Ode to Fredrick

Leo Lionni wrote a beautiful children's book, Fredrick. Fredrick was a little mouse whose family was preparing for winter by gathering food and straw. All were gathering, except Fredrick. His brothers and sisters asked what he was gathering and he responded by saying he was gathering sun rays for the cold dark winter days, and colors for winter is gray, and words for the winter days are long and many. Well, Fredrick, I am making needle felted critters and gathering them for this harsh winter. These critters get me through winter with dreams of spring.

A Simple Cake

Today we honored Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday and Obama's Inauguration by making a simple pound cake.

I read a story about Georgia Gilmore in Alabama Chanin's Fall/Winter 2008 Revolution Collection. During the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955, Georgia and other bakers raised money to support the cause by baking cakes and pies. By the simple act of baking, she supported a revolution.

Simple Pound Cake
1 pound butter
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
Vanilla to taste
Cream butter and sugar and add eggs. Beat until light. Sift flour, baking
powder and salt together. Add slowly to butter mixture alternating with
milk. Bake at 325 for about 1 and 1/4 hour.

Zeke helped make the cake and is insisting it is also for his buddy Petal's birthday.

i came across this last year. i had been thinking about the state of the textile industry, imports and how it would all unfold. i found this very insightful.

This idea of our future from Caroline Priebe, ULURU (cahmere knitwear company):

I believe the United States is about to have a post industrial revolution, industrial revolution.
I hope for this, despite the majority of my knitwear production occurring in china and potentially being out of a job.I looked to China not simply because labor was so cheap as everyone assumes, but because I had no other choice if I wanted to make fine cashmere knitwear. China was the superior producer, they invested in the technology/machines, the “linkers” (skilled craftspeople) for fully fashion garments, the yarn, they were vastly easier and friendly to work with, and gave me landed prices.Not to mention, the US knitwear industry was virtually extinct.Things have changed since July 2004 when I opened my doors and “the party” is over in China.Today, current economic, political, cultural and environmental forces are illuminating the unsustainability of our outsourced production and more importantly our consumption habits. -New labor laws (which I welcome) that increase the cost of labor, lead times and minimums. At the same, time US retailers are looking for lower prices, shorter lead times and are placing smaller orders.-Chinese government is discouraging labor intensive manufacturing.-Weak US dollar-Inflation-Rising fuel and food costs-Dwindling/aging worker populationI am optimistic that this perfect storm of events will force US producers and consumers to move into more sustainable business models, lifestyles and make us question our consumption habits.