To Dye For by Alden Wicker. I got this from my local bookstore because I love to support local. I recycle, reuse, reduce, compost. You know. All the things.
Turns out that I have neglected to think about what I wear quite deeply enough. I have barely any polyester, rayon is a manufactured as I go, and I do not machine dry any of our clothing (100% cotton bedding and towels only). My skin is often irritated by tags in clothing (OMG! those ones in the side seams) and the thread.
I recall the Environmental Protection Agency being created in 1970. The changes for good the laws and oversight instituted was amazing in so many ways. Those laws and regulations have become less effective over time, while companies have become more skillful at avoidance of regulation. However, I admit to not thinking too much about how changes in laws and regulations have not effectively kept up with the creativity of capitalists and chemists. Plus, production all moved out of our back yard to places with cheaper labor and lax regulations so we wouldn’t have to worry about it. Or suffer?
A Wake-up Call If You Wear Clothes
To Dye For is a great wake-up call for anyone wondering why they should care about what fast fashion may be doing to themselves, their loved ones, and the people working in those industries. Beginning with the saga of airline employees who suffered following the introduction of new uniforms, worn for long-periods of time in poorly ventilated spaces, you find yourself fascinated by the twist and turns of illness, chronic illness, health crises, and skin rashes that become much more. All the while, reading an alphabet soup of letters and words that you may have heard of, but never knew that much about. The price of that inexpensive garment may be your health.
I have so much concern for anyone using chemical dyes, working with treated fabrics and fibers, or otherwise being exposed to things we should be protected from.
In More Chemical News . . .
This article in the New York Times, “Forever Chemicals” Are Everywhere. What Are They Doing to Us? reinforces our need for protection. I wrongly assumed that we were being protected, but it would seem that is not the case. PFAS are widespread in all of us, and everything.
They are not regulated. They may be interrupting basic systems in our bodies, as well as contributing to obesity and chronic illness. You may be the unwitting beneficiary of their bounties because they exist in everything.
I do not want to frighten you, but you may need to be frightened. If you have any sort of chronic illness, ongoing health issues, or unexplained reactions to things, you may need to read this more than anyone.
PFAS a class of man-made chemicals . . . that provides water repellency and stain resistance . . . the commonly known brand names are Gore-Tex and Teflon.
To Dye For, Alden WickerPhthalates Chemicals known as plasticizers . . ., including polyester and PVC. They are known endocrine disruptors
As always, the lower the price we pay, the less everyone, at every level, is protected.
The sculpture was part of:
Positive Fragmentation: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation at the Bellevue Arts Museum.
Non-Dye Reading
I picked the book up from the book store last Tuesday and started reading it that night. I read it every day until I finished it this Tuesday. At 250 pages it is a compelling and easy read. There is a glossary of terms, and about 20 pages of notes, which are very good.
At the same time I am reading Color by Victoria Findlay. Absolutely engaging while sharing knowledge, information, death stories (see, To Dye For) because dyes have always been problematic. When not toxic, they are prohibitively expensive. But I am getting the kind of information that I will enjoy having as it is entertaining and explains so many things I love.
Butts, A Backstory
I want to end with something we all share. I got Butts by Heather Radke as part of my ongoing research into fit and sizing. Perhaps the most important takeaway was that it is a fallacy that the male gaze naturally prefers an hourglass figure. I learned alot. Butts may be primarily a storage facility for the energy women need for reproduction. Somehow that became fetishized, judged, and categorized. Welcome to our world.
Your Clothes Don’t Fit. Here’s Why.
Elizabeth Endicott, wrote this opinion piece in the New York Times (sorry, it is the only paper I read).
My guess is that once women discover how much better it feels — and fits — when they make clothes for their own bodies, they won’t be coming back to the standardized, one-size-fits-some options available in stores.
Elizabeth Endicott, New York Times, August 15, 2023
I began making clothing when I was 8 or 10. The dress I imagined for my first day of school in 1965 (5th grade) was produced on my mother’s sewing machine that and every year after. I spent most of my time until 1994 sewing and designing clothing. Since then, when I switched to hand knits, I have been designing and trying to find ways to communicate garment fit.
You Have A Super Power
Your body is yours to treasure or not. You can decide if your butt is too big, your chest too _______, your stature is wrong, or you are just right. In any event, you can make lovely things just for it. You can enjoy each stitch, the materials that go into it, the hours of planning and creation, and consider the marvel of how the odd proportions you were given can be smoothed, flattered, and honored when you deploy your super power: Maker.
I am going to use this yarn to make . . . I have so many choices!
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