizing their impact on my behaviors.

The Myth of the Ethical Shopper

We are not going to shop ourselves into a better world. Advocating for boring stuff like complaint mechanisms and formalized labor contracts is nowhere near as satisfying as buying a pair of Fair Trade sandals or whatever. But that’s how the hard work of development actually gets done: Not by imploring people to buy better, but by giving them no other option.

Michael Hobbes, Huffington Post

I cannot agree more with what is said here. Buying fair trade is not bad per se, but it shouldn't stop us from looking at the (very) big picture. Changes have to happen at all levels!

We’ve Forgotten How to Dress Like Adults

Each decade of age seemed to offer its own licenses.“By the age of thirty, most women were married, held jobs, or both,” writes Przybyszewski. “And they were presumed able to handle the eroticism embodied in the draped designs that made for the most sophisticated styles.” Draping gathers excess fabric into unique waves that draw attention to the wearer’s womanly curves and the tug of gravity.

Rebecca Huval, Racked

"Adult" dressing used to be valued and enviable. Back in December, I visited a great aunt in her 80's with a great sense of style. She was telling about meeting her late husband when she was in her early 20's and he was in his 40's. She said "You have to understand, it sounds like a big difference but back then, at 23 we were women! We wore gloves, suits and a hat. Not jeans or t-shirt". I was of course in my rattier jeans with the little human on my lap...

That's it for today. I would love to hear your thoughts and what you have you read lately that challenged you!