Links of the Whatever – April 26th, 2019
Video: Knitting a sock with a vintage knitting machine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N7hsho4SjgSo this video is 30 minutes long but it was FASCINATING and I watched all of it! 30 minutes of prime semi-automated sock content! Behold the sock come into being from nothing but a spool of yarn! Also, I know it's an overdone sentiment but wow they don't make stuff like they used to. That machine looks like it would last through an apocalypse.
Possibly the most boring link I will ever post
Fast Company: The Global Zipper War is Heating UpTo be honest I didn't exactly read this one with rapt attention, but it's always amazing to me to think about all the crazy supply chains and details that go into different components and stages of manufacturing and production of stuff.To make up for its boringness, here's a tangentially-related video of a super nifty design/manufacturing method from a SIGGRAPH paper:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WJCaqUmeec
Inspiration: Vintage Sewing Patterns
It can be really frustrating to find actually vintage inspiration on Pinterest, as a lot of the results are just vaguely vintage-inspired twee outfits from 2012, but I've found that searching for sewing patterns for a particular item or era is a fun way to get more authentic results (for Instagram I believe you can search the "#truevintage" tag). The models are stylized fashion figures but the illustrations often communicate the different silhouettes and details of the clothing clearly. It's also a fun way to see how styles get recycled through the decades.I have a board of mostly 1940s patterns here.
Related, McCalls Pattern Behavior tumblr of humorous captions on old sewing patterns. It's not active anymore, but there are some chuckles to be had at the archives.
Potential Madewell IPO
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/4/12/18307911/jcrew-madewell-ipo-brand-spinoffI actually didn't know that JCrew owned Madewell until I read this article. I don't know shit about business strategy but I kinda hope that they stay private. Becoming beholden to increasing profits for shareholders each quarter sounds like a great way to open a tempting path to ruining what middling quality they have currently.