Hello sweet friends!
SUNDAY! Gosh what a week. I made hundreds of cookies, booked some future travel, did five days of yoga, took a lot of dog walks, almost put all of my laundry away, and focused very hard on anti-inflammatory meals . In a rare move, I’m going to pat myself on the back and I would encourage you to do the same. I’m sure you tackled this week as dang best you could and honestly? Your best is super great. Well. Done.
We’ve reached the middle of March and the start of spring and these days have me re-evaluating the goals I set at the beginning of the year. It’s also time for a little Spring refresh (that will probably focus my bathroom and in the garden) and time for a refocus on a few bigger works projects because day to day email can clog the big dream pipes, ya know? It’s all good, just time to look up and look around.
Would you believe that 7 years ago this little book came out? The Joy The Baker Cookbook. Wow it’s very cheap. I think maybe they stopped printing it.
The offering this week is below. Some heavy things, lots of talk about beans, and pie. As always, take what you need.
Enjoy this fine day!
โข Ramsey Orta filmed the killing of Eric Garner. Here’s what happened: Fearing For His Life. (The Verge)
โข Homecoming: Go Home To Your ‘Dying’ Hometown (NYT)
โข What does it mean to be self-made? Consider Sarah Breedlove later known as Madam C.J. Walker, born in Louisiana two years after the end of slavery, the first free child born to her family. “For Madam C.J. Walker… being โself-madeโ meant even more than using her own resourcesโit meant creating a society in which black women had the power to create themselves, too.” In the Age of Kylie Jenner’s Fame, Madam C.J. Walker Reminds Us What Being Self-Made Truly Means. (The Glowup via Ann Friedman)
โข I remember being a kid whining this phrase to my mom, “But MOOOOOM that’s not fair!!” Her response was cool and consistent: “Who said life was fair?” Does it matter where you go to college? (NPR)
โข So you’re telling me the future is full of my favorite bean? I’m not mad at it. In the future everything will be made from chickpeas. (The Atlantic)
โข Two of my very favorite chickpea things: Olive Oil Braised Chickpeas and Socca (a very simple bread made from chickpea flour). (Joy the Baker and The Kitchn)
โข A Plea To Make Fiber Cool, but like… all of us are already down, right? (NYMag)
โข The Most Popular Pie In Every State. It appears I get to choose between Crawfish Pie and Mud Pie and yes, I’ll take both. (Chowhound)
โข In other pie news, my favorite pie making book is Sister Pie. (Penguin Random House)
โข Get a dog – for your health! How Your Dog Knows When You’re Sick. (The Atlantic)
โข One of my commitments this Lent is to NOT sleep with my phone right next to my bed. That means I need an alarm clock and I dunno… why not wake up to some daylight (even at 5:30am). I’m trying this light. (Amazon)
โข One of my goals this year is to learn how to sew. How many sleeves am I going to futz up before I make anything remotely wearable. Many. Can you sew? Do you have any online recourses you can suggest?
โข I’m trying very hard to stretch out a pair of vintage demin that I know will be absolutely perfect once I can breathe in them. All signs point to me wearing them in the bathtub. How To Stretch Tight Denim. (Eat Sleep Denim)
โข Jam-making, pie, and vegan gumbo! We’ve got some great workshops coming up at the Bakehouse this spring! Here’s the list! (Eventbrite)
I’m so glad you’re here.
My love to you.
xo Joy
53 Responses
I second the vote for smaller “indie” pattern companies like Grainline and Closet Case Patterns. They usually include great tutorials with photos or offer online classes. Craftsy and Threads Magazine are great resources for learning the fundamentals and basic techniques. One book that’s great for beginners is Love at First Stitch by Tilly Walnes. She also has a website with great tutorials at http://www.tillyandthebuttons.com. And sleeves are a real pain at first. Don’t let them get you down. Have fun!
Sewing – YES! Another vote for Craftsy.
Thank you for sharing the article about Ramsey Orta. It is a powerful and horrifying piece, and so so important to read. For years I have relied on you for recipes but these days your Sunday posts – especially the links to longer, heavier pieces – are my favorite. Thank you for using your platform to help us keep our fingers on the pulse of important issues. Thank you for reminding us to be uncomfortable so that we may think about how we must change.
I’m fascinated by the fiber article. For some reason I’m skeptical of a lot of diet trends, but fiber just seems reasonable.
Soak the denim for about 20 minutes in warm water and then wear for as long as you can handle it for it to stretch perfectly! Also check out Raleigh Denim for some AMAZING handmade jeans. I got mine on eBay as I’m a broke grad student. They are amazing.
(All info from my friend who is a TOTAL denim nerd and sells vintage clothing).
Your olive oil braised chickpeas is one my all-time favorite JTB recipes. I sing its praises to friends regularly. It tastes so luxurious and fancy with the most humble of ingredients. So glad to see it get a mention in a Let It Be Sunday post.
Regarding sewing: This woman is awesome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVctLksHkzQ
her name us Mimi G.
Learning to sew is fun and she makes amazing clothes!
Good Luck!
I’ve been sewing for years, and there are so many resources out there! Tilly and the Buttons has a few great introduction to sewing classes on her blog, and her patterns are really beginner friendly. Seamwork, an offshoot of Colette Patterns, has some great resources too. Sew In Style is great, as is Closet Case Patterns, and I think you might really like the aesthetic that Closet Case works in.
Oh! So exciting that you are going to try sewing. Beware: it’s as addictive as cooking! My biggest recommendation: learn to draft your own patterns NOW, as you’re starting out! It’s far easier than you might think, and your clothes will fit so much better. There’s a lot of help to be had on YouTube, for this and much else.
For techniques and tutorials:
With Wendy https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPnSaAAVVo0q1tfWY5S3j7g
Evelyn Wood https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ59owAiWL2IgaANbG-jm0Q
Also, for sheer vintage inspiration, I love Angela Clayton:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChyWv5fy8utAWVhRPVV85XQ
There’s also Bluprint https://www.youtube.com/user/becraftsy. They have a subscription service for their in-depth tutorials that have been well worth the investment for me in terms of upping my tailoring game (among many other things).
Have fun!
I’m a yoga teacher, and taught myself to sew! YouTube, and Singer in particular are great. However, check out your local fabric stores, including Joanne’s, for beginner workshops! You’ll get the hang of it! Get yourself a good iron too – you’ll need it. Most of sewing is measuring and ironing.
Oh, and have you found Deb’s “great pot of chickpeas” recipe? O.M.G. So good and ez.
My mom always said the same thing to me complaining about something not being fair: “Life is not fair!”
I made your red beans and rice last week and I’m in love. Thanks for an excellent recipe!
Pies! The other day, my British boss mentioned “banoffee pie” in passing. I had no idea what this was, but gathered that it was delicious. She thought it came from the U.S., but turns out it’s just a British classic that I’m determined to make. It’s a graham cracker crust with a layer of toffee pudding and then a layer of whipped cream and bananas. I’m quite excited to make this.
I just bought the light and Sister Pie!!!!! My Alexa is no longer to be trusted to wake me up! See you in New Orleans April 23!!!!!!!!
I just bought the light and Sister Pie! My Alexa can no longer be trusted to wake me up! See you in New Orleans (maybe) on April 23!!!!! I can’t wait!
wow its yummy i love it i want to try it thanks dude for sharing
Love at First Stitch by Tilly Walnes is a great book for a beginner. It comes with super cute patterns and easy instructions. Her blog, Tilly and the Buttons, is also great!
I went straight home last night and made Socca. What a simple delight it was, too. I loved how it was crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle. I didn’t actually use the recipe you suggested because I wanted something printable but the method was identical. The version I chose included caramelised onions and rosemary which worked really well. We loved it and it’s borderline healthy too!
Sew U by Built by Wendy is a great book for beginner sewers who want to make their own clothes. The patterns are great, advice is terrific and this is how I started!
dear joy, i hope this is not rude, but i just found this page https://amandalaird.ca/the-heavy-flow-podcast/
and it is so reasourceful, maybe for you too?
take good care
cat
Sister Pie… made one pie of theirs from a magazine article and must get the book.
Sewing – it’s like yoga for the mind. So many resources…. Bluprint is great for step by step. Forgiving patterns help you learn. The boxy shirts are easy. Always started with pajamas too for low risk trys. Pillowcases, pj pants, tote bags… all good first projects. You will move up quickly once you get the basics.
Joy,
For sewing: http://www.madeeveryday.com. Dana Willard is the bomb. I learned how to sew by reading her blog and watching her videos. Truly the very best. Canโt recommend her enough.
Yay for sewing! There are so many great resources on the web. I know Mimi G has Sew It Academy, which many people have found useful. I began by following a sew along on someoneโs blog going through a book I had years ago. It helped me dive in. If it fits your style, I found Megan Nielsenโs pattern really easy for beginners. I also like the 1970โs edition of the Readerโs Digest Complete Guide to Sewing as a reference. Having sewing as a creative practice has been life changing. I hope you enjoy it.
Get that light. I did and it has changed my life!
Hooray for sewing! Start with square things, like pajama pants. You almost can’t screw them up. I also like Purl Soho and have this apron on my to-do list: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2015/11/20/cross-back-apron/
Amazing! Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe.