I ordered the cutest boots last fall from endless.com with free overnight shipping, having seen their link through amazon.com. On the endless.com website, I was taken aback by their truly endless selection of shoes, from every (it seemed) designer in any color or size. Navigation through the site is easy, and you can choose by alternate categories such as type of shoe (flat, heel, etc) to narrow down your choices as well.
When I got the package in the mail (the next day, exactly as they said), I immediately noticed how big the box was - it was pristinely padded and packed with the manufacturer’s box inside. The boots looked great, but I had ordered the wrong size! A simple email and page on their website explained what to do — I would order the right size (paying for a 2nd order) and return the 1st package as soon as possible, for which I would get a refund within a month or so. The next day, I had the boots in the right size waiting for me in the mail. How easy was that?
Now I see that they have expanded - check out these shoes….so cute, and they look comfortable too!!!

I have a love/hate relationship with the fast-fashion trend, which has been growing lately with no end in sight. On the one hand, cheap disposable clothes allow the average consumer to keep up with fleeting styles, while on the other hand, upcoming fashion designers (like me) feel like we have no chance trying to compete with the prices. It costs me more to just buy the fabric than a finished item at retail price!!! But now, it looks like there’s another problem with fast-fashion: it is hurting the environment as well.
The recent NY Times article “Can Polyester Save the World?” expands on clothing’s effects on the environment and may be documenting a new trend: eco-consciousness for clothing.

To cut back the use of carbons and make fashion truly sustainable, shoppers will have “to own less, to have less stuff,” Dr. Allwood said. “And that is a very hard sell.”
And so Marks & Spencer is thinking about whether its customers will be willing to change their buying habits, to pay more for less-fashionable but “sustainable” garments. After all, consumers have shown a willingness to pay more for clothes not made in sweatshops, and some are unwilling to buy diamonds because of forced labor in African mines.

I agree that it will be very difficult to change consumer buying habits, especially when it comes to clothing, but perhaps this is the beginning of a new wave in fashion. As more reports come out detailing how clothing manufacture & maintenance degrade the environment, and as more retailers take action, more and more customers will begin(hopefully) to educate themselves and act on the information.

Almost lost my finger today. I was at my studio trying to use my serger after it had been in storage for months, and I found that I had a lot of cleaning and realigning to do. When I just about got it set up for a certain stitch, the threads got stuck underneath. So I lifted the presser foot (which should automatically forbid the machine to start whether or not you press on the control foot) and proceeded underneath to get the threads in the right place, when the machine started to sew! I did not press on the control foot, nor was the presser foot down, so basically the machine started by ITSELF! 3 of my left fingers got caught in the parts underneath. 2 I got out fairly easily, the 3rd was wedged in pretty bad. I seriously thought I was going to lose it (literally & figuratively), especially since it hurt just as much to not move it as it did to try and wiggle it out… Finally, and thankfully, I clenched my teeth and just pulled it(the left ring finger) out, and tried to deal with the pain. Luckily no flesh was cut, but there was a sharp, deep indentation which slowly went away over the next half hour. It didn’t bruise nor swell, really, so there was almost no sign that it happened! It’s still sore to the touch though.
A very surreal experience.

Now, why did the machine turn on by itself? This question brings me back to about 6 months ago, when I had the serger set up and running in my old apartment. About 3 times in a row, it decided to start sewing by itself (I was sure my foot nor anything else was pressing the control foot). I thought it was a ghost (but I don’t believe in ghosts?), but then again I figured there was some electrical connection that went a-wire. Doesn’t happen very often, but it can, right? So I let it go and didn’t investigate further.

Now I wish I did. I could’ve avoided my little “accident” today, possibly.