Let me describe what I’m going to make. It will be a floor length garment in gold brocade, fitted fairly closely through the shoulders but falling loose to the floor. Front fastenings TBD, long sleeves and a box pleat at … Continue reading
Category Archives: Crafts
Dressing gowns were pretty spiff wear in the 19th century. They evolved from the Indian banyan, a casual long garment. Our modern bathrobes, worn to brush your teeth or donned after the shower, do not fill quite the same ecological … Continue reading
Oh dear, look at her — she’s getting -creative- again. I can’t help it. I just do these things sometimes. This particular vortex was set off by the Diana Wynne Jones conference, in Bristol August 9-10 this year. Since in … Continue reading
Oyster shells are lovely. I don’t eat oysters, so I didn’t appreciate their loveliness until quite recently. This shell is my very own, collected on the Pacific (the Australian side) a few years ago. I use it to teach stuff … Continue reading
You ever run into things that you wish you knew? Things you don’t have time to learn, maybe, or that are out of your willingness to run down, or stuff that’s hard to find out? There are many such things … Continue reading
It has been a long winter. … Continue reading
In my teaching box I have several objects from my grandfather’s business. You’ve already seen a dress. Now you can see a paper of pins. The dress was uncommon – it may never have been made commercially. The pins are … Continue reading
by Brenda W. Clough One of the things that I am prone to (I remember now!) is green. Somehow everything I paint in oil is very, very green. I don’t even like green! Other people can paint landscapes that are … Continue reading
by Brenda W. Clough As I recall, I received a set of oil paints for my birthday. They came in this exact wooden Grumbacher box, which has an address label on it with an APO New York address. Which allows … Continue reading
When my peers were taking piano lessons, I was taking weaving lessons. My family placed a premium on the arts and the more esoteric crafts, and when my parents realized that we had a professional weaver living down the road … Continue reading