Ana Dane
Stitch Slap the Recession
Forget high-density thread counts. In the Depression, the most popular fabric for quilts was feed sacks, or the cloth bags that packaged flour, sugar and animal food. They were first recycled by thrifty women during Civil War shortages. But by the 1930s, the sacks began to be designed specifically for reuse, with label names on easily removable stickers and decorative prints replacing
solid fabrics- clever eco-marketing a whole 75 years before “I’m not a plastic bag.”
At the recent “Recycling and Resourcefulness: Quilts of the 1930s” exhibit at the American Folk Art Museum, Depression-era pieces on loan from the International Quilt Study Center showcased ingeniously pieced together quilts made from everyday material like dressmaking scraps, commemorative ribbons and even worn-out clothing, from old jeans and sweaters to my personal favorite: the front and back of a men’s red and navy striped, suspendered bathing suit.
Supermarket Shopping, Recession-style
Inflation on a pair of kitten heels or yet another black jacket is annoying, yes. But I find inflation at the supermarket particularly galling. We all need food. And if it’s getting harder to afford eating out, it certainly doesn’t help that it’s getting more expensive to eat at home: The consumer price index for all food in January 2009 was up 5.3% from January 2008.
Still, buying and preparing your own food is the smarter choice. And it may be getting better: Food, like all consumer retail items, is subject to increasing price-cutting competition and the “everyone’s a discounter” trend.
Signs of the Recession: Candy Crunch
Here’s one fresh perspective on this economy, spotted at the Austin, Texas, farmer’s market:
Chocolatier Tom Pedersen is founder of Cocoa Puro and producer of chocolate-covered cocoa beans, one of the most addictive sweet snacks ever bagged. Despite that, his business has taken a hit. “It seems everyone thinks the world is coming to an end so there’s no point in buying chocolate,” Petersen says. “I’d think the opposite would be true.”
For Valentine’s Day, Fudge It
As a complete sap, I’ve always found Valentine’s Day annoying: why designate only one day a year to romance? This year, that designated day is under more stress than usual: you can barely imagine splurging on something nice to wear to a dinner out, much less $65 on a few dozen red roses.
Homemade gifts might make you wince, but not all such crafts need be as hokey as the cut-out heart card you made for your mom when you were a kid. We have something you can make in 15 minutes, for under $15, that doesn’t involve a doily or anything else cheesy.
Downturn Deals: Dining’s ‘Winter Specials’
Now appearing discreetly in leather-bound menus all over New York City: “winter specials,” which offer five-star dining at surprisingly reasonable prices.
We all know they’re just dressed-up “recession specials,” but upscale eateries don’t seem ready to embrace the R word yet. That’s fine. Whatever you want to call them, here are five of the best high-end meal deals in Manhattan.
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