Shaker Thumbs

Howdy, Shakers! Welcome to a special holiday double edition of Shaker Thumbs. This is your opportunity to give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to a product or service you'd recommend to other Shakers or warn them away from.

Previously: One, Two, Three, Four, Five.
____________________


Bandolino "Edwena" riding boots from a reseller on eBay and a mid-weight lavender denim from Gorgeous Fabrics. I expressly neglected to iron the skirt so y'all could see what the fabric looks like halfway through the day. Ha.

I have two recommendations today. The first is the Bandolino "Edwena" riding boot in dark brown (about $59 from a reseller on eBay). This is a great "arthritis shoe", at least for me. It's hard for me to find shoes that are stylish, affordable, well-made, and comfortable for all-day wear. The color of this boot is so dark that it can pass as black or brown. The heel is a sturdy-but-not-clunky 4.4 cm-high block and the toes are nicely shaped, neither too square nor too pointy. The style goes with a lot of different clothes, from jeans to dresses.

It's tricky to tell if boots will fit you in the calf just by looking at them online, so I got lucky here. I provide the dimensions and a close-up of the boot details below the fold.



It's Stand on Your Deck Like a Pirate Day! Yarrrr!


For a U.S. size 6 (measurements will of course vary with size):

Heel height: 1.75 inches (4.4 cm)
Shank height: ~15 inches (38 cm)
Calf/top circumference: ~15 inches (38 cm)

Note: there is a stretch gusset at the top to ease calf fit.

Quite a few of you out there have chronic pain problems, so please share with us recommendations for products that make your life easier. The same goes for other chronic issues you face.

We have some sewers/sewists around here as well; hence the Gorgeous Fabrics recommendation. Ann Steeves has a helpful blog and a great fabric business with wonderful customer service. Her quantities are limited, and when she sells out of a fabric, it's often gone for good, but she always has great new things coming in. Gorgeous Fabrics is divine browsing for fabric fans, and you can sign up for email notifications of her frequent sales. (The fabric pictured above is 60" lavender fields denim, of which only 4 yards remain in stock. It is currently $10 per yard, but I got it on sale for $8.50.)

Gorgeous Fabrics is not cheap, but if you watch and wait, you can get a great deal on amazing fabrics. Just make a muslin first.

Have at it, folks: what product or service do you have to talk about?