Shut up, Jennie.

[Elle]

Or someone does for her.

The latest on the African business is that she's sent some lengths of fabric to the US to sell in her etsy shop (etsy.com/shop/Sensibility), and the proceeds of those fabric lengths she says will go to fund something called "Forever Grace".

Before my post last week, she was planning to develop a line of clothing sewn by the African women to sell. Exact quotes from her own newsletters backed up that SHE was going to be in charge. That is more ambiguous now. "Over time, we hope to help these ladies develop a line of clothing with a marketing plan for in-country sales and export to the US and other markets." Unless selling directly to an overseas buyer, there will be a middle man, whether that's an exporter or someone in the country goods are exported to who will receive and sell them. I seriously doubt she has it in mind to help them set up an internet storefront to directly sell their goods that they will ship directly to buyers. Her wording leaves the door wide open for her to still profit. I don't trust her to connect these women with someone else to export the goods. The Chanceys aren't exactly known for their generosity and good will. I can't get that frightening photo of Matt with some military members and assault rifles out of my head, the one where he's siting there like a smug white plantation owner, complete with cigar, out of my head.

She's also taken pains to show she has no understanding of sweat shops by saying that these women will be contractors working at home "no sweatshops!!". Either she has no understanding, or she's showing herself to be a true wanna-be-a-politician's wife by careful word choices. Most sweatshops don't work by people being locked into building against their will. Most sweatshops work by workers having little choice but to work long hours 6 or 7 days a week to earn enough money to pay the most basic of bills, sometimes a condition of employment being to turn out a minimum number of items that is expected to take 70 hours in a week. This sort of piece-work is common in American produce fields where workers are paid per unit, a very low amount, with a minimum number of units expected per week. Often they're considered to be contractors because they could theoretically pick many more bushels than would be needed to make their paycheck higher than 40 hours at minimum wage, and because they can decide if they're going to start work at 6, 7, or 8, but the work is still slavish with many more hours than 40 needing to be worked to pay their bills. Many contractors work far more hours than most people realize just to pay the rent and keep the lights on, and many sweatshop workers work so many hours because they have to if they want to pay rent and have some food. Simply not being in an industrial building somewhere doesn't mean something's not sweatshop.

She'll still be selling things using the African labor as a selling point, and there will be a middle man for exporting, as she's already done with fabric. While she might not make money on this fabric, she is building up feedback for her own personal shop rather than setting up an etsy shop that the African women could use to directly sell their own goods. That right there furthers my belief that she fully intends to be the exporter. Why else build up feedback for her own personal shop?

[Elle]

http://sensibility(DOT)com/blog/reproducing-1912-fashions-remember-titanic

In the first paragraph alone, she links to Doug THREE times.

This might be pissing me off especially because I planned a vacation to visit family around going to the museum on the 15th since it's a Saturday and my little cousin has school during the week, but "some Titanic group" bought out the museum for that day

[Effie]

I'm not a fan of her. If she's an example of a godly woman then I'm glad I'm not one.

[MamaJunebug]

sensibility.com/blog/reproducing-1912-fashions-remember-titanic

For those of us with iPhone-itis ;)

Full disclosure: I totally dig the Edwardian-era fashion. It's like Regency for real times, JMHO. So i gave the woman a big ole blog hit, slavering over the illustrations.

That said, I remember Titanic for the object lessons it taught:

1. Don't think God can't sink any enterprise She wants.

2. "Women and children first" is more likely to work when the women work to put themselves and their children first.

3. True menschen, Isidore and Ida Strauss, may they RIP. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straus_Park

No, Jennie Ethell Chancey, I won't remember Titanic by adding to your bloated husband's fortune, no thanks for asking.

[ThisOlGirl]

That Jennie Chancey is quite the workhorse. Between running her own business, shilling for Dougiepants, and exploiting poor African women, I just don't know how shelooks at herself in the mirror manages to get out of bed every morning. Such a godly, admirable woman you are Jennie! :roll:

And kind of off topic, but I'm a little excited to see what Dougie & Heir Apparent J.Teeth have in store for us in terms of costumes. No doubt it will be faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabulous!

[fluttershies]

I suddenly feel ashamed for loving her sewing patterns :/

[MamaJunebug]

I suddenly feel ashamed for loving her sewing patterns :/

Naah, don't. Just be sure to be generous in lending them to friends who want to use them, so she doesn't make any more sales from your circle. ;) Notice I didn't say "make copies"!!!!! Just let folks enjoy your original. :D

[Elle]

Naah, don't. Just be sure to be generous in lending them to friends who want to use them, so she doesn't make any more sales from your circle. ;) Notice I didn't say "make copies"!!!!! Just let folks enjoy your original. :D

I let friends borrow the digital copies I've received with the instructions to delete it once they were finished and to to pass it on, but there's no way to enforce that. It's common these days to trace the size you need off a paper copy, sew up what you want, and then sell the paper copy. It's like as long as the copies aren't what's for sale, this is okay. In fact, it's promoted in her own forum for trace off what you need, and it's okay to sell.

[Elle]

3. True menschen, Isidore and Ida Strauss, may they RIP. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straus_Park

I adore the Strausses. Now THAT is a tragically romantically sweetly heart-wrenching story. How difficult to accept death when there was the chance at survival. They BOTH were offered seats, but sent their maid, and Isador, at 67 years old, refused to go when there were younger men who still had their whole lives before them who didn't have seats. So they gave their lives by their own choice so that others could live.

Now THAT is valor and bravery. Doug is nothing but an insult to the memory of the brave people who put others first. I'll be Doug will laud Ismay as a hero even though he was reported to have dressed as a woman to get into one of the first boats.

[Future Teacher]

What about the Unsinkable Molly Brown? She lead her lifeboat over to look for survivors after the ship sank and helped put passengers on the lifeboats.

[treemom]

The fact she is romanticising newsboys of the day shows how little history she understands..and that she has never seen newsies!

[ohmeohmy]

The fact she is romanticising newsboys of the day shows how little history she understands..and that she has never seen newsies!

I had the exact same thought when I saw her bit about newsboy "fashion"!

I have been wondering why she isn't using The Music Man as a reference, since (I believe) it takes place at about the same time. But then I realized she probably identified with the Pick A Little, Talk A Little ladies and couldn't in good moral conscience recommend a movie where the lead male sings how he'd rather have a more experienced girl than a wide-eyed innocent. :lol:

[treemom]

I had the exact same thought when I saw her bit about newsboy "fashion"!

I have been wondering why she isn't using The Music Man as a reference, since (I believe) it takes place at about the same time. But then I realized she probably identified with the Pick A Little, Talk A Little ladies and couldn't in good moral conscience recommend a movie where the lead male sings how he'd rather have a more experienced girl than a wide-eyed innocent. :lol:

hahaha! Excellent point.

[prairiemuffin]

weshallobtaindeliveringgrace.blogspot.com/2012/03/interview-with-jennie-chancey.html