I’m surprised to say that I’ve actually had a pretty productive week. I’ve actually finished two projects and I’m planning on posting the details next week. This is all in spite of the fact that my office has been temporarily been turned into a guest room and we’ve had family staying over.

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Goings On

Fibershed. On Tuesday I posted a review of the book Fibershed by Rebecca Burgess. If you’ve ever wondered what building a fully local, environmentally responsible garment industry might look like then this is a great book for you. See my full review here.

I’ve started working on a crazy quilt. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while, but never seemed to get around to. Well, since we’re still mostly isolating around here (family, groceries, and doctors’ appointments are pretty much the only exceptions) it seemed like the right time. Because I’ve moved so much, my scrap stashes are pretty low. Luckily, I was able to get started with a mix of odds and ends from recent projects, a donation of vintage/antique lace and ribbon from a friend, and a really great variety packs of ribbon from Sandy’s Lace on Etsy. I got one in 2mm and one in 4mm.

Reading

Severance. Ok, seriously, this book scared me more than any other book I’ve ever read. If you’re not in the mood for apocalypse lit right now I’d steer clear. But if reading worst case scenarios is helping you process right now I highly recommend it.⁠⠀

Severance follows a woman, Candace Chen, who is one of the last survivors of a terrible pandemic. The novel renders a big story intimate by focusing on the experiences of an individual. In mood, it reminds me a bit of the Handmaids Tale.⁠⠀

The book freaked me out so much because it was published in 2019 but there are so many parallels between the fictional pandemic and our current one. Not in scale, but in little things, like long lists of names in the newspaper. If you feel like you can handle it, purchase Severance at Amazon, Bookshop, or your local bookstore.

Watching

Umbrella Academy Season 2. I tried to watch just one episode at a time and ended up bingeing the newest season of Umbrella Academy over just a few days. It follows a totally messed up group of adopted siblings with superpowers. Like Severance, Umbrella Academy deals with an apocalyptic situation. However, this show is way, way more fun. What I love about it is that, at its heart, it’s a character driven story. The siblings are all messed up in their own specific ways and their relationships take precedence over just about anything else that’s going on. On top of that the production design is fantastic. Watch Umbrella Academy on Netflix.

Related Posts:

• Friday Update August 7th, 2020: New Beginnings
• Book Review: Fibershed by Rebecca Burgess
• April Favorites

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