I’m Everywhere I’m Everywhere [in the USA]

HowManyOfMe.com

There are people with the name Kay Walker in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Since I’m Australian, the proportion would work out that there are probably 14 or 15 of us over here!

When I was on Facebook I had 7 Friends named Kay Walker. We used to wish each other Happy Birthday & Merry Christmas. I am keenly following the education and career of one of us who is a college student at a place oddly named [to me] Quinnipiac University & has a small photography business. My regular readers will know I’m also a keen photographer.

Kay Walkers of the world

On Google Plus I have a Circle titled Kay Walkers of the World with 6 members so far! At one stage when I was a health researcher and publishing regularly, I discovered two other Kay Walkers in academia, both of whom were also in health: one in nursing research and the other in allergy. I know of three MALE Kay Walkers, but none have joined me on any of the social media sites. Where are you, guys?

While I was researching some health conditions in Australia, a person with my name presented themselves for an assessment interview, so Kay Walker interviewed Kay Walker. Another coincidence was when I was registering for the local artists’ festival [SALA] as a glass artist and discovered I had already registered as a print artist! That was a bit scary!

The Cat Bed by printmaker Kay Walker

Lastly, there is also a TV director/producer in Australia with my name which explained a very strange incident where I was sent an urgent message to please contact someone on a TV show team in Sydney NSW. When I rang the number they were very puzzled to hear I was a health researcher from Adelaide, not the prospective producer they wanted to employ!!

 

Has anyone else had such amusing or alarming experiences with name-doubles?

By the way, although there are so many Kay Walkers, I have absolutely no problem with identity confusion! I know who I am. Who are those others??

Obviously lots of us die all the time, eg. there were at least ten pages of obituaries at http://www.iannounce.co.uk/United-Kingdom/23/Obituary/obit?_fstatus=search&keywords=Kay%20WALKER

We’re dying everywhere!

But I couldn’t find any new birth announcements- I think Kay is a little passe!

 

Who gets the most?

I just came across this dress advertised on MyCatWalk.com.au. The price is $435 and it’s designed by Ginger & Smart. So what?

Ginger & Smart $435 dress

This dress is a T-shirt with some pieces of silk chiffon sewn onto it! That’s all! Why is it $435 and who gets the lion’s share? I’m sure I’ve seen similar dresses online from overseas made from the same materials with similar simple style and they are something like $30 to $40 (au). Sure our labour is more pricy but we don’t even get to buy this dress at $100 here- it’s $400+. Obviously the designer should get something and the shopkeeper needs a little to keep them in business. The transport on one dress could not be huge, particularly if it weighs only 200 grams max- silk is almost lighter than air! So, who gets the most? I’d be interested to hear from people in the know!

I can’t afford anything, really, as I have no independent income any more, but I could probably justify spending $30 on a nice fine cotton T-shirt and another $30 on some silk chiffon. If I looked for the cheapest silk chiffon and didn’t mind the print, it might be considerably cheaper, eg. at XS Fabrics, which are virtually around the corner from my place. However, they have bolt ends etc. from designers who have used all they need for a range, so there is not much choice in what’s left. However, it’s massively cheap for some things.

This butterfly wing print has beautiful colours but it’s a little pricier than I would like, although it wouldn’t bother most people: $28/metre. There are lovely plain colours for only $16, so they’re a possibility. You would need more than a metre for most sizes, but not a lot more- depends on your height, mainly. I could see this print pairing beautifully with a black, red or lemon yellow T-shirt. [Hint: If you can find a men's T-shirt in a fine, soft summer weave, you'll get more length so you won't need an underslip.]

Butterfly print silk chiffon

Any half-competent sewer could make this dress at home: The T-shirt might be shaped a little at the waist if you like that and then the chiffon cut carefully, using the T-shirt as a template [or making a paper pattern from it]. You can see how the front chiffon panel is attached upside down at a position just below the neck and then pressed down over the seam. Look on the original site and you’ll see lots of detail if you zoom in. The back has some further pieced sections, but you could achieve the same overall impression repeating the front arrangement.

As long as you finished edges and seams super-neatly and ironed carefully, this dress could be yours in one afternoon!

I’m almost tempted to have a go- I wonder what XS Fabrics have in store to whet my appetite? Maybe that soft brown palm tree on the white background…hmm.