On Juicing, June Tailor, and Blogger Ethics

Readers, have you ever done a juice fast?  I never have, though I've owned my trusty Omega juicer for more than fifteen years.  I did the Master Cleanse (the lemonade and maple syrup thing) for ten days once, and while my skin was never so clear, I became a very skinny grouch after about a week.  Oh, and hungry, very hungry...

I'm on the second day of a two-day juice fast -- mainly vegetable juice, plus assorted herbal teas -- so it's almost over but I already feel better.  On vacation I'd consumed so much sugar and caffeine that I was buzzy all the time and my sleep suffered.  For me a fast is a nice way to break the cycle: already the thought of a cup of morning coffee sounds toxic.  We'll see how long that lasts.

Here's last night's dinner -- bottoms up!



Meanwhile, yesterday in the mail I received an eBay purchase I'd been eying a long time -- at least since I made my linen jacket.  Can you identify this object?
 

It's a June Tailor board, meant for pressing collars and other hard-to-press seams, and I'm very excited about it.  I'd seen them around but they're somewhat hard to find and new ones are expensive (more than $50); they sometimes come with fabric covers though mine does not.  I've seen Marta Alto and Nancy Zieman use them in videos (Nancy sells them on her website) and they look very useful.  Of course, whenever I hear the name June Tailor I think of the dancers on the Jackie Gleason Show, but the spelling is different.

My June Tailor board is vintage (sort of) but was still in the original package.





Finally, friends, I read a thought-provoking article in this morning's NY Times about fashion bloggers and how increasingly those street-style shots you see on some of the popular fashion blogs are the creations of branding consultants and product placement specialists.  You can read the article here.  Trivial in the scheme of things but it definitely pushed my "Is anything/anybody authentic anymore?" button.

One of the things I like best about the sewing world is that it's so small (relative to the fashion world) that there's much less at stake for anybody blogging about it.  A blogger endorsing something is usually doing it because she/he genuinely uses (and likes) it, not because they've been paid or given free product.  In my nearly three years of blogging I've received 1) a free Simplicity book on fabric, which I liked; 2) ten free glue sticks, which were a disappointment; and 3) an offer from an online button store for free buttons -- nice, but I already have more buttons than I know what to do with.

Of course, I'd love a Bernina but so far, nothing.

I often mention favorite fabric stores on MPB but believe me, I get nothing in return; they don't even know who I am.  And rest assured, the Omega Juicer company and June Tailor have not had a role in today's post.  To quote Mae West in Sextette, "It's real, honey, it's all real!"

In closing, friends, a few questions:

1) Do you juice and have you ever tried a juice fast/cleanse?

2) What do you think of the amateur fashion blogger as (stealth) brand marketer?  Do you care -- I mean, if you like what they're wearing and how they look in it, does it really matter?  (We know everything in Vogue has been bought and paid for but many of us still look to it for style direction?)  I'd love to hear what you think.

3) What was Mae thinking when she made Sextette?

Have a great day, everybody!