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Michael Fullan and his Long-lasting Legacy

Michael Fullan is acknowledged as one of the leaders in teacher instruction and a major advocate of educational reform in the whole universe. He is an icon in the planetary academic community and holds esteemed places in honored educational establishments in Canada.

The celebrated Fullan is a professor emeritus at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto and a physician of doctrine. He was dean of the module of instruction at the University of Toronto from 1988 to 2003. Fullan has been conferred honorary doctor’s degrees from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and from Nipissing University in Canada ( Prolonging Reform, 2005 ) . The pacemaker in primary plans of alteration in the school leading and plans for educational betterments is an writer of assorted publications on the topic of educational alteration.

Michael Fullan is a fecund author. Some of his outstanding plants that have been given awards are The New Meaning of Educational Change, 3rd Edition, Leading in a Culture of Change, Change Forces: The Sequel, A Change Forces: Probing the Depths of Educational ReformA , and the What ‘s Deserving Fighting ForA series. His recent bestselling pieces are The Six Secrets of Change and Motion Leadership. His latest best sellers areA The Six Secrets of Change andA Motion Leadership.

As an agent of alteration in the academic, Fullan has played a prima function as policy wise man, research worker and trainer on assorted undertakings in coaction with and for instructors ‘ associations, research and development organisations and international bureaus both in Canada and other states. He is at the nucleus of the group set abouting a four twelvemonth assessment of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy in England.

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Michael Fullan is called the reform designer of Ontario. He enjoys strong concern connexions which stand to derive straight from his reforms. All of the reforms place greater accent on raising literacy and numeracy results through targeted support, ageless instructor and chief retraining, intensifying intercessions and greater answerability for standardised trial public presentation. He runs Michael Fullan Enterprises Inc. and Leadership4Change, and he occupies a topographic point on the board of international advisers of Microsoft ‘s, Partners in Learning. ( Thompson, 2009 ) .

The Need for Change

Fullan emphasizes that ‘effective school leaders are the cardinal to large-scale, sustainable instruction reform. For some clip, pedagogues have believed that principals must be instructional leaders if they are to be the effectual leaders needed for sustained invention. School capacity is the important variable impacting instructional quality and corresponding pupil accomplishment. At the bosom of school capacity are principals focused on the development of instructors ‘ cognition and accomplishments, professional community, plan coherency, and proficient resources ( Fullan, 2002 ) ‘ .

As explained by Fullan, the load lies on the shoulders of the principals since they are chiefly responsible for originating and supervising the preparation of instructors so that the latter can be efficient and effectual conveyers of cognition to their pupils.

Fink and Resnick suggest that school territory caputs should spearhead attempts to develop principals into instructional leaders who could accomplish a large-scale turnaround in literacy and numeracy. They described some nucleus schemes for developing the function of the principal as instructional leader, including five reciprocally reenforcing sets of strategic activities: nested larning communities, chief institutes, leading for direction, equal acquisition, and single coaching ( 2001, pp. 598-606 ) .

The long-run function of principals, so, is to supply instructional leading for their instructors. With this trade name of headship, the instructors can be relied upon to transport out the basic duty of leaving to their several pupils the cognition that they deserve and need.

Fullan adds, there is a demand for leaders who can make a cardinal transmutation in the acquisition civilizations of schools and of the instruction profession itself. The function of the principal as instructional leader is excessively narrow a construct to transport the weight of the sorts of reforms that will make the schools that we need for the hereafter. Like the concern leader, the principal of the hereafter, the cultural alteration principal, must be cognizant of the large image, that of a sophisticated conceptual mind who transforms the organisation through people and squads ( Fullan, 2001 ) .

Similarly, ‘the other traits of a civilization alteration chief include the ability to attest a profound and thorough ethical rule. He or she must be a trendsetter and possess the adroitness to cover with the procedure of alteration and realizes that instruction is both an rational and moral profession. More significantly the civilization alteration principal should spot that constructing relationships and squads is the most hard accomplishment for both concern and instruction leaders ‘ .

To be a successful leader of alteration, it is advisable to follow the statement that the distinguishable facet common to successful alteration is that relationships get better. Therefore, if relationships get better, schools develop. If relationships remain the same or acquire worse, land is lost. Therefore, leaders set up relationships with different people and groups. During hard times, emotional intelligence is imperative. Emotionally intelligent leaders are able to construct relationships because they are cognizant of their ain emotional make-up and are sensitive and animating to others ( Goleman, Boyatzis, & A ; McKee, 2002 ) .

Indeed, sweeping alterations must happen in the instruction sector and when these alterations have been implemented, school decision makers, principals and instructors must see to it that these additions should be sustained and protected.

As indicated by Fullen, the chief point is about a alteration in the civilization of schools and a alteration in the civilization of learning. ‘Reculturing is the chief work of leading, and it requires an implicit in conceptualisation of the cardinal elements that feed it. It is the context of the school and territory in which they work which means that principals have to be about as concerned about the success of other schools in the territory as they are about their ain schools. ‘

Effective Leadership

In his book, Leading for Change, Michael Fullan affirms that the more complex society gets, the more sophisticated leading must go.

The eventuality theoretical account is intended to supply a model that will gestate leading as a developmental procedure that will take into history the dynamic and unstable context of the school by associating the most appropriate leading manner to the demands of the school. Fixing leaders to successfully work within a context of alteration and uncertainness is overriding. Guaranting that these leaders get the cognition and accomplishments necessary to utilize these assorted theoretical accounts is imperative ( Stewart, 2006 ) .

Merely like corporate organisations, educational establishments depend on leading for continued being. They have to go learning organisations to digest all obstructions and win in their projects.

Training and bring forthing effectual leaders in educational establishments can non be limited to instilling effectual traits in people. Organizations and schools should be developed to back up the corporate signifier of leading where persons feel safe, supported and free to believe and move creatively ( Stewart ) .

The decisions of Arthur Levine about leading readying plans were non at all encouraging.

The quality of most readying plans for instruction leaders ranges from insufficient to gross outing. The state ‘s educational disposal plans need to fix high quality principals and overseers, who can take schools and school territories through the profound alterations called for under province betterment programs. More than 40 per centum of principals and a higher per centum of overseers are expected to go forth their occupations over the following decennary which means that the state faces an pressing demand to educate big Numberss of extremely skilled decision makers ( Levine, 2005 ) .

Ii is hence imperative that the province should work closer with school decision makers, principals and instructors to pass the system that does non look to work decently. Educational direction plans need more polish if merely to determine that top-quality instructors, who can execute satisfactorily, are produced in the old ages to come.

In response to this predication of Levine is a discourse by Schmoker, ‘the sarcasm is merely excessively much.A Your school, labeled underperforming or an tantamount term, has to develop an betterment program. A Unfortunately, it is merely such betterment planning that presently accounts for a big portion of school failure. ThereA areA straightforward, proven means for bettering accomplishment in virtually any school scene. But school betterment planning, like its sister, school reform merelyA distracts us from the difficult work ofA bettering instruction ( 2003 ) .

Possibly, a really relevant theory espoused by Michael Fullan is his recommendation that Change is needed to develop schools as learning communities.

Collegiality provides the best get downing point in the procedure of instructor regeneration. Traveling or larning enriched ‘ schools are what he calls professional acquisition communities. Teaching demands to be seen as a collective instead than an single endeavor. This is the ground why it means it is easier to learn in some schools than others. Successful schools enforce, through moral duties, consistent criterions and they are more likely to swear and value others and inquire for and portion expertness. This is what makes such schools easier to learn, and larn to learn better in, than others. Teachers in such schools are less likely to uncritically conform to enforce thoughts. They have developed the capacity to self reflect, to analyze pupil public presentation and act on their ain apprehensions ( Fullan, 2001 ) .

Fullan portions to the populace, six alleged messages about alteration which are extremely pertinent to the points being discussed in this treatise.

To sum up Fullan ‘s arrows on alteration, ‘the first is people should happen significance in reform to bring forth the coveted impact ; 2nd, bing schemes will non acquire us to where we want to travel ; third, although short-run additions can be achieved by standards-based reform, it is lifelessly if the decision is that schools should make more of the same ; 4th, the acquisition organization/community is more than a cliche ; 5th, we need to see the corporate good ; and sixth, we have to larn to populate with alteration.

With regard to leading, Fullan mentions the four facets of leading, doing a difference in the lives of pupils ; perpetrating to cut downing the spread between high and low performing artists within your school or territory ; lending to cut downing the spread in the larger environment ; and transforming the working ( or larning conditions ) of others so that growing, committedness, battle, and changeless spawning of leading in others are being fostered.

Finally, Fullan interpolates that leaders at many degrees must be cultivated as people learn in context. An organisation can non flourish-at least, non for long-on the actions of the top leader entirely. Schools and territories need many leaders at many degrees. Learning in context helps bring forth such leaders. Further, for leaders to be able to cover with complex jobs, they need many old ages of experience and professional development on the occupation. To some extent, a school leader ‘s effectivity in making a civilization of sustained alteration will be determined by the leaders he or she leaves behind ( 2002 ) .

It is besides important at this point to understand the six secrets of alteration that Fullan wrote approximately so as to assist in dissecting the elements of leading and alteration.

Fullan ‘s Six Secrets of Change

Secret figure one is Love your Employees every bit much as your clients. Secret figure two is Connect Peers with Purpose. Secret figure three is Capacity Judgment trumps Judgementalism. Secret Number Four is Learning is the Work. Secret Number Five is Transparency Rules. Secret Number Six is Systems Learn ( Fullan, 2008 ) .

Possibly, one of the most indispensable secrets is figure three – capacity-building undeniably precedes the development of the shared efficaciousness of the major participants to obtain the needful amendments in instruction every bit good as acquisition.

Fullan highlights the demand to develop the corporate effectivity of a group of the whole system to really acquire more reform in instruction and acquisition and pupil results.A The three parametric quantities are new accomplishments and competences ; resources, thoughts, stuffs and money ; and the 3rd is motive as a capacity. When people are motivated the capacity goes up to acquire something done ( 2008 ) .A

Learning is the work is merely every bit of import. Professional acquisition is what goes on twenty-four hours after day.A The indicant Fullan considered was ‘the difference between the effectual administrations and the less than effectual 1s as they had civilizations where learning and larning for the grownups was a core portion of the mundane civilization ‘ . Transparency is besides every bit critical because there should ever be accessA to pattern, informations, consequence and accomplishments. Meanwhile, linking equals with intent is about focussed equal communicating and lifting above the top-down and bottom-up difference.

Systems Learn, says Fullan and although this may be abstract, it should be interpreted as being done operationally. Leaderships have to be on the dance floor and the balcony at the same clip ( Heifitz and Linsky, 2002 ) . Systems learn when you get this tri-level support underway, surely within a school if you think of turnover of caputs, school caputs, the chief job with turnover is non turnover itself but discontinuity of good way. A So the issue about systems larning is how you get continuity of good way, constructing on it but still that grade of continuity ( Fullan, 2008 ) .A

Steping into leading functions is worth the hazard when your ends extend beyond material addition or personal promotion. By doing the lives of people around you better, leading provides significance to life.

If alterations are efficaciously put in topographic point, most likely, the necessary educational reforms will be realized.

During the last 20 old ages, the value and impact of the educational reform motion has been cause for a batch of arguments. Many school practicians and research workers have asserted that one fact remains clear: the function of the school decision maker has increased in complexness. In order to run into the challenge of this leading crisis, leaders from all degrees in school territories will necessitate to concentrate on systemic alteration to heighten alteration capacity and sustainability. The clip has come to alter the context of school in an attempt to do the place more rewarding and exciting. The function of the principal is polar to systemic school alteration and pupil accomplishment. Fullan shows how moral leading can reinvent the principal-ship and convey about large-scale school betterment by disputing all who work in instruction to rethink the critical function of the principal as school leader in the current epoch of answerability ( Normore, 2004 ) .

Fullan adds that in complex societies, bring forthing and prolonging a critical public school system is a tall order. There must be a really competent learning force. However, this can non be achieved without leaders supplying the counsel and way. The principals, hence, play a polar function ( 2003 ) .

Concentrating on Solutions

In his protagonisms, Fullan broached the idea that a systematic reply is needed to postulate with the issues on the betterment of school leading.

He proposes a tri-level solution that focuses on entire system transmutation through the witting, deliberate, brooding actions of the province in tri-level capacity edifice within a model of answerability. The school/community is the first of these degrees ; the territory or part is the mid degree ; and the province or policy degree is the 3rd.

While the school/community and the district/region are making their several duties, the province has to demo the manner because system transmutation will non come about if the former fails to carry through its primary function.

Government or province functionaries must plunge themselves in the cognition base about alteration, capacity-building within a model of answerability and as a consequence, start to believe otherwise. They have to move otherwise with regard to whom they appoint as leaders around them, what policies and schemes they formulate, and how they focus and enhance resources. Last, the province must radically redefine its relationship with the other two degrees by being more transparent, more involved, patterning and taking capacity edifice at their ain degree, and assisting to take and ease co-determined solutions across the other two degrees ( Fullan, 2005 ) .

Large graduated table reforms will non work efficaciously. It should be a well-organize tri-level reform wherein all those who are involved monitor developments and larning from their experiences as they go along.

Analyzing the Views of Michael Fullan

The diverse and edifying academic point of views of Michael Fullan on school reform, school leading and instructor instruction have produced legion leads for much-needed reforms in the educational system of many establishments and caused the transmutation of the instruction profession.

I to the full agree with Michael Fullan that the learning profession should be re-cultured or re-created. After all, his credibleness, expertness, academic and professional accomplishments every bit good as experience can non be doubted. As Fullan competently described, ‘the learning profession still has to come of age. This new professionalism should be collaborative and non independent. It must be unfastened instead than closed, outward looking instead than insular, and important but non commanding. More than anything else, the new professionalism will do immense demands on instructors ‘ ain acquisition to larn about: acquisition manners, multiple intelligences, how to incorporate engineering ; how to interact with grownups ‘out there ‘ and how to acquire more support for their instruction ‘ .

The major points that Fullan raised about school leading are deserving sing and following for they are non merely phenomenal. His thoughts are really practical and can easy adaptable provided that a co-ordinated and uninterrupted coaction between the province, school leaders and instructors is formed.

Finally, the new and yet sturdy mode in covering with the larning procedure wherein the single head blends with the corporate heads should be followed for merely through this system can alter be attained. There must be an merger of expertness and thoughts to convey about additions and educational transmutation in the old ages to come.

There can be no other better description than the one given by the adult male they call the Agent of Change.A ‘Imposed constructions and criterions will ne’er by themselves be able to derive teacher committedness and inventiveness, but every bit, school left entirely will either be unable to portion effectual thoughts or go stray. A delicate balance of top down and bottom up reform will be required but to win single school must non merely experience that they are in control of their ain development but besides feel portion of a bigger society transformational motion something that is deserving contending for! ‘

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One may argue that when a professional comes around they too spray these chemicals into the environment of the home. But the fact is that professionals have special formulated products to use that are consumer safe. The pest control experts know how to protect themselves from these harsh chemicals and once the application is completed the treatment causes no harm to the people that Bee Removal Norwood VA live in the home. When you spray pest control chemicals yourself, it is easy to get them on your skin or clothing.

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Monthly Archives: October 2015

Many citizens affected by the EU referendum will have no vote

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Many of the people most affected by the EU referendum decision will have no say in it. If Britain votes to leave the EU, then all Britons will lose something that many Britons cherish – European citizenship. Under EU law, all citizens of the European Union have joint citizenship: their own nationality, and European citizenship. […]

The end of free movement to and from Europe?

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Brexit options should be made clear Free movement across most of our continent is a fundamental right of all EU citizens. But if Eurosceptics have their way and Britain leaves the EU, British people will most likely lose the right to move freely across Europe, and citizens from the rest of Europe will lose the […]

UACES and Ideas on Europe do not take responsibility for opinions expressed in articles on blogs hosted on Ideas on Europe. All opinions are those of the contributing authors.


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La Lune embroidery - special LARGE edition made to order

€78.00 EUR

We developed our La Lune embroidery from our own 1927 edition of The Wirth Tarot. All the design work, embroidery preparation and embroidery is done by us in our studio in Ireland, to ensure the most gorgeously detailed, almost three-dimensional look.

With metallic gold background and "frame" and silver and silver/black threads, this is very lavish and spectacularly different from mass-produced embroidery.

The embroidery will be supplied on black velvet with a margin of velvet all round of about 8 cm (3 inches). If you need a larger margin of velvet, please contact us.

We see this being framed, or made into a very special cushion or as a focal point in a throw or quilt (see images for examples of how you can use this embroidery). One or more could also be incorporated in a spectacular garment.

As we make each one individually and they have to be on the embroidery machine for several hours, we are limiting this pre-order to 50 only for now.

Please allow up to a month for us to make and ship your embroidery, though we will do our best to ship as quickly as we can.

More details
  • Individually made in our studio in Ireland
  • Very large size embroidery at 13 * 23 cm (5.2 * 9 inches) including gold frame
  • Supplied on a generous piece of black velvet about 8 cm all round from the embroidery (about 3 inches).
  • Sewn with high quality German embroidery threads
  • Metallic threads are pure metallic (not the cheaper metallic wrapped around a plain core).
  • Sewn on to a great cotton velvet made in Czech Republic.
  • Limited edition pre-order for now as these are time-consuming to make.


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Main Menu Sightseeing
Hotel Guide Transportation

Paris RER (2018)

How to use RER rapid-transit trains, which link to the Paris Métro and serve both the city and its suburbs.

ABOVE: Passengers board a train of RER Ligne C.

Most visitors to Paris are aware of the Métro, a rapid-transit system that opened in 1900. Fewer know that the RER, a commuter rail network more formally known as the the Réseau Express Régional, also offers rapid transit within Paris--along with frequent service to Charles de Gaulle Airport, Versailles, Disneyland Paris, and other suburban destinations.

Since its beginnings in 1961, the RER has grown into a network of five major lines that radiate in all directions from the city center. RER trains stop at SNCF railway stations and have connections or correspondances with important Métro transfer points.

For example, you can take RER Line B in from Charles de Gaulle Airport and change to the Métro at Chatelet-Les Halles (Right Bank) or Saint-Michel (Left Bank) to reach your hotel.

The RER can also be handy for tourist travel within the city: RER Line C follows the Left Bank of the Seine for most of its length, with stops at Saint-Michel (Latin Quarter and Notre Dame), the Musée d'Orsay, Invalides, and Pont de l'Alma (Eiffel Tower) that are just a few minutes apart.

For more information on buying tickets and riding the RER, see the next page.

Next page: RER tickets and trains

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Paris RER - introduction
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Mount Sinai Health System

Department of Neurosurgery Grand Rounds

Neurosurgery Grand Rounds focuses on continuing medical education and resident education in the Department of Neurosurgery at Mount Sinai Health System. Formal lectures are presented by faculty, visiting professors, residents, and students, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of care in Mount Sinai's Department of Neurosurgery, and reviewing neurosurgical cases.

Credits Awarded
2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit

At the conclusion of the activity, participants will be able to:

  • Improve quality of care in the Department of Neurosurgery
  • Review neurosurgical cases

Calendar Updates and Notifications
If you wish to receive a calendar invite or weekly reminder about Neurosurgery Grand Rounds, please email Jillian Beroza-Nekhanevich.

Wednesday, September 26 at 7:00am to 8:45am

More dates through February 19, 2020

The Mount Sinai Hospital, Annenberg Building - Fifth Floor, Center for Innovation and Discovery
1468 Madison Ave 10029


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• Mud Mouth Toothpaste

    Mud Mouth Toothpaste

    Honey rolls over in bed and armageddon of the mouth explodes. You don’t know if you should put a sock in his mouth or fall out of bed….Or maybe that’s how your spouse responds when you roll over in the morning. Either way, morning...


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A state of being "on tour", or away from home. Also called a Road Trip.

A state of being in which one is never or rarely where one expects him to be.

"On The Road" is the first published novel by Jack Kerouac that really sold in quantity.

Jack was the father of the Beat Generation. It is a semi autobiographical tale of his life with friend Neal Cassady as they criss crossed America. It had enormous impact on me. I did many trips on the west coast and a few across country as a result. For many years I was under the impression this was one long continuous piece of paper. It turns out it is 10 piece of paper, 12 feet long that were taped together with scotch tape which were passed through an old manual typewriter. Rejected by many publishers. It was written in 1951 and not published until 1957. It essentially put Kerouac in the public eye and sold very well. It made him an instant celebrity.

The book is listed as one of Modern Library's 100 Best Books: Fiction for the 20th Century.

Falls under the category of Books that will induce a mindfuck.

Remember: Travel changes your brain!

Sources: Gruen, John, "The New Bohemia", a capella books, Chicago, 1990. Miles, Barry, "Jack Kerouac, King of the Beats", Henry Holt and Co., New York, 1998 Last Updated 05.20.03

Back in 1998, I was working as a freelancer for the first time in my life. I was afraid because I was unsure whether my congenital laziness would allow me to make a life of my work, and on the other hand I felt a nice sensation of freedom. I knew the first months were to be paramount to the success of my new life, so I decided to do something stupid. I had some money in the bank, and I wanted badly to attend E3 and the Computer Games Developer Conference (now Games Developer Conference, CGC). So I invented a project that involved a six week journey across the U.S.A., and a website that I would be constructing "on the road". I had already a website then, www.versvs.com (I am no longer the owner of the domain, some stupid robot from www.webhideout.com bought it this year), so I created VERSVS ON THE ROAD as a one month project inside my deeply intellectual website about videogames.

I had the money, but I had other problems to solve. First of all, Sonia, my significant other, wasn't very happy. Six weeks was a lot of time, and she was a bit jealous, because she loves travelling and it was going to be my first trip to the U.S.A., and what the hell, she wanted to go with me!. This was going to be difficult, as she works in the courts and it wasn't easy for her to get seven consecutive days off. But she did it, she had a week! Then I introduced a week worth of holidays in my trip.

Everything was taking shape... now I just needed a notebook, a digital camera and an Internet account with roaming capabilities in the U.S.A. As I was working for a computer magazine, I used my contacts to get the notebook, the camera, and I signed for a month with Netcom. I had mixed feelings again, I was happy, because everything was looking good, but the trip was going to put me in the red. So I started to sell articles like there was no tomorrow: reports from E3 and CGC, an article about Arizona and the Grand Canyon (Sonia and I were going to spend the first week travelling, doing tourism, then she would return to Barcelona and I would start the work in the CGC), and even an article where I explained how to travel and keep working at the same time. You can see the written results of that journey at http://www.antipasta.org/llocsvells/otr/index.html (Spanish only)

Although I spent much more money than I earn selling my articles, I learned a lot of things from this experience. For the first time in my life, I was alone, in a foreign country, with little money, but connected with my people through the net (for instance, I would send an e-mail to my sister, she would print it and hand it to my mother, or the torrid e-mails between Sonia and I). I defined, more than a year before it was becoming popular in Spain, the role and the equipment of a digital journalist. What was seen as a crazy thing then has put me, two years after, in a position where now I am being interviewed as a pioneer of digital journalism (where I just wanted to attend E3 and CGC).

Maybe some other day I would go into the details of the trip itself...

On the road is a book by Jack Kerouac, it is considered his finest work and he struggled through-out his life to recapture that spark.

The book was written and takes place after the turn of the century and is a semi-factual account of the author’s, in the guise of Sal Paradise, various travels across America. A strange mix of excitement, despair, love and loneliness, of friends passing each other in the night on their lonely pilgrimages across the country.

At other times it describes the simple pleasure of sleeping out or the way in which the pie got lighter and the ice-cream scoop larger the further south he travelled.

The book contains a strange collection of characters, from the party crowds of New York and the shuffling manic philosopher that is Carlo Marx, to the junkie Old Bull Lee happily married with two loving kids. It would probably be true to say that the focus of the novel is Dean Moriarty, described as a American hero-saint and an unholy innocent. We watch as he rushes across America desperate to absorb and take in every detail and experience. Driving at a 100 mph for days at a time, rushing from girl to girl, abandoning his friends in strange cities, and returning days later to pick them up and off they dash to new pastures.

We only see fragments of this unholy pilgrimage as Sal is seldom with Dean for long. You find yourself desperate for Sal to met up with him again so you can glimpse another snapshot of Dean's slow descent into madness and his “rebirth” in a almost angelic form. People view him almost like the local village drunk, a kind of fondness for this strange fixture, his obvious madness is accepted.

The final journey is a mad rush to Mexico city with Dean which ultimately ends in Sal being left behind as Dean U-turns on arrival and heads back to New York. The book is filled with a manic energy but at the same time a fragility as you know it can’t last forever and eventually reality must catch up. The ending leaves you wondering what will become of Dean and whether he can survive in this world.

I later found out that Neal Cassady (the person represented by Dean), went on to join the Merry Pranksters a major player in the acid movement. The book also contains some of the finest writings about music that I’ve read.

In summery I could call it a “fear and loathing in Las Vegas” with mad people instead of drugs but it doesn’t do it justice. I'd call it a study of friendship and longing, truly a great book.

On The Road (Home I'll Never Be)
performed by Tom Waits & Primus
From the album Jack Kerouac Reads: "On the Road" (Ryko)

Tom Waits and Primus recorded this track for a 1999 release of an album of remastered and remixed spoken word material by Jack Kerouac. Waits and Les Claypool of Primus had collaborated on a number of other tracks and projects, and the two were brought on by Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth (the Kerouac album's producer) to perform a reworked version of the song "On the Road". The song, based on a French Canadian folk song, was written by Kerouac, and performed by him. Waits reworked the lyrics and changed the music, and recorded the vocals, with Claypool providing backup-vocals, and Primus performing the instrumentation.

The song itself makes numerous references to the life of a transient during the heyday of the railroad era. Many of the towns and cities mentioned are Depression-era railroad hubs or crossroads. Others are local corruptions of the Indian (feathers, not dots) or Hispanic names of American cities and sites. The "plot" of the song, regarding a transient finding his father shortly before the old man dies, mirrors stories told by Kerouac about Neal Cassady, the hero of his saga the Myth of Duluoz.

The music is rolling and jangling, and gives every impression of being played around a campfire by a hobo with an out of tune guitar, or from the corner of an empty cross-country boxcar. Waits delivers the lyric with his trademark haggard gruffness, and does an excellent job of capturing the tone and emotion of the song. Think about it: if you were going to write a song about the life of a railroad-hopping drifter, who could you really pick to sing it other than Tom Waits?

Waits has performed the song live a number of times, and live recordings and alternative lyrics exist. A notable (and appropriate) performance of the song was at a memorial benefit for Allen Ginsberg, for instance.

Well, I left New York in nineteen forty-nine
To go across the country, without a dad-blame dime
Montana in the cold cold fall
I found my father in a gamblin’ hall

Father, father, where have you been?
I’ve been out in the world since I was only ten
Father, father, where have you been?
I’ve been out in the world since I was only ten

Don’t worry about me, about to die of pleurisy
Cross the Mississippi, cross the Tennessee
Cross the Niagara, home I’ll never be
Home in ol’ Medora, home in ol’ Truckee
Apalachicola, home I’ll never be
For better or for worse, or thick and thin
I’ve been married to the little woman
God he loves me, like I love him
I want you to do just the same for him
Well, the worms eat away
But don’t worry, watch the wind

So I left Montana on an old freight train
The night my father died in the cold cold rain
Rode to Opelousas, rode to Wounded Knee
Rode to Ogallala, home I’ll never be
Rode to Oklahoma, rode to El Cajon
Rode to old Tehatchapi, rode to San Antone

Hey! Hey!

Rode to Opelousas, rode to Wounded Knee
Rode to Ogallala, home I’ll never be
Rode to Oklahoma, rode to El Cajon
Rode to old Tehatchapi, rode to San Antone

Home I’ll never be
Home I’ll never be
Home I’ll never be
Home I’ll never be
Home I’ll never be
Home I’ll never be

The experience of reading Kerouac's On the Road was a familiar one. To begin with, everything about the book was interesting: the language, the characters, the setting. But as it went, you got the increasingly powerful sense that everything described was pointless. The desperation of it is captured by a line from the end of part three:

All the cigarette butts, the bottles, the matchbooks, the come and the gone were swept up in this pile. Had they taken me with it, Dean would never have seen me again. He would have had to roam the entire United States and look in every garbage pail from coast to coast before he found me embryonically convoluted among the rubbishes of my life, his life, and the life of everybody concerned and not concerned.
Nobody was really doing anything, and it wouldn't have mattered at all if everything described just hadn't happened - disconnected stories and disconnected lives. The constant hyperbole on the part of the narrator contributes to that sense that nothing fits together, that everything is the superlative form of its genre, and that every statement has no real relevance beyond the moment in which it is made.

Perhaps the most interesting thing was the sort of communal madness described between the characters: when they seemed to understand one another while exchanging stories and meanings that were opaque to everyone else. You have to wonder if there's anything to it, or whether both speakers and listeners are deluded about the content of their exchange. Whether they're just talking to themselves in insane tongues, prompted by the noises around them. It makes you wonder if whatever mechanism that clicks to one side or another in the brain, separating the plausible from the inaccessibly strange, actually operates according to some comprehensible logic, or just based on strings of obscure past cues and approximations.

I probably came to the book looking for the wrong thing, not a glimpse into a previous and mad generation but some kind of message for the present. I suppose most such messages end up being cautionary ones, about how lives can just whiz around infatuated with destructive madness. By the end, I was reading it much too quickly. I was sick of the road long before the characters were ever able to be.

This node is also a post on my blog, at: http://www.sindark.com/2006/05/11/on-the-road/

(written when  I was 33 and setting off to drive to CA for the first time.)

Now the clouds flow on to evening

As they turn from gold to red

And the time is past for dreaming

Of the road that lies ahead

Tis a time for new beginnings

To the dust I cast my load

On my face eternal sunset

Ever Westward runs the road

Ever Westward to the mountains

To the cities dark with Men

To the worlds that I can fashion

With my palette , with my pen

Worlds of magic , worlds of wonder,

Where the secret rivers run

Where the miracles are fashioned

For an audience of one....

To the race of men I'm leaving

To the race of men I'll find

Mortal ears stopped up with clamor

Mortal eyes to beauty blind

May your cities stand forever

May your houses never fall

I will mock your fears with shadows

In the silence, on the wall

Then farewell to windy city

Smoky skies and screaming gulls

To the ships that know your waters

By the slime that stains their hulls

You have seen me in my sorrow

In my folly, in my pain

Let us each forget the other

And be strangers once again

Here's my hand to wives and mistress

Through your hearts I walked alone

All the echoes were my footsteps

All the voices were my own

May your lives find new beginnings

Let my 'quaintance be forgot

May the dreams I never kindled

Fade like mist, and touch thee not

But the bright dear face I'm leaving

For a day, a month , a year

Eyes the blue of mountain waters

Watch me go without a tear

May you grow in joy and wisdom

Let your fancy wander free

May your steps at last turn Westward

Toward the sunset, after me.

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A term used to describe the action that takes place in a Flash movie when you change the shape/motion of an object or shape from one frame to another. When done properly, it looks like a line with an arrow at the end between two black dots in a layer.

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Sleep walking often runs in families. It occurs during partial arousal from stage 4 sleep in which the sleeper does not come to full consciousness. There is usually no memory of the episode the following day.

Most cases begin in childhood and are attributed mainly to delayed development of the nervous system, and the child usually grows out of it by adolescence. Sleep walkers usually have their eyes open and shuffle about. They have poor coordination and unintelligible speech during the episode.

An EEG recording during an episode with show a combination of delta waves (indicating deep sleep), and alpha and beta waves (indicating a waking state). Sleep walkers are awake enough to do tasks that do not require their full attention and asleep enough to not remember doing the tasks. Due to their reduced coordination, safety is a major concern. Sleepwalkers have been known to walk through windows, drive, fall down stairs, etc.

Sleep walking episodes in adults usually happen during periods of major stress and are more likely to be associated with psychiatric disorders. It is not dangerous to wake a sleep walker, but experts say simply guiding them back to bed is the best course of action.


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Exceptional EA

Daily Archives: 2016/03/07

Weekend Poll Results: Perks of the Job

Thanks to all who participated in my latest weekend poll. This weekend’s question: What kind of perks are available to you through your workplace? Read on to see the different types of perks your peers enjoy – and how others’ responses compare…

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A thought for your day, with my good wishes …

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Category Archives: Slovakia

European Winter Roundup

With two and a half weeks off work, there was never any doubt that we’d head away to Europe.  Up until a couple of months ago, neither of us had stepped foot on the continent, and growing up listening to my parents talk about their travels there, I knew it had to be done.  A […]


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Cruising – Is it for me?

If you asked me two years ago, I’d have been surprised at my answer, but now?  Absolutely, cruising could be the perfect choice for you!

We spent a long time time intentionally avoiding cruises… maybe it was the cliched images of elderly people hobbling along the decks (not that we have a problem with older people!), or it could have been the sub-par cruise ships that have graced Australasian shores in the past (P&O anyone?).

We’ve always liked travelling at our own pace, and as an ex-flight consultant, I really enjoy researching and planning our trips – the idea of taking the control out of our hands and having to skip from place to place, regardless of whether we were ready to move on didn’t sit quite right with me.

We’ve come across plenty of people that are anti-cruising but interestingly enough, almost none of them have actually set foot aboard one of these beauties.

Regardless of our hesitations, we decided it was time to give this cruising business a go, and man are we pleased we did!

We decided to book our first cruise for a number of reasons; we’d decided we were keen to hit the Caribbean and a cruise genuinely seemed to be the most affordable way to do so, and at the end of 3 weeks of backpacking through Central America, we thought we’d be looking forward to taking it easy for a week.

The cruise itself cost us NZD900 each (approx USD600 each) which included all of our food, transport, of course accomodation and onboard activities.  I elected to purchase a soft drink package (“Hi I’m Sarah and I am addicted to Coke Zero”) whilst Nathan made do with the free cordial onboard which he supplemented with the occasional (paid) coffee.

Initially we’d looked at leaving from Florida on one of the larger boats but as we didn’t have time to explore the theme parks there, we made the decision to instead venture further South on this occasion.  After flying to Puetro Rico and enjoying a few days exploring the island, we set sail, had a day at sea and then spent a day at each of the designated ports – Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten and St. Croix (in the US Virgin Islands).

From the moment we boarded the ship, we were welcomed aboard with open arms.  The crew was waveringly professional and friendly and the passengers aboard were much more diverse than I’d expected.  We were left to our own devices to wander the ship as we pleased, but also enjoyed seeing familiar faces at dinner each night.  We really enjoyed getting to know some of our fellow passengers, but at the same time, there was no pressure to buddy up.

After riding around in the back of pickup trucks and on bumpy mini-buses, whilst (at times) struggling with language differences through Guatemala, it was such a treat to be able to settle into a comfortable room and know that would become our home for the next week.

Ohhh and the food, so much glorious food!  Pizza and cake at 11pm?  No problem!  Room service at 1am?  Sure!  After travelling on a bit of a budget, it was nice not to have to question the cost of things (included) or the quality (always better than we needed).

Our ship was kitted out with a few different swimming pools (though in January they were pretty chilly), rock climbing, a mini movie theatre, ice skating shows, comedy acts, game shows and more.  Again, you can involve yourself as much or as little as you like but having these options on offer again added to the value for us – the week just raced by!  When we boarded, we were most excited to get our sea day out of the way, but by the time we disembarked, we both reflected that another sea day to further explore the ship wouldn’t have been a bad thing.

Our cruise included two formal nights; the first of which we ducked out of, in favour of an all-you-could-eat night at Johny Rockets (which we paid a small supplement for) where we had a fantastic chat with one of the staff. The second formal night we pulled out our nicest clothes (easier said than done when you’ve been pack packing with 7kg of baggage each!) so Nathan could enjoy lobster night.

Our stops were, for the most part, fabulous and surprisingly, the only island we felt we really could have done with more time at was St. Maarten, but even that was an awesome taster.  We researched the different options at each port and organised our own excursions, both to save money and to allow us to move at our own pace.

In Barbados, we jumped in a taxi to a beach where we swam out and spent a couple of hours swimming with turtles (with our own snorkels).

In St. Lucia, we jumped on a water taxi and  explored the town (where we got Nathan a hair cut.)  Having been on the road for a while at that stage, he was well overdue, and we always find it a great way to chat to the locals!

Antigua saw us get on a local ‘bus’ (which was really a van) and head to the other side of the island to ride (and swim) horses.

In St. Maarten we taxied to the most spectacular beach then walked to Maho where we watched the planes come in overhead.

Finally in St. Croix we arranged a taxi to take us out to the other side of the island (and pick us up again at an arranged time), where we enjoyed the rainforest and snorkelled again.

 Our cruise ended up being fantastic value for money and one of our real travel highlights!  Excellent food, comfortable accomodation, always something to do – what more could one want?

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Areas of Focus

What kinds of projects does SEEC evaluate?

Our primary field of expertise is STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Recent areas of content emphasis have included:

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  • Elementary math
  • Environmental and earth science, including climate change
  • Online games and software

We have researched and evaluated programs for children and adults in both formal and informal settings, including:

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What kinds of evaluation work does SEEC do?
  • Needs assessment
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  • Large scale evaluation research

What organizations' projects and programs has SEEC evaluated?

Many of the programs we evaluate are grant-funded, so the funder is often different from our client-partner. See the full list.


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I have an Android, but my child has an iPhone or iPad, will this app work for our family?

Yes, Family Orbit is cross-platform. You and your family may use different cell phones like iPhone, Samsung or LG and the app will work on all devices running iOS or Android without any issue. You can monitor an Android phone from iPhone and vice-versa.

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About fashionlobster

Some are born with good taste, but a sophisticated palate can be developed over time, as well. So here I am sharing only my best outfits and style tips, because really, who wants to fine dine alone? Enjoy the lobster :)

Gothic Romance

Maxi dresses are easy statement pieces.

Go casual or dressy depending on how you accessorize!

Thrift maxi dress, Brandy Melville sandals, H&M fringe bag, Brandy Melville bracelets, F21 rose ring, Urban Oufitters chain ring, Charlotte Russe square rings.

All photos by Dasha Shapovalova.

Paisley Petals

Prints are always refreshing and unique, no matter what season it is!

Silk can keep you cool and breezy in the summer.

Shooting in the village was really fun and beautiful. All the apartments were adorable and some had their own little garden! I fall in love with any neighborhood in Manhattan with cobblestone streets!

Tucker by Gaby Basora top, Tucker by Gaby Basora shorts, Michael Kors platforms, F21 ring.

All photos by Dasha Shapovalova.

Mystic Mint Leaves

Layering can be a pain in the summer, but it’s possible to stay cool by tying up a sleeveless button up shirt. This is much lighter than actual outerwear.

Toughen up a lace dress with some black grunge accessories.

F21 dress, F21 sleeveless shirt, Qupid platforms, H&M fringe bag, J Crew leather bracelet, Brandy Melville skull bracelets, F21 stud bracelets.

All photos by Dasha Shapovalova.

Pink Frosting Pastry

What’s more girly than pink lace? Nothing.

Short and sweet, perfect for the summer heat!

Urban Outfitters dress, Movado necklace, Zigi Girl platforms, Ray Ban wayfarers.

All photos by Dasha Shapovalova.

Sashimi Chef

There’s just something so cool about wearing black in the summer. You’ll actually stand out in the sea of florals and neons.

But a few accents of color is always fun!

Wear a high-low tank to cover up those short shorts! Mom’s request.

Thrift tank, Topshop shorts, Urban Outfitters bralette, Lucky Brand platforms, Rebecca Minkoff bag, F21 star ring, Charlotte Russe snake ring, self-made headband.

All photos by Dasha Shapovalova.

Thrifting in Williamsburg

Williamsburg is my favorite neighborhood to go thrift shopping because they have a variety of shops with a lot of good merchandise. I usually stop by Buffalo Exchange, Monk’s, Crossroads Trading Co, and my favorite, Beacon’s Closet.

Beacon’s Closet

The first time I went to the Williamsburg Beacon’s Closet, I was so overwhelmed by the amount of clothes they had. Thankfully they organize their clothes by color so it’s a pretty easy look through. I’m usually able to find some cool, unique pieces here too.

I was so happy to find these hot pants in my size! They’re comfy and I love the gold tone in this knit.

This dress has an elegant cut, but its material allows it to be worn casually. I was happy this was in my size, since it is a fitted dress. But the slit is what really got me!

I love the over-sized floral and bright pink color. It’s a sweet, but fun print. The silhouette reminds me of a peplum blouse, which is everywhere this season.

Buffalo Exchange

Buffalo Exchange doesn’t carry much vintage pieces, just second-hand. They’re great with keeping on-trend merchandise with pretty good prices.

I love a little twist to a basic T. The silky bodice can keep you comfortable and chic.

This dress was one of those “So cute, I have to have it!” purchases. It basically combines everything I like: lace, high-low skirt, open back, and my favorite clothing colors!

I hope this encourages everyone to visit their local thrift stores, or make a trip to Williamsburg! Just make sure you’re in the thrifting zone, because it does take a lot of patience and energy. It’s tedious to look through a bunch of old clothes, but it’ll be worth it when you find that cool vintage piece for a low price!

Skeleton Safari

Throw a t-shirt over a party dress for casual wear.

Vintage velvet dress, Brandy Melville skull shirt, Lucky Brand sandals, Michael Kors watch, Brandy Melville bracelet, American Eagle necklace.

All photos by Dasha Shapovalova.


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Who are we?

If your looking for common, plain and everyday high-street fashion your in the wrong place.  Every style in the Fenella collection is thoughtfully crafted to express the many unique aspects that make up a woman's identity. We believe clothing is about saying who you are without having to speak.
Fenella is family owned business was established in may 2014 by fashion designer Nichola Eaton and daughter Fenella Eaton. Both wanted to create an individual shopping experience for the individual woman. Basically our customers are always guaranteed something a bit different from the normal and traditional high street stores.
Every design shouldn't just look great but should be comfortable and flexable giving you freedom to move. Our fabrics are not only made from high quality strong durable fabrics, but have a pleasant feel and display their natural and authentic character. Our collection is all from Italy, mostly handmade and featuring natural dyes and fabrics.
Nichola and Fenella's designs are based on continuity. We are inspired and follow trends, but we remain true to our line. Our collections can be mixed and matched in many ways, also with other brands and collections. Our customers are invited to create their own unmistakable look.
Also what isn't not to love, we even have our own director of cuteness Lolli our office dog.
90% of our produce comes from Tuscany and Rome in Italy.
Soul attire for the empowered woman.


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Tweeter's Treats Seed Sticks for Canaries Fruity

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Monthly Archives: May 2015

Whitefriar’s Hornpipe

The posts for this week and next are both crooked tunes – musical riddles that turn round and bite you in the ankle just when your ears are quite sure how the tune is going to work out.

For this week, then: two arrangements and a teaching video of the wonderfully crooked hornpipe Whitefriar’s. (Traditional English, I believe – though after last week’s research debacle, I wouldn’t lay bets…)

Andy Cutting (melodeon), Rob Harbron (concertina), Sam Sweeney (fiddle)

Inspirational playing in a set with the inscrutable Purlongs.* (Mr Cutting only half visible, but happily entirely audible.)

(‘Leveret – Whitefriars & Purlongs Live in Dursley Town Hall’ YouTube video, 5:41. Posted by Sam Sweeney, 12 Jul 2014.

The set is on Leveret’s 2015 CD New Anything, available from their website:

Ben Moss and Laurel Swift

‘Three fiddles, two voices, one melodeon and a pair of clogs.’

Stonking fiddle harmonies at Sidmouth Folk Week 2014. Played second in a set with Laurel’s light-and-shade waltz First False Path.*

(‘Ben Moss & Laurel Swift – Waltz Set’ YouTube video, 3:48. Posted by Laurel Swift, 12 Dec 2014.

Ben and Laurel have a new self-titled EP out – see their website:

Laurel Swift

Laurel teaching Whitefriar’s to her Monday evening West London class.

(‘Whitefriars Hornpipe’ YouTube video, 1:28. Posted by ‘ealingsessions’, 9 Apr 2014.

For a shedload of teaching videos for other great tunes, visit Laurel’s Ealing Sessions website:

(*Note to readers: we’ll be returning to Purlongs and First False Path in later posts – if you can resist the tempation to learn them now, that is!)

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Filed under English folk/traditional

Last of Harris

Three versions of an apparently rarely-heard Kentucky tune, including a house concert performance, a teaching video, and the earliest known recording.

Plus, to finish, a cautionary tale: Last of Harris held a sting in its fiddletail for this unwary researcher.

Stephanie Coleman (fiddle), Adam Hurt (banjo), Beth Williams Hartness (guitar)

A lilting, closely-woven arrangement filmed at a 2011 house concert in Suffern, NY.

(‘Last of Harris’ YouTube video, 1:22. Posted by ‘banjolady’, 5.4.2011.

Andy Fitzgibbon

A great teaching video made for the 2014 Cowan Creek Mountain Music School advanced fiddle class. Andy notes: ‘Fiddle tuned GDAE. As played by John Salyer.’

(‘John Salyer’s The Last of Harris- Andy FitzGibbon’ YouTube video, 1:30. Posted by Andrew Fitzgibbon, 4 Oct 2014.

John Salyer

The 1940-1941 field recording of Kentucky fiddler John Morgan Salyer.

(From the Appalachian Center Collection, Berea College Southern Appalachian Archives. Hear the full Salyer recordings at:

And finally…

Last of Harassed: a researcher’s cautionary tale

A few  passes through Google turned up nothing about Last of Harris’s intriguing title. The tune’s origins seemed pretty obvious though. In my mind’s eye I could see it all: the ship’s stern, the gulls above the silver wake, the mountains of  the Isle of Harris misting away over the horizon as a Hebridean fiddler sets sail for the New World.

A poignant theme that deserved to be illustrated, I thought, and contacted Harris-based photographer Stefan Davies, explaining that the tune ‘presumably relates to the experience of emigrating to the US from the Isle of Harris’. He kindly sent me a wonderful photograph to upload.

Sorted – a great post for this week!

And then, last night, quite out of the blue, Google sweetly offered me a search result I really didn’t want to see: ‘Last of Sizemore’. ‘Don’t click!’ whispered my sinking heart. ‘Don’t go there!’ But I did. And read. And oh, – how could you be so cruel…

‘There are a number of musically unrelated ‘Last of’ tunes: Last of Callahan, Harris, etc. Usually they go along with a story of the last tune played by a fiddler on his deathbed or at the gallows.’

I fall on my sword. Blushing. But truth has come too late to press memory’s delete. For me, Last of Harris will always evoke, not poor Mr Harris about to meet his Maker, but Stefan’s image of the Isle of Harris – quite simply too beautiful to be left out.

isle of harris stefan davies Early morning just after sunrise (5.20 am) in May. Crescent beaches carry the eye further along the coastline to Taobh Tuath and in the distance Leverburgh. (© 2008-10 Stefan M Davies.)

(You can see more of Stefan’s fantastic photographs at

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Filed under American old-time/traditional

The Valiant

Three different takes on the glorious 48-bar jig composed by Simon Ritchie.

Nick Hart and Tom Moore

Nick (duet concertina) and Tom (fiddle) recorded this haunting rendering on their 2014 self-titled CD.

Mary Humphreys and Anahata

Played at breezy dance speed on English concertina and Oakwood melodeon, in a set with The Alexander (by William Clarke of Feltwell – see Mary’s fascinating notes at:

Simon Ritchie (composer)

Simon and His So-Called Band recorded the original barnstorming version on their 1998 album Melodion Mania. I hope to post up a Spotify link here soon, but in the meantime you can hear the track on Spotify, and download it from Amazon. 51tcHC0EplL._SL500_AA280_

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Filed under English folk/modern

The Devil’s Nine Questions/Billy in the Lowground

For this very first post in my new fiddle tunes blog, I thought I’d treat you to something unusual that I came across while hunting out old-time versions of this week’s featured tune, Billy in the Lowground. And so we begin with a story, a riddle, a rhyme – and dance away into a tune played fit to charm Old Nick himself…

Anna and Elizabeth (Anna Roberts-Gevalt and Elizabeth LaPrelle), accompanied by Jefferson Hamer and Eamon O’Leary (The Murphy Beds)

The Devil’s Nine Questions was learnt from the 1920s-40s singing of Texas Gladden and Mrs. Rill Martin, Virginia. Comment on Irish music forum The Session has Billy in the Lowground originating in centuries-old Scottish and Irish reels.

Anna and Elizabeth illustrate some of their songs with story-scrolls turned on frames known in the States as ‘crankies’. The duo is touring the UK and Ireland in May, in London on 8th (Musical Traditions/sold out) and 19th (Green Note, Camden). Check out their full itinerary on their website: The Murphy Beds are at:

Filed under American old-time/traditional


text:
Tag Archives: Blouses

Forever Gingham

Gingham fabric has been around for a long, long time.  Since the early 17thcentury to be exact, although the look of the fabric has changed considerably since those days.  The word “gingham” is from a Malay word “gingang” which means “with space between,” hence, striped.  Yes, originally gingham was a striped fabric.  It appears that it became a checked fabric sometime in the mid 1700s, and of course, that is how we think of it today.

Gingham has a fresh, timeless appeal to it, and the iterations of it are countless.  The size of the checks can be absolutely miniscule or large and prominent.

Each check in this gingham is only a couple of threads wide. I do not have an example of a really large checked gingham, but you can surely visualize it.

There are two types of gingham; the entry in The Fairchild Dictionary of Fashion (Third Edition, by Charlotte Mankey Calasibetta and Phyllis Tortora; Fairchild Publications, Inc., New York, New York, c2003, page 209) explains it beautifully:  “Checked ginghams are two-colored effects made by using two colors, or one color and white, for groups of yarns in both the lengthwise and crosswise.  Plaid ginghams are yarn-dyed designs of several colors.”

And do you know what zephyr ginghams are?  “Zephyr ginghams,” according to Fairchild’s “are made with fine, silky, mercerized yarns.”   Obviously both checked and plaid ginghams can be zephyr ginghams.

And indeed, it was a zephyr plaid gingham which I used for my most recent blouse:

I purchased this fabric at the same time I ordered the fabric for my lavender gingham blouse. I still had the “blouse bug,” so I decided to go for it!  I made a few tweaks to the pattern; specifically I added a tapered half inch to the lower half of the  sleeves, to give me a little more ease in rolling them up.  Of course, this meant I needed to add a half inch to the diameter of the cuffs.  I also increased the length of the sleeve vent by about 1.25 inches. I find these changes just add a bit more finesse to the wearing of this blouse, which is super comfortable anyway.

I kept the center back pleat, as it just makes this blouse so comfortable to wear, especially on a hot summer day.

Now, do you see that double navy blue line at the center front?

That is a mistake. I thought I had calculated the grid of the plaid correctly to have a continuous pattern across the front of the blouse.  About halfway through its construction, I discovered I had calculated incorrectly.  At that point I did not have enough fabric left over to cut out two – or even one – new fronts, so my fate was sealed.  Now I know what I did wrong, and hopefully I won’t make that mistake the next time I make a gingham blouse.  (And there will be a next time, but probably not this year.)

This is a blue jean kind of blouse!

Being a button aficionado, I of course searched again for the right buttons for this blouse. I thought about using these vintage pearl buttons with their square motif. However, at 5/8” wide, they were just too big.

I finally admitted to myself that buttons on a blouse like this should not be the focal point; they should be delicate and discreet – which led me to this card of vintage buttons in my collection:

These buttons are 3/8″ in diameter.

The luminosity of the pearl in these buttons actually picks up the pink in the plaid in a very subtle way – and they are definitely discreet.

I used the spread collar again for this blouse.

I love any excuse to wear pink shoes!

Well, I don’t want to end this post without giving you a few more fun facts on gingham.  Did you know that “gingham” was a colloquial term for an umbrella in the 19thcentury?  Again, according to Fairchild’s Dictionary (page 462), “so called because the less expensive types were made out of gingham fabric.”

And who doesn’t know that Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz wore a blue gingham dress?  Or that Brigitte Bardot wore a pink gingham wedding dress (which led to a shortage of this fabric in France, according to Wikipedia)?

If you have not recently read the classic poem by Eugene Field (1850-1895), “The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat,” it might be time to reacquaint yourself.  Here is how it starts:  “The gingham dog and the calico cat, side by side on the table sat.” Just the mention of the fabrics creates a mental picture of what is to ensue between these two!

There are few fashion references to gingham that are noteworthy, save for this one from interior designer Kelly Wearstler,  “The best thing I ever bought is a vintage Oscar de la Renta short gingham dress that I wore to my rehearsal dinner the night before my wedding.”

And finally, this from Christian Dior on “checks”  (The Little Dictionary of Fashion, by Christian Dior, Harry N. Abrams, New York, New York, 2007, page 21): “I love checks. They can be fancy and simple; elegant and easy; young and always right….  They are always in fashion …  and there are so many styles of checks to choose that there will be one to suit every age and figure.”

Feeling happy about this blouse despite that center front mistake.

From “always right” cotton gingham, I now head to another “always right,” forever, classic motif: polka dots  – in silk!  New month, new project.  Happy July, everyone!

Filed under Blouses, Buttons - choosing the right ones, Shoes to make an outfit complete, Uncategorized, vintage buttons

Gingham and Pearls

Way back at the beginning of our just-past long winter, I was on the hunt for fresh cotton gingham to pair with some Liberty cottons for dresses for my granddaughters’ birthdays. Always having been a fan of gingham, I couldn’t help but notice the offerings of shirting gingham in the Etsy shop where I was making purchases.  Of course, I ordered two pieces.  (Why wouldn’t I?!)  One piece in lavender has been tugging at me and I knew it would be next to make after finishing my purple boucle coat.

What I did not realize when I purchased this fabric is that it is a printed, rather than woven, gingham. However, the quality is lovely and silky soft.

In the meantime, I came across this spread in the April (2018) issue of Harper’s Bazaar:

There in the lower left hand corner is – yes – a lavender gingham blouse.

Now at this point in my life, I do not sew to save money, although I am always happy to have that as an added bonus.  But in this instance, once I looked at the listed price of that blouse ($375!!!) I felt quite pleased with myself, knowing I could make this  knock-off, for well less than 10% of the cost of that shirt:

The feature I really liked about the “$375 blouse” was the spread collar.  A spread collar, of course, has a wide division between the points in front, as opposed to longer pointed ends.  I determined to alter my pattern to make my shirt look like the one in the magazine.

I used a Simplicity pattern from 1972, which somehow survived all my now-regrettable purges of sewing patterns over the last 40-some years.  I had to make several alterations to it in addition to the shape of the collar, but its basic lines – with a yoked back, single button cuffs, slightly fitted body, and a long shirttail – lent itself to my vision.

The pattern art here is so dated! I actually used this pattern once before for a silk blouse.

To me, buttons are always an important component of any style requiring them.  I went through my button collection to see what I could find, knowing that what I really wanted would be simple mother-of-pearl, two-hole buttons.  When I came across this card of “Lucky Day” buttons, I knew they would be perfect.

These buttons date from the 1940s!

These 2/3″ buttons are in good proportion to the 1/4″ gingham.

What is it about gingham that makes it so fresh and happy – and timeless, as the tag line in Harper’s Bazaar, states?

I added an inverted pleat to the center back below the yoke. I may eliminate that the next time I make this pattern.

Because the fabric is a printed gingham, when I roll up the sleeves, as I am wont to do, the reverse white of the fabric shows. This doesn’t bother me as much as I thought it might.

Well, I am quite certain my “Gingham Style” looks just as good as the much more expensive “Gingham Style” detailed above.  All the more reason to wear it with pearls!

Filed under Blouses, Buttons - choosing the right ones, Uncategorized, vintage buttons

A Three Piece Outfit for the Holidays, Part 3: The Sash

The sash started it all. After finishing this silk taffeta coat last year, I was left with about 1 and ½ yards of that luscious coral fabric.

I just could not stand the thought of having that yardage sitting in my fabric closet, unused, as I found it so delightful to sew and to wear. That is when I got the idea to combine this fabric with the Guipure lace, also sharing space in that closet of wonders. However, my first thought was to make a blouse from the fabric and also use it as the fashion fabric for a lace skirt, knowing I would need at least one more yard to accomplish this plan. I contacted Britex Fabrics, from whence the fabric came, and to my dismay, they were sold out, with no more available to special order. Undeterred, I then came up with the idea of coordinating fabrics for the blouse and skirt, and using the coral silk to tie it all together. After receiving swatches of several silks from Britex, I settled on the bronzy brown and the apricot colored fabrics for the skirt and blouse, respectively.

A sash should really be straightforward, right? Well, yes; however, I thought it would be good if the sash had a slight curve to it to follow the curvature over the upper hip. That’s when I went to my closet and pulled out a silk sash that I purchased from J. Crew years ago. I had remembered correctly that it had a slight curve to it:

I often think of the tip in the book 101 Things I Learned in Fashion School, page 86: “When in doubt, look in your closet.” Looking at something that is “Ready to Wear” will often help you with construction methods or design ideas.

The J. Crew sash is 72 inches long. A trial tying of the bow proved to me that I needed to add more length to the sash if I wanted to tie a full bow at the waist, which was my intent. I determined that adding 12 inches would do the trick. Then I used that sash as a template to make a pattern, not quite knowing how sewing that long, slow curve was going to work (the sash has one long seam on the concave side of the curve, meaning that some give would need to be worked into that seam.) As it turned out, ironing was the trick to get it to behave correctly, as is so often the case!

84″ proved to be the perfect length to tie a complete bow.

I had to piece the sash in the center back, but I knew that ahead of time and it really does not bother me.

After trying on this completed outfit for the photos, I know that I need to somehow tighten up the interior waist of the skirt (you many recall from my last post, that I added what turned out to be unnecessary width to the circumference of the waist.) My blouse is not going to stay tucked in if I don’t, and the skirt feels like it is drooping on me. I am going to try adding interior waist elastic to straddle the side seams and see if that might do the trick. I am not about to take the skirt apart and remake it! And the sash should help conceal any bobbles in the waistline.

The “concealed zipper.”

It was cold and blustery when I took these photos! I could not wait to get back inside for a cup of hot tea!

Sewing for the holidays is such an anticipatory activity, and one that I love to do. There is already a festive feeling in the air here in late November, and so much more to sew…

Filed under Blouses, Bows as design feature, Fashion commentary, Lace, Silk taffeta, Uncategorized

A Three-Piece Outfit for the Holidays: Part One, The Blouse

“Today blouses are not worn quite as much as they used to be and I think it is a pity.” So said Christian Dior in 1954. With that in mind, hopefully he would have approved of this Vogue blouse pattern from 1958:

You have already seen my toile of this blouse, where I worked out all the “kinks.” I liked it made up in muslin and now I am quite thrilled with it made up in silk dupioni, purchased from Britex Fabrics.

The iridescent quality of silk dupioni woven with two contrasting colors, such as this one, makes it an excellent fabric to use for “fancy” attire. The only reservation I had was whether it would be too stiff for use in a blouse. It is by nature rather “papery” in composition. I was a little concerned it might not have enough drapeability for this blouse, where a major focus is on the softly pleated sleeves. I did a little research, and of course, the first guideline I found was an admonishment not to wash dupioni! Doing so would diminish that papery nature. Well, that was exactly what I wanted to do – soften it a bit. Further research led me to an article in Threads Magazine from a few years back, where, indeed, a reader had successfully washed dupioni in her quest to make it suppler. Off to my washing machine I went with a large swatch for a (successful) trial run. Soon the entire two yards were gently swashing around in cold water on the delicate cycle. It took quite a bit of heavy steam to wrestle out the wrinkles, but I was left with a soft, drapeable fabric for my blouse.

Quite apparent in this image are the two contrasting threads, one fuchsia and the other bright yellow, which, woven together made a shimmery apricot color.

Buttons for a blouse such as this one are an important element. I knew they needed to be special, and what could be more special than vintage glass buttons from France? I found these listed in an Etsy store (YumYum Objects).

These glass buttons have silver accents, adding just a bit more depth to their appearance.

The listing was for a set of 6, and I needed 8 for this blouse. The French cuffs required two buttons each. These buttons were too perfect to pass up, however, so I decided I could use two buttons of another style for the rear-facing part of the cuff. I found a set of little, clear glass, ball buttons in my button box, which seemed appropriate and a good compromise!

The ball button on the back.

For some reason I always like to make sleeves first, so that is what I did. The French cuffs, by their very nature, of course, call for two buttonholes with two buttons looped together to thread through those openings, one on each side. However, I placed a buttonhole on the front part of the cuff only. I then sewed the two buttons together, back to back through the back part of the cuff, with the fancy button meant to thread through that single buttonhole and the other button to be stationary. I liked the idea that this method would hold the two sides of the cuff more tightly together.

The fancy glass button on the front.

This view shows the three pleats in the sleeve. In addition, there is a small amount of gathering which adds to the blouson effect of the lower sleeve.

Being a pattern from 1958, the instructions called for bound buttonholes, of course. However, due to the nature of the fabric, I decided machine buttonholes would make a nicer finish, so that is what I did (with a little hand-finishing on each one…)

The rest of the blouse was quite straightforward.

I took this picture with the sun streaming in one of my sewing room windows. It really shows the luminosity of the fabric.

I am so happy I decided to keep the released darts at the waistline. I think they will work beautifully with the skirt I have planned.

I gave my usual attention to hand-finishing the hem and facings (it just looks nicer!) and marveled again at the finesse added to this notched shawl collar by that small dart in the collar crease. Hopefully you can see this detail here:

That dart makes the collar turn beautifully.

Next up is a guipure lace skirt! I wonder what Christian Dior would have to say about that?

Filed under Blouse patterns from the 1950's, Blouses, Buttons - choosing the right ones, sewing in silk, silk, Uncategorized, vintage buttons, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1950s

Prepping for the Next Project

Sewing is a little bit like house painting in that successful end results are often dependent upon good prep work. Well, I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather be making a muslin (toile), tedious as it sometimes is, than sanding, spackling, and cleaning walls or woodwork. And sometimes, a pattern reveals unknown charms as its toile comes to life.

Such has certainly been the case with my next project, a three-part ensemble, the first of which is a blouse, to be made out of lightweight and shimmery silk dupioni. This is to be a dressy blouse in which I want to emphasize the fabric and some amazing French buttons I found for it. Because I love a notched collar which can be raised up at the back of the neck and frame the neck and face in the front, I looked for a pattern which had that feature, but also some feminine sleeves. Among the possibilities in my pattern collection was this Vogue pattern from 1958.

Of course, View A is my version of choice.

After studying the pattern pieces, I determined it had just about everything I was looking for, even though the pattern art doesn’t make this look like a particularly fancy blouse.

The back of the pattern envelope often gives important information, such as placement of darts. This one also told me that the collar has a center back seam, which is a stylistic detail I like.

I was especially intrigued by the small diagonal darts you can see here on the “blouse front” and “collar and interfacing” diagrams. The instructions were to graduate the dart down from 1/8 of an inch at the center point to nothing at both ends. I discovered that little bit of shaping makes a huge difference in the way the collar turns, allowing it to emphasize the neckline.

Click on the image for enlargement.

I show the collar flat here, but I intend to wear it with the back of the neck standing up.

The sleeve pattern called for three tucks (also visible above on the pattern diagram) as well as gathering at the cuff, which I knew would add a gentle feminine silhouette, especially in dupioni. And the cuffs are French cuffs, but very petite ones, with a small angled turn-back, which is just such a lovely feature. The only thing I could not determine was if the sleeves were too short for my “vision.” Of course, that is what muslins/toiles are for, and indeed, the first sleeve was too short. I added a three-inch extension to the next sleeve, knowing I could always take it up. I finally settled on lengthening the pattern by 1.5 inches.

Here is the blouse with the original sleeve on the right (as you are looking at it, actually the left side of the blouse), and the sleeve with an extension of 1.5 inches opposite.

I believe the longer sleeve looks less like 1958 and more like 2017. I love using vintage patterns, but I don’t want to look vintage!

The toile also told me that the top button needed to be lowered, and I needed to add a bit of width around the hips. I originally thought I might not want to use the released darts at the waistline, but I love the effect they make.

It’s not often that I stand back and admire a muslin, with its loose threads, its uncut seam allowances and lumpy corners. I am usually anxious to tear it apart so I can quickly proceed to use its pieces for my working pattern. Of course, I will be doing that, but until then, I will marvel at all the design secrets it has revealed to me in its humble cloth.

Filed under Blouse patterns from the 1950's, Blouses, Pattern Art, Uncategorized, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1950s

A Lesson from Lilly

Have you ever purchased a piece of fabric on a whim – and then regretted it? That’s exactly what happened to me, here in the midst of July. I saw this piece of Lilly Pulitzer silk fabric offered on eBay, and without giving it too much thought, I bought two yards.

I have always loved most of the Lilly prints and color combinations, and something about this silk just looked fresh and summery to me. I have long wanted to make the pattern pictured below again, and with its Asian flare, I thought the multi-colored, abstract printed Lilly silk would pair well with it.

The date on this pattern is 1958. I made the blouse/tunic a few years ago and still enjoy wearing it. I would like to make view B sometime…

I had several scraps of solid green silk, one of which I thought would be good as a contrast fabric for the button details on the front of the blouse. (The pattern calls it a tunic, but it looks more like a blouse to me.) As it turned out, I used a scrap of green silk out of which I had made a blouse to go with a purchased Lilly skirt way back in the 1970s! I still have the skirt, but not the blouse…

Anyway, I am digressing. When the fabric arrived – in an itsy-bitsy package that weighed about an ounce – I knew I had made a mistake. Yes, it was silk, but it was so flimsy and slippery I wasn’t very sure it could be sewn with any sort of finesse. (Now I know that assessment was correct.) I contemplated saving it for a lining for something sometime, although truly, it would make a flopsy lining.  Deep down, I knew if I didn’t make it right now, I would never, ever use it. And that would be a waste of money for sure.

Well, now I am going to digress. I find that if I purchase a piece of fabric of impeccable quality, I can hold onto to it for months or even years without ever fearing it will never be used. In fact, the better quality the fabric is, sometimes the longer I wait to use it. That allows me time to think about and search for the perfect pattern, time to explore possible dressmaker details for it, and time to savor its beauty. When it comes to silk in particular, I have found that high quality, fine silk, even very lightweight silk, has a substance to it and a hand to it that makes sewing with it a pleasure.

Let me tell you, this was not a pleasure. I slipped and slid the whole way through the construction of this tunic/blouse. My pins would not stay in place, falling out willy-nilly. Clipping and trimming was a nightmare, as the fabric kept sliding in the way of my scissors. I contemplated spraying the entire thing with hairspray to stabilize it! Then, once I had enough of the tunic/blouse sewn that I was able to visualize my green silk accent strips on it, I realized that the green buttons I had planned to use were going to look – awful.

The green of this button is too deep for the colors of this fabric.

Happily, my luck changed just a bit. I went to my button box and found this card of four buttons.

One button was missing, but that was okay, as I only needed four.

They had been a “bonus” addition in an order of buttons from an Etsy shop, and I really thought I would never have any use for them. But guess what? They were just right for this tunic/blouse. At least this one thing was easy!

The blue of the button seems to work well with the solid green.

As you can see, I persevered and finished this monster.

I made an Obi-style sash to wear with it, which I think improves its appearance.

The back of this blouse has a center seam, which allows for some really nice shaping. I haven’t had a chance to get any self-modeled photos made yet, for which I apologize.

Here it is without the sash. In order to keep the slippery sleeves folded up, I had to add a snap on the inside seam of each sleeve.

I haven’t worn it anywhere yet. We shall see if I get any favorable comments; if I do, then perhaps I will eventually enjoy wearing it. At the least, it will stand as a lesson to me – never, ever again to buy any fabric on a whim.

Filed under Asian-inspired dress designs, Blouse patterns from the 1950's, Blouses, Buttons - choosing the right ones, sewing in silk, Uncategorized, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1950s

A Practical Decision

A practical decision, made out of desperation, that is! It is a rare occurrence that I stop working on a project before it is completed, but that’s what I decided to do with my cashmere coat, skirt and blouse ensemble. Quite simply, life got in the way, without asking me first! Robbed of sewing time for one reason or another, I had to make a decision: should I quietly and gently fold my unfinished skirt and blouse away for a summer sleep, and get busy on my Spring sewing? Or should I plow through and continue work on this wool ensemble as the allure and charms of Spring sewing beckoned me on? Well, Spring’s charms won, especially as I am now facing middle-to-late May deadlines for a silk dress to wear to a wedding and another fancy event.

But I had promised photos of my coat, so before everything goes in the cedar closet until next September, I thought I should share the progress I did make. Even on a cool Spring day, this Cashmere coat felt glorious to wear, even briefly.

A Practical Decision

A Practical Decision

I am very happy with the lining!

I am very happy with the lining!

A Practical Decision

A Practical Decision

This coat is very warm and buttery soft.

This coat is very warm and buttery soft. These photos confirm for me that I need to reset the working buttons, making longer thread shanks, to accommodate the bound buttonholes.

The skirt is a six-panel slight A-line style.  Because the fabric is heavier than I would normally use for a skirt, I wanted to eliminate darts and a waistband, to help control the bulk. I decided to make a waist facing made out of wool challis (used for the coat lining and the blouse), and attach it to a skirt lining made of Bemberg rayon. The skirt is completed except for the hem.

This shows the waist facing, with the Bemberg lining attached to it.

This shows the waist facing, with the Bemberg lining attached to it.

Making a blouse out of wool challis demanded some special considerations. The fabric is finely woven and lightweight, making me hesitant to use waxed tracing paper to make any markings on it. So, I decided to thread trace all the seam lines and markings. This is, of course, the process one uses for the construction of a classic French jacket, so I am comfortable with it. It sounds time-consuming, but it goes fairly fast, and is fool-proof.

This shows my muslin pattern, cut on the seam lines, and with the darts cut out, so that I could tread trace along all sewing lines.

This shows my muslin pattern (with the changes I made to it), cut on the seam lines, and with the darts cut out, so that I could tread trace along all sewing lines.

Click on this for a close-up look at the thread tracing of seam lines and darts.

Click on this for a close-up look at the thread tracing of seam lines and darts.

I got as far as having both sleeves completed, the body of the blouse put together, and the collar pinned in place. I am feeling good about my progress, and I know I can pick this up again, knowing that I really am in the home stretch on this particular project.

The pinned collar, placed along the neckline.

The pinned collar, placed along the neckline.

One of the sleeves pinned in place.

One of the sleeves pinned in place.  The sleeves are three-quarter length.

Good-bye to Winter and Hello to Spring!  Right now it feels wonderful to be focusing on silks and linens, bright colors and feminine fancy things. I am “desperately” happy with my decision!

Filed under Blouse patterns from the 1950's, Blouses, Coats, couture construction, Dressmaker coats, Mid-Century style, Uncategorized, Vintage fabric, vintage Vogue Designer patterns, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1960s, woolens


text:
fileg (fileg) wrote,

twin spica

I have a long standing rule about not reading a series if I can't get all the parts.

It's Julian May's fault, but others are not blameless -( I'm looking at you, Tales of Alvin Maker....)

It's not a hard and fast rule, but I am almost always full of regret when I break it.

I don't hold manga to that rule however - reading them as they are released here is part of the experience. And most of them are plotted to be a little more episodic.

Twin Spica was an Amazon recommendation (they seem to have an especially high percentage of hits when recommending for me. Jim thinks that might be because I'm interested in so many things that a hit is fairly easy to get.) I already had several desktops in my rotation that feature Twin Spica, so I was already sold on the art touching me.

Thirteen-year-old Asumi lives in Japan in 2024 as the country's space program is resurrecting itself in the wake of a launch tragedy 10 years earlier, and Asumi aims to be among the first wave of young astronauts to take Japan into the stars. Raised by her construction worker father, Asumi is the apple of her dad's eye and he will do everything in his working-class power to make her dream of attending the Tokyo Space School come true. The relationship between father and daughter is very moving, and Asumi's interaction with her equally ambitious schoolmates is also compelling stuff. There's no action to speak of, instead each page contains more genuine emotion than an entire space fleet's worth of similarly themed stories.

I knew right away that both Jim and I would love it. But when it arrived, I couldn't get around to reading it. Jim took issue 1 into the bath, and came out captivated (and a little sniffly) But I was waiting till I had my hands of a few more issues.

I don't know why I picked it up the other night when I couldn't sleep, but it was no help on the sleeping front. We currently have 9 issues (the last two doubles) and I couldn't stop till I had devoured them all. Now I am stuck waiting with Jim for November and vol. 10.

There are a lot of references to the space age I grew up in, mixed through the years of these new dreamers. Since you are left to recognize most of them on your own, I wondered if I had spotted one that is not so well known -

When Asumi moves into her girls dorm at the space school, it is in an old building called The Seagull. That's Valentine Tereshkova in Vostok 6 - Seagull was her call sign, so when she made contact from space she said "It Is I, Sea Gull!"

I wonder if that is an intended reference in Twin Spica. It made me teary whether it is or not.
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