---
title: "Fabric"
short: "fabric"
order: "05"
currently: ""
---
One book did it. Virginia Postrel's *The Fabric of Civilization*, about
how much of human history went into making thread and cloth, took me from
athletic jeans, Kohl's tees and flip-flops to Irish linen, selvedge denim
and Montflex desert boots.
Italian didn't help. By chapter 3 it teaches *stare a pennello*, to fit
perfectly. French wants you to be able to find the train station; Italian
wants you to be able to compliment a well-cut blazer.
<sky-template path="main.html" />
<sky-block name="title">${frontmatter.title} · </sky-block>
<sky-block name="content">
<article class="orbit-page">
<a class="back" href="/orbits">← all orbits</a>
<h1>${frontmatter.title}</h1>
<p class="currently">${frontmatter.currently}</p>
<div class="markdown">
<sky-slot name="content" />
</div>
</article>
</sky-block>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
<script><sky-include path="theme.js" /></script>
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
<title><sky-slot name="title" />${meta.title}</title>
<meta name="description" content="${meta.description}" />
<meta name="theme-color" content="#142420" />
<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.svg" type="image/svg+xml" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/style.css" />
</head>
<body>
<!-- Every page is a sheet of paper lying on the source it was built
from. This checkbox lifts the sheet; no JavaScript involved. -->
<input type="checkbox" id="xray" class="xray" aria-label="Show the source of this page" />
<div class="desk">
<div class="sheet">
<!-- Under the paper, the page's source, for the candle to show. -->
<div class="underside" aria-hidden="true"><sky-sources item="underside.html" /></div>
<div class="paper" aria-hidden="true"></div>
<svg class="flame" viewBox="0 0 24 44" aria-hidden="true">
<defs>
<radialGradient id="flame-body" cx="50%" cy="78%" r="62%">
<stop offset="0" stop-color="#fffbe8" />
<stop offset="0.35" stop-color="#ffe08a" />
<stop offset="0.7" stop-color="#ff9a2e" />
<stop offset="1" stop-color="#e2470f" stop-opacity="0" />
</radialGradient>
<radialGradient id="flame-core" cx="50%" cy="80%" r="55%">
<stop offset="0" stop-color="#ffffff" />
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<stop offset="1" stop-color="#ffd166" stop-opacity="0" />
</radialGradient>
</defs>
<path class="flame-body" fill="url(#flame-body)" d="M12 1C15 11 22 18 21 29 20 37 16 43 12 43 8 43 4 37 3 29 2 18 9 11 12 1Z" />
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<ellipse class="flame-base" cx="12" cy="40" rx="3.2" ry="2" fill="#5aa9ff" opacity="0.45" />
</svg>
<label for="xray" class="curl" title="Lift the page to see what it's made of" aria-hidden="true"></label>
<label for="xray" class="sheet-cover" title="Back to the page"></label>
<sky-include path="_nav.html" />
<main class="page">
<sky-slot name="content" />
</main>
<sky-include path="_footer.html" />
</div>
<aside class="ground" aria-label="The source of this page">
<header class="ground-head">
<p>
<a href="https://github.com/mas-4/skyblue">skyblue</a> built this
page from these files, in the order it used them.
</p>
<label for="xray" class="ground-close">back to the page →</label>
</header>
<sky-sources item="source.html" />
</aside>
</div>
<script><sky-include path="candle.js" /></script>
</body>
</html>
// The light switch. Until it's flipped, the page follows the system's
// light or dark preference (that part is CSS). Flipping it picks the other
// one and remembers it. This runs in <head>, so a saved choice applies
// before the page is drawn.
(() => {
const root = document.documentElement;
const system = matchMedia("(prefers-color-scheme: dark)");
try {
const saved = localStorage.getItem("theme");
if (saved === "light" || saved === "dark") root.dataset.theme = saved;
} catch {}
const isDark = () => (root.dataset.theme ? root.dataset.theme === "dark" : system.matches);
document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => {
const button = document.querySelector(".theme-toggle");
if (!button) return;
const show = () => button.setAttribute("aria-checked", String(isDark()));
button.hidden = false;
show();
system.addEventListener("change", show);
button.addEventListener("click", () => {
root.dataset.theme = isDark() ? "light" : "dark";
try {
localStorage.setItem("theme", root.dataset.theme);
} catch {}
show();
});
});
})();
<header class="site-header">
<nav class="nav">
<a class="brand" href="/">
<svg class="brand-mark" viewBox="0 0 1536 1174" aria-hidden="true"><use href="/ibis.svg#ibis" /></svg>
${meta.title}
</a>
<div class="nav-links">
<a href="/">home</a>
<a href="/about">about</a>
<a href="/projects">projects</a>
<a href="/orbits">orbits</a>
<label for="xray" class="source-toggle" title="Lift the page to see what it's made of">source</label>
</div>
<button type="button" class="theme-toggle" role="switch" aria-checked="false" aria-label="Dark mode" title="Light or dark" hidden><span class="knob"></span></button>
</nav>
</header>
<footer class="site-footer">
<div class="social">
<a href="https://github.com/mas-4">
<svg
aria-labelledby="svg-inline--fa-title-Yppzrr98YU17"
role="img"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
viewBox="0 0 496 512"
>
<title id="svg-inline--fa-title-Yppzrr98YU17">GitHub</title>
<path
fill="currentColor"
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></path>
</svg>
</a>
<a href="https://stackoverflow.com/users/9691276/mas">
<svg
aria-labelledby="svg-inline--fa-title-kGxnyVLHc64Z"
role="img"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
viewBox="0 0 384 512"
>
<title id="svg-inline--fa-title-kGxnyVLHc64Z">StackOverflow</title>
<path
fill="currentColor"
d="M290.7 311L95 269.7 86.8 309l195.7 41zm51-87L188.2 95.7l-25.5 30.8 153.5 128.3zm-31.2 39.7L129.2 179l-16.7 36.5L293.7 300zM262 32l-32 24 119.3 160.3 32-24zm20.5 328h-200v39.7h200zm39.7 80H42.7V320h-40v160h359.5V320h-40z"
></path>
</svg>
</a>
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-sendker">
<svg
aria-labelledby="svg-inline--fa-title-BaV39z6dqIIX"
role="img"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
viewBox="0 0 448 512"
>
<title id="svg-inline--fa-title-BaV39z6dqIIX">LinkedIn</title>
<path
fill="currentColor"
d="M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z"
></path>
</svg>
</a>
<a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mas-4/resume/master/main.pdf">
<svg
aria-labelledby="svg-inline--fa-title-fmQP80A0S9GF"
role="img"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
viewBox="0 0 384 512"
>
<title id="svg-inline--fa-title-fmQP80A0S9GF">Résumé</title>
<path
fill="currentColor"
d="M181.9 256.1c-5-16-4.9-46.9-2-46.9 8.4 0 7.6 36.9 2 46.9zm-1.7 47.2c-7.7 20.2-17.3 43.3-28.4 62.7 18.3-7 39-17.2 62.9-21.9-12.7-9.6-24.9-23.4-34.5-40.8zM86.1 428.1c0 .8 13.2-5.4 34.9-40.2-6.7 6.3-29.1 24.5-34.9 40.2zM248 160h136v328c0 13.3-10.7 24-24 24H24c-13.3 0-24-10.7-24-24V24C0 10.7 10.7 0 24 0h200v136c0 13.2 10.8 24 24 24zm-8 171.8c-20-12.2-33.3-29-42.7-53.8 4.5-18.5 11.6-46.6 6.2-64.2-4.7-29.4-42.4-26.5-47.8-6.8-5 18.3-.4 44.1 8.1 77-11.6 27.6-28.7 64.6-40.8 85.8-.1 0-.1.1-.2.1-27.1 13.9-73.6 44.5-54.5 68 5.6 6.9 16 10 21.5 10 17.9 0 35.7-18 61.1-61.8 25.8-8.5 54.1-19.1 79-23.2 21.7 11.8 47.1 19.5 64 19.5 29.2 0 31.2-32 19.7-43.4-13.9-13.6-54.3-9.7-73.6-7.2zM377 105L279 7c-4.5-4.5-10.6-7-17-7h-6v128h128v-6.1c0-6.3-2.5-12.4-7-16.9zm-74.1 255.3c4.1-2.7-2.5-11.9-42.8-9 37.1 15.8 42.8 9 42.8 9z"
></path>
</svg>
</a>
</div>
<!-- skyblue fills these in as it builds the site. -->
<pre class="receipt" aria-label="How this page was built"><span class="prompt">$</span> skyblue --version
skyblue <a href="https://github.com/mas-4/skyblue">${sky.version}</a> (compiled by cprime <a href="https://github.com/mas-4/cprime">${sky.compiler}</a>)
<span class="prompt">$</span> skyblue -i src -o build
skyblue: ${sky.pages} pages and ${sky.files} files -> build
<span class="note"># ${sky.date}, ${sky.time}, ${sky.ms} ms. Two small scripts: the candle and the light switch.</span></pre>
<p class="copyright">© 2022–2026 Michael Sendker</p>
</footer>
// The candle. Hold the pointer over the words and a flame lights above
// them: the paper warms and thins, and the page's source shows through
// from underneath. Only over the letters themselves, not blank paper.
// Without this script the paper simply stays opaque.
(() => {
const sheet = document.querySelector(".sheet");
if (!sheet || !matchMedia("(hover: hover) and (pointer: fine)").matches) return;
// Is (x, y) on a letter? Find the text position under the point, then
// check that the point is inside the box of the character on either side.
const range = document.createRange();
const overGlyph = (x, y) => {
let node, offset;
if (document.caretPositionFromPoint) {
const pos = document.caretPositionFromPoint(x, y);
if (pos) [node, offset] = [pos.offsetNode, pos.offset];
} else if (document.caretRangeFromPoint) {
const r = document.caretRangeFromPoint(x, y);
if (r) [node, offset] = [r.startContainer, r.startOffset];
}
if (!node || node.nodeType !== Node.TEXT_NODE || !sheet.contains(node)) return false;
for (const i of [offset - 1, offset]) {
if (i < 0 || i >= node.length || /\s/.test(node.data[i])) continue;
range.setStart(node, i);
range.setEnd(node, i + 1);
for (const box of range.getClientRects())
if (x >= box.left && x <= box.right && y >= box.top && y <= box.bottom) return true;
}
return false;
};
let x = 0, y = 0, queued = false, dousing = 0;
const draw = () => {
queued = false;
const box = sheet.getBoundingClientRect();
sheet.style.setProperty("--cx", x - box.left + "px");
sheet.style.setProperty("--cy", y - box.top + "px");
if (overGlyph(x, y)) {
clearTimeout(dousing);
dousing = 0;
sheet.classList.add("lit");
} else if (!dousing && sheet.classList.contains("lit")) {
// A moment's grace, so it doesn't strobe across the spaces between words
dousing = setTimeout(() => {
sheet.classList.remove("lit");
dousing = 0;
}, 350);
}
};
sheet.addEventListener("pointermove", (e) => {
[x, y] = [e.clientX, e.clientY];
if (!queued) {
queued = true;
requestAnimationFrame(draw);
}
});
sheet.addEventListener("pointerleave", () => {
clearTimeout(dousing);
dousing = 0;
sheet.classList.remove("lit");
});
})();
<section class="source">
<header class="source-head">
<a href="https://github.com/mas-4/standingwater-flat/blob/main/src/${source.path}">${source.path}</a>
<span>${source.lines} lines</span>
</header>
<pre class="listing"><code>${source.code}</code></pre>
</section>
<pre class="listing"><code>${source.code}</code></pre>
One book did it. Virginia Postrel's The Fabric of Civilization, about how much of human history went into making thread and cloth, took me from athletic jeans, Kohl's tees and flip-flops to Irish linen, selvedge denim and Montflex desert boots.
Italian didn't help. By chapter 3 it teaches stare a pennello, to fit perfectly. French wants you to be able to find the train station; Italian wants you to be able to compliment a well-cut blazer.