Commonwealth Fabrics in Nassau, Bahamas

Photo taken from the Androsia Hand Batik website

Went searching for fabric while in Nassau... I know of two places, very near one another, in the Palmdale neighborhood of Nassau. They are about a 30 minute walk from the Paradise Island side of the Sidney Poitiers bridge. Many roads don't have sidewalks, so you must screw up your courage and walk the narrow streets with the speeding cars. I figure if Bahamians do it, I can do it. Drivers are used to pedestrians. On this walk you need to walk up and over the bridge and a hill in the center of the island. My Fitbit registered multiple flights of stairs.

Home Goods is one store and it is like a very small Michael's Craft store. It has flowers and paints and baskets and yarn and all those things. Most fabrics are imported fabrics, which we Americans can get at home. What I like to see are the tropical themed patterns. They have more of that type than I can find in the northeastern part of the States. They also have many bolts of a Bahamian batik. You have to want the word 'Bahamas' on your fabric, though. But they are nice - bright colors with sand dollars, turtles or starfish decorations. 

Commonwealth Fabrics was something else altogether. It was jammed with fabric, ribbons, buttons, thread and all types of embellishments. The store made me think of a combination of Mood Fabrics in New York and Jefferson Variety in New Orleans. It was very easy to get overwhelmed. I spent a good 20 minutes admiring the emerald green sequined lace and embellishments. I couldn't think how I'd incorporate them into my Mardi Gras costume, though I wanted something to bring home with me!

I don't know if Commonwealth Fabrics got hit by the hurricane, but holy cow, they were doing a huge amount of work on the roof. It was a disaster. I can't imagine what the store owner was thinking with all that inventory at risk. Much of the second floor was covered in plastic and open to the sky - with fabric below the plastic. And no signs telling customers to stay out. Such a different world than in the States. 

Any bare space on the walls (or columns, really) had photos of Michelle Obama sporting beautiful examples of the fabrics in her gowns. Great advertising. 

The staff were kind, and pretty much let me wander through and admire. I had no plan, so wasn't looking for anything that they could direct me to. There was a cabinet filled with Butterick patterns, but other than that one cabinet I was not aware of any patterns. There was at least one poster advertising a local dressmaker. 

The only locally made fabric at Commonwealth is another batik, called Androsia. I should have bought some, but I still had fabric from a previous trip which I still haven't used.  Instead I bought a stretchy knit which I will use to make another pair of palazzo pants. 

The only other place I know to buy local, Bahamian fabric is at Bahama Handprint, which I blogged about here. 

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Big Sugar conspired to conceal health risks

Holy shit! Shit, shit, shit! Who can you trust? You can't do the research yourself... I guess, back to meat and green leafy veggies only. Crap... I'm heading out for a salad.

For decades the sugar industry paid off researchers to downplay the health effects of sweets and pin the blame for increased heart disease risk on saturated fat and cholesterol, a new study reveals. Combing over documents that date back half a century, a University of California, San Francisco researcher discovered that a trade group called the Sugar Research Foundation commissioned a 1967 Harvard review to discredit emerging claims about the harmful effects of sugar. Industry executives dictated what research would be included in the review and then controlled its findings, which were published in The New England Journal of Medicine, reports The New York Times. Ultimately, the review criticized studies linking sugar and heart disease and emphasized the harmful effects of unhealthy fats. In return, the Harvard researchers were paid the modern equivalent of about $50,000—a conflict of interest that was never disclosed publicly. For the next 50 years, millions of Americans opted for low-fat, sugary foods now associated with obesity and heart disease. “They were able to derail the discussion about sugar for decades,” says study author Stanton Glantz. “By today’s standards, they behaved very badly.”

Taken from the September 30, 2016 of The Week Magazine.

Calcium pills linked to dementia

Not sure why I didn't publish this when I wrote it back in October. Glad that the percentage of older adults with dementia is decreasing.

Crap, crap, crap. I know too many women who take calcium supplements not to be scared by this. Man, I just wish I could make good decisions in real time so that I don't need pharmaceuticals later in life! Dementia is so very scary!

Calcium supplements are widely used to ward off age-related bone loss, but a new study suggests that for some women they also bring a significantly higher risk for dementia. Researchers in Sweden tested the memory and thinking skills of 700 older women and tracked their use of calcium supplements. Women with a history of stroke who took calcium were seven times more likely to develop dementia within five years than were women who had suffered strokes but didn’t use the supplements. Among the women with signs of cerebrovascular disease, a disorder that affects blood flow to the brain, those who took calcium were twice as likely to develop dementia as the women who didn’t. These findings don’t prove that calcium supplements increase the risk for dementia, but researchers say they warrant further investigation. “People have a tendency to assume that dietary supplements are automatically innocuous,” neurologist Marc Gordon, who was not involved in the study, tells LiveScience.com. But “high levels of supplementation as opposed to just dietary intake [of calcium] could conceivably have some deleterious effects.”

Taken from the September 9th edition of The Week Magazine.

Pessimism linked to heart disease

Oh, crap.

Pessimists tend to expect the worst and never see the silver lining in bad news. New research suggests that this gloom and doom could increase their risk of death from heart disease. Finnish researchers followed 2,267 middle-aged and older men and women for 11 years and evaluated their outlook on life. Over the course of the study, the researchers found, those who scored highest on the pessimism scale were more than twice as likely to have died of heart disease as those who ranked lowest. “Your personality traits can make physical health worse,” the study’s lead author, Dr. Mikko Pankalainen, tells The New York Times. “If you’re pessimistic and have some health issues, then it’s even more important to take care of your physical health.” It’s not known why this association exists, but researchers suggest pessimism may increase inflammation and other factors that negatively affect heart health, while also making people less proactive in pursuing healthy habits.

Taken from the December 9, 2016 edition of the Week Magazine.

Dementia Rates Decline

Strong reason to control blood pressure and sugar intake. As I look back on my posts, I see so much which talks about sugar. We all need to cut it out, but crap it is hard... especially at this time of year.

The percentage of older people with dementia is on the decline, even though a cure for this devastating condition remains elusive, The New York Times reports. Based on surveys of 21,000 older adults, University of Michigan found the dementia rate among older Americans fell from about 12 percent in 2000 to roughly 9 percent in 2012. That translates to about 1 million fewer Americans suffering from the condition. The reasons for this unexpected drop aren’t clear. Scientists speculate that more people are receiving effective treatment for conditions linked to dementia, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, both of which can impair blood flow to the brain. It’s also possible that a climb in the average education levels of older adults plays a role: Previous studies suggest that higher learning creates more complicated connections between nerve cells, which may help protect the brain against cognitive decline. But while the risk for dementia may be decreasing slightly, study author Dr. Kenneth Langa warns that the total number of Americans with dementia will continue to climb as the massive baby boomer generation moves into its 60s, 70s, and 80s. “This is still going to be a top-priority issue for families, and for health policy, now and in the coming decades,” Langa says.

Taken from the December 9, 2016 edition of The Week Magazine.

Emma Morano turns 117

We met Miss Emma here when she became the oldest living person.

Pray. Eat raw eggs. Stay single. Those are the keys to a long life, according to Emma Morano, who celebrated her 117th birthday this week. As the world’s oldest person—and the only person alive to have been born in the 1800s—Morano is a national treasure in her native Italy, where her birthday celebration was broadcast live on state TV. Journalists, relatives, and well-wishers crowded into her cozy apartment in the northern town of Pallanza, where Morano received plenty of gifts and cheek kisses. She only interrupted the festivities once, to ask, “Is there anything to eat here?” After the party, Morano took a well-deserved nap.

Taken from the December 9, 2016 edition of The Week Magazine.

It wasn't all bad...

Ed Moseley is proof that it is never too late to learn something new. The 86-year-old Atlanta man taught himself to knit after his assisted living facility challenged residents to create warm hats for the preemies at a nearby hospital. ­After getting a knitting kit from his daughter, Moseley spent hours making 55 colorful caps for the infants. He even held classes for other residents, and with the help of his caretakers, friends, and family, delivered more than 300 hand-­knitted caps to the neonatal unit. “Now I’ve graduated to large caps,” Moseley said. “I’m doing caps for all my ­grandkids.”

Taken from the December 2, 2016 edition of The Week Magazine.

I love it; what a wonderful story.

Star Wars Costumes at the Denver Museum of Art

Taken from here.

Like a twit I missed this exhibit while I was in Denver. This exhibit, of course, is perfect for this blog, as it is about fiber and sewing - and costuming. I found this press release here. I was seeking information about where the exhibit will be next, as perhaps I can catch it someplace else. Alas, TBD after Denver.

It would have been really fantastic to have read about how the designers go about determining the costumes - and maybe to have learned about production, too. I mean, look at that dress there on the left - beautiful. And then to know that it goes on Natalie Portman; she has a fabulous, fit body. How did this two dimensional sketch translate to three dimensions on a woman who has an admirable body, but is not a runway model. It would be fun to see.

Fingers crossed that it will come to a town near me and I won't be such a nit-wit.

I got this photograph from the Smithsonian website, here.

Iconic costumes from “a galaxy far, far away” are presented in the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, Rebel, Jedi, Princess, Queen: Star Wars and the Power of Costume. The exhibit will begin a 12-city national tour at EMP Museum in Seattle, Wash., where it will be on view Jan. 31 through Oct. 4, 2015.

taken from here.

Culled from the collection of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, Rebel, Jedi, Princess, Queen: Star Wars and the Power of Costume is a partnership of the museum, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and Lucasfilm. George Lucas imagined and created a fantastical world filled with dynamic characters who told the timeless story of the hero’s journey. The costumes shaped the identities of these now famous characters, from the menacing black mask of Darth Vader and the gilded suit of C-3PO, to the lavish royal gowns of Queen Amidala and a bikini worn by Princess Leia when enslaved by Jabba the Hutt.

“Craftsmanship and artistry in costume design are valued creative components in the Star Wars Saga,” said Lucas. “The detailed precision of a design can be as bold a measure of storytelling as words on a page, leading to truths at the core of a character, situation or shared history. From initial concept drawings to complex physical constructions, the costumes featured in this exhibition serve to further define crucial aspects of worlds created to move, educate and entertain us—to inspire the imagination.”

Presenting 60 of the finest, hand-crafted costumes from the first six blockbuster Star Wars films, the exhibition uncovers the challenges, the intricate processes and the remarkable artistry of Lucas, the concept artists and costume designers. The costumes reflect an eclectic mix of cultural, historical and mythical sources that add rich texture to the story. Through nine presentational “chapters”—Introduction: Dressing a Galaxy; Jedi versus Sith: Form, Function and Design; Concept and Design for Royalty and Beyond; Symbolism and Military Power; Outlaws and Outsiders; All Corners of the Galaxy: The Galactic Senate; After the Throne: Padmé’s Journey; Darth Vader; Iconic Villain; and Droid™ Design: C-3PO and R2-D2—visitors will explore the creative process from Lucas’s vision through concept drawings by artists such as Ralph McQuarrie and Iain McCaig, to the final costume designs of John Mollo and Trisha Biggar, among others.

Featured costumes include the:

• Monk-like robes of Jedi masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker
• Intimidating suit and complex breathing apparatus of Darth Vader
• Military-influenced uniforms of the Imperial Stormtrooper, Senate Guard and TIE Fighter Pilot
• Yak hair and mohair costume of the towering Wookiee Chewbacca
• Intergalactic outfits of Senators Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and Mas Amedda
• Fierce armor of mercenary bounty hunters Jango Fett, Boba Fett and Zam Wesell
• Elaborately detailed gowns of Queen Amidala, Queen Jamillia and their handmaidens

Short films in Star Wars and The Power of Costume provide a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process and include interviews with artists, designers and actors. The visitor experience will be enhanced by interactive flip books featuring sketches, photographs and notes that capture the creative team’s inspiration and vision.

If more information is sought, and where I found this information, go here: Jennifer Schommer (202) 633-3121; schommerj@si.edu
Media website: http://newsdesk.si.edu

Happy Thanksgiving

I know I haven't been writing much, but I did want to take the time to put out to the universe that I wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving and I hope we all work towards peace and that we are kind to one another.