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Friday, November 19, 2010

Wrap and Give, Unwrap and Give Again


It was a great day for me at the post office this morning, with notes from two of my dearest friends, a check (payment for books), the New York Review of Books and, last but not at all least, a package from Marjorie Farrell. Marjorie and her husband come to Northport from Woodstock, New York, on a semi-annual basis to spend time with Walt’s mother, and besides being a serious reader and writer, Marjorie (unlike your bookseller blogger here) is a very creative craftswoman, always trying something new—in fact, a lot like my Northport friend Sally at Dolls and More, another local shop where Marjorie hangs out when she’s in town.

So what was in the package? Furoshiki cloths! Marjorie had been working on them and suddenly had a brainstorm about how perfect these traditional Japanese wrapping cloths would be for holiday book-giving! I love how easy books are to wrap, anyway, but with these cloths the wrapping is reusable, not trash to throw away, so if you should be lucky enough to receive a gift wrapped in a Furoshiki cloth, you can use it to wrap the next gift you give, or the cloth can be a small table cover or even wall art. And when you give a book this way, you’re really giving two gifts in one. I've opened one of the folded ones (below) so you can see how ready it is to receive a book.


This one with the bright stocking print looks perfect for a Santa gift. It reminds me of Palmer Brown’s illustrations for his wonderful book (now, sadly, out of print), The Silver Nutmeg.


Marjorie will be at Dog Ears Books on Saturday, December 18, with many more lovely prints and fabrics (and wrapping instructions), and she will do an on-site wrapping demonstration. That’s exactly one week before Christmas, so we’ll have cookies, too, and make it a little party.

9 comments:

Gerry said...

Those are truly beautiful. What a good idea.

P. J. Grath said...

Isn't it? I'm excited!

Anonymous said...

Thank you, gerry. Hope you can make it to the demonstration.

And thanks so much, Pamela. The photos are beautiful. I am so excited, too.

Marjorie

P. J. Grath said...

Marjorie, your cloths and the whole concept came in for some admiration already this morning here at the bookstore. People love them!

P. J. Grath said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

For this new reader who grew up in Japan, a "duh" moment ("naruhodo"). For this new reader just finding your blog: an "aha!" moment!

P. J. Grath said...

We’re all ahead in some areas and behind in others. I’m happy to have been introduced to furoshiki wrapping and glad that you have discovered “Books in Northport.” Welcome!

Anonymous said...

A good trade!
(from the same anonymous person, who plans to meet you someday, by walking into your store, during a visit to friends in the area!)

P. J. Grath said...

Okay, Anonymous, I don't know who you are, but I recognize myself in you. There is a bookstore in the Berkshires that I dream of walking into someday to surprise the owner, saying to her, "I'm here at last!"