Taking The Long Way Home

I closed my Etsy shop recently. What??? Why??? Well, because I think Etsy has done great harm to the livelihoods of makers everywhere. If you do manage to get noticed, which is pretty difficult these days, it's impossible to compete with the pricing on so-called "handmade" goods that are mass produced in foreign countries. Equally frustrating to me is the number of actual makers who drastically underprice their work, effectively turning themselves into voluntary sweatshop laborers in order to stay in the game at all. I'm not playing. I would love to see makers of all fine handmade things everywhere reclaim a sense of dignity, and charge a fair price for their skills and talents. Until I find such a group of folks that I can join, I'm back to being on my own here, in my own little shop, charging a reasonable price for the quality materials and hours of work it takes to make the things I make. I feel good about this. The Shop, at the moment, contains exactl...

I don't know where it came from, this this sudden, urgent urge to shop for aprons . I recall Mom sometimes tying a pretty gathered half apron around her waist if she was prepping for a party, but it's not really something that's buried deep in my psyche. I don't recall grandmothers' aprons of any sort, but those are the ones I'm in search of today. The big crisscross kind you drop over your head, with lots of clothing coverage and big pockets. Maybe reversible. Certainly out of a beautiful fabric that's both washable and not too froufrou. Something like Auntie Em would wear, but with an edge, you know? I am a messy cook, and I'm cooking a lot more these days, as the weather cools and food is part of the warmth and comfort that coaxes us through the winter months. A messy cook with a limited RV size wardrobe needs to cover up when the olive oil starts to splatter. I don't have a big closet full of changes, or a washing machine to toss a favorite top...