What I Just Read

I finished reading Sara Bongiorni's "A Year Without 'Made in China,'" the story of one family's experiment of living without Chinese made products.

She writes with some humor, but not exactly a ton of insight. I think this stems from trying to tell this story without telling too much personal information.

As the experiment went, it was difficult to avoid made in China products. I've been a label reader for years. I prefer to purchase my produce in stores that label where it originates. If given a choice between a product made in China and one made elsewhere, I'd choose the elsewhere product. I would truly prefer to buy American, but that is virtually impossible.

Given the hue and cry over lead content in Chinese products we can see that avoidance may not be a bad thing. Never mind the environmental cost to China of all this manufacturing.

For those interested in an update on her book, here's one in the Boston Globe.

And now I can go back to feeling good about my needlework purchases. Linen? Zweigart
manufactures in Germany and Switzerland. Thread? DMC - France, Anchor - made of 100% Egyptian cotton in Germany. The majority of cotton overdyeds are made with one of these two flosses. Needles - mine are made in Great Britain or France. Silks? Well - as silk production began in China centuries ago, I'm not going to forgo silk that comes from China. My wooden hoops are in Europe. My current scroll bars and stands are made in America.

I did enjoy a mini-world tour when kitting up my In the Midnight Hour. I've got 4 different metallics which are made in Italy, Switzerland, Great Britain, and America.

I wonder where the canvas comes from? I've got stretcher bars from the US and tacks from Japan.

Wow. This stuff comes from all over the world to rest in my hands for me to see what I can do with it. Amazing.