Jane Austen, Scarcity, and Mawmaw's Quilts
Hello friends, I’ve had something on my mind this month. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, but different things I’ve read, seen, and rescued recently have made me want to write a letter to you. It’s a long letter and I’ve given myself the luxury of settling down into these thoughts though the social media powers and algorithm gremlins tell us that it’s the fashion (and this is a letter about fashion) to write short attention-grabbing pieces. But this letter is a many layered and intricate thing. So, if you have the time, I hope you will give yourself the luxury of visiting with Jane Austen, Mawmaw Smith, and me today. Tapestry wool from World War II which I found in a small sewing basket at a car boot in Lancashire in August for £2.50. In 1808 Jane Austen’s sister-in-law died suddenly shortly after giving birth to her eleventh child. Jane and family very quickly needed to go into mourning, as people did in the early 1800s. So, she had to look at her budget, b
