Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Two Tone Burda Top

I finally finished this project which I've been thinking about for ages, and cut out in February! For some reason it took me a while to finish this Burda 6354, even though the pattern is pretty simple to put together. The fabric I chose is lovely but also a bit shifty, so needed careful sewing. 

The colour choice is influenced by the colours of Ukraine; when I saw these two fabrics side by side at Fabricland, I immediately thought of a project like this. It's a fairly easy pattern -- there are match points for the gathers and corners, and you can use prints, or solid colours like this, to add some verve to the design. 

There are two views, one shorter with ruffled short sleeves and one with full length straight sleeves that is a bit longer. I used the longer length with the shorter sleeve. The only closure is a button at the back neckline slit, so it's not very complicated to put together. It took me a while only because I wasn't getting in much sewing time over the last couple of weeks, and because the fabric is so soft and slippery that I had to be careful with both pressing and stitching. 

In any case, it turned out like I'd imagined it, and I really like the fit. Not too oversize in the shoulder/bust but nice and swingy otherwise. I also like the sleeve design. A lovely project once I finished it! 


Sunday, March 10, 2024

Weekend Review: Sustainable Wardrobe

Sustainable Wardrobe / Sophie Benson
London: White Lion Books, c2023.
160 p.


This was a lovely find, a book about sustainable wardrobe building which approaches the subject in a variety of ways. The author, Sophie Benson, is a freelance journalist working in the area of sustainability in fashion, beauty, culture and so forth -- so this book is an interesting mix of mending & upcycling projects, blended with information about global fashion issues, waste colonialism, greenwashing, collective action and more. It really works! 

The focus is on informing readers on sustainable fashion topics, including interviews with people involved in the fashion world in some way, from factory workers to fashion psychologists. It covers a lot of basics that many sewists may know, like the production cycle of a t-shirt, but will also provide new angles on many similar things. I think someone who buys all their clothes but is interested in starting on a more sustainable path would find this one a great resource. There are minimal projects in it, and some of them are ideas for events like clothing swaps, so if what you want is a book just on mending/upcycling techniques, you could try one of the many other books out there focused more on the practical matters of mending. 

This was inspiring, though, and well worth reading. The book is laid out nicely, with lots of photos, and feels well organized and accessible. I liked her writing style; it is clear and concise, bringing up many important topics in a tone that is not at all condescending. It feels like she is assuming the best intent in all of her readers. No judgement, and she opens the book talking about her own path toward sustainability and shares many of the mistakes and habits she started with. 

There is enough here to intrigue a reader new to the ideas of sustainability, from the basics of replacing a button to dyeing with natural dyes. And it feels inviting, and encouraging. I really enjoyed it! 

You can find more of Sophie Benson's journalism on these topics at her website, as well. 

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

February Blahs and March Plans!


I didn't get a single garment sewn in February! I had great plans, patterns that were matched up with beautiful fabrics, and challenges I wanted to participate in. But somehow I fell into a sewing slump and didn't get much done at all. 

I did finish a small auction quilt for my SAQA group, and cut out a Burda top which I am about half through (beautiful fabrics). I traced off the pattern for the Nikki Blazer that I planned on making for the Black History Month Pattern Designer Challenge but didn't get any further than that -- the first time I've missed a project for this challenge in a few years. 

Even with an extra day in February, it was a slow sewing month. I lost my drive to finish stuff, spending more of time both sorting my space and reading a lot of textile magazines and websites. I needed to relax a bit, I think! But after some rest, and watching some of the fashion month shows on youtube, and feeling a bit more organized in my space, I think I've got the sewing bug back and will finish my current top project so I can start on my next few ideas. I have a dress planned as part of my Fabricville blogging routine (cute fabric!) and some ideas for a Matchy Matchy Spring outfit as part of the latest PatternReview contest. And of course just some fun ideas of my own for no other reason than just because I want to make them! 

Do you ever fall into sewing slumps? If so, how do you shake yourself out of them? 

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Weekend Review: Mending With Kids

 

Mending with Kids / Nami Levy
trans. from the Japanese by Nancy Marsden
North Clarendon, VT/ Tokyo: Tuttle, c2023.
88 p.

I found this cute book via my library -- but I have to say I was a bit sceptical when I first saw it. Having young kids do mending? Is it possible with their motor skills? But this book convinced me. It's well laid out, with the techniques which kids could do clearly identified, and which steps they might take on in more complicated mends. 

The book starts with a section called "Hints and Warnings for Mending with Kids" and this addresses all the concerns you might have when picking up this book. She discusses sharp objects, irons and things like that, giving tips on managing them and which parts only an adult should do. But there is also a nod to the fact that different parts of the world have different expectations of "child safety" and what kids can do, with an example of how the Netherlands doesn't fence off water areas, rather they teach children to swim to prepare for any accidents. Interesting discussion! 

Anyhow, on to the mending. I loved the way this book was laid out, with tons of illustrations, many using the two children I'm assuming are the author's. The first bit of the book is aimed at mending WITH kids. It starts out with simple ideas, like stamping over stains with eraser stamps or paper stencils, then goes on to simple patches made with felt shapes, or scrap fabrics that kids can draw on. She even shows an older child using some needle felting techniques (with finger guards, and an adult's help). In the second section of the book, she aims things more at mending FOR kids. There are examples of darning socks and tights, or using embroidery in fun ways like making a hole into an eyelet feature with a larger surrounding motif to make into a cool design feature. There are also some invisible mending tips if you don't want to show it off. And there are cool ideas to fix frayed cuffs with binding, or to fix worn knees and make pants longer at the same time with inserted bands -- keep them wearing their favourites for longer! 

I found some new ideas in here, especially the idea of mending tights. Love it! It's a short book but really clear and it communicates both the why and how clearly. The images are bright and informative, and the whole book is just a lovely read. It would be great for families wanting to live more sustainably. 


Sunday, February 25, 2024

Weekend Review: All That Glitters

All that Glitters Martine Desjardins;
trans. from the French by 
Fred Reed & David Homel
Vancouver: Talonbooks, c2005
160 p.


I'm a big fan of Quebec writer Martine Desjardins, who has a novel about Medusa that has recently been translated. This made me think of some of her older books that I've read, and realized I've never shared this novel here; it includes quite a bit of unusual embroidery, so I think some of you might enjoy it too! I first read this book over 15 years ago, but I recall it very clearly. This review first appeared in slightly different form on my book blog way back then. 


All That Glitters is set in Flanders during WWII. It is the story of Canadian and inveterate gambler Simon Dulac, who has enlisted in the military police. His interest in the war is that it gives him the chance to roam around an unsettled France, looking for the treasure that the Knights Templar left buried somewhere in Flanders centuries before. It is a nod to the codes and mysteries of books like The Da Vinci Code, but told in the surreal manner of her previous novel. The two supporting characters are Dulac's Lieutenant Peakes, a man obsessed with metalwork as well as rebuses and secrets, and nurse Miss Nell, who became a field nurse in order to practice suturing wounds, something nurses were not normally permitted to do at the time. She sutures them not with neat black stitches, but with fanciful embroidery, usually in a form of a rebus related to the patient's name. She also practices on herself; she has a feather stitched into the interstice between her thumb and forefinger, and eventually shows Dulac the rebus embroidered within her cleavage - a many-rayed sun with an "N" in the centre.

Dulac struggles to interpret the clues he serendipitously comes across, and thinks he has figured out where to look for the fabled treasure. His lieutenant, injured by a bomb blast and then fitted with a metallic half mask, is now behind lines and has time to use his genius at codes to puzzle out the revealed clues. He finally reveals to Dulac the 'true' interpretation of these clues, and it is a sudden revelation of how the things Dulac struggled to invest with meaning can be seen in a completely different manner. He should have kept in mind the proverb suggested by the title! It's a bit of wink at the obsession with mysterious treasures and conspiracies, but it does feel a bit abrupt, leading to a quick and dire conclusion.

I liked the war setting; it made sense to use this time period for this story, and she paints a clear picture of opportunists at war. The writing style is brief and unsentimental, which adds to the feeling of dissociation from society that all the participants seem to feel. The combination of war, secrets and codes, hidden treasures, and the strangeness of embroidered skin are woven together to make a fascinating reading experience.


Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Mini quilt for a conference auction




Last year when I went to the SAQA Conference in my local area, I made a small quilt for the traditional conference auction. The Spotlight Auction features 6x8 textile art pieces which are auctioned off to benefit the organization. It's quite fun to see all the variations on a small artwork that show up during this display.

This year's conference is a virtual one, but the auction is still happening - it will just be 100% online. I decided I had time to make a small piece before the deadline. I started it last week but it's taken me over a week to finish, as I just couldn't decide on the design. I knew I wanted a labyrinth motif, but I started with an embroidered idea -- nope, didn't work -- then cut shapes out of two different fabrics, neither of which was just right. I finally found the right fabric, applied the motif, had a fusible glue accident that took an evening to fix, then had to decide what stitching to add, and found it needed a little something to finish it up. I have a pile of plastic florets that come off of sewing pins that wear out (yes, I save everything) and found that three white ones worked nicely as stars. 


It's finally finished! I'm calling it Night Walk, and it will be making its way to the SAQA auction shortly. It's nice to have a different kind of sewing challenge sometimes, to give you another sewing experience. I hope someone will end up liking this small piece enough to bid for it. I certainly enjoyed seeing it come together. 

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Weekend Review: Modern Japanese Embroidery Stitches

 

Modern Japanese Embroidery Stitches / Noriko Tsuchihashi
Clarendon, VT: Tuttle, c2022.
112 p.

I really loved this book that I found in my library's online collection. I hadn't seen it when it was first released, so am really glad it appeared there -- it is a great book. 

The embroidery style here is a bit different than many of the stitch styles found in books over the last few years. It's motif based (with fabulous alphabets) but it has an ornate, dark & mysterious feeling too. Most of the examples are either unusual, like insects or symbols, or use dark fabric grounds or threads. I like the layout and the feel of this book. 

In her foreword, the author says she was always drawn to little things as a child, and with this book she's trying to share that connection and wonder. She says, "while [these designs] are not a precise rendering of that beauty, they recreate for me that sense of wonder, and I'm happy. I think this is what handicrafts such as embroidery are all about." 


The book is organized into motifs; each chapter simply shows gorgeous photos of projects, framed or made up into other items, with a brief into to the subject and a few words on each design. These 8 sections are followed by a section on materials, tools and a stitch guide, and all the designs and instructions are at the back of the book. She includes recommended stitches and thread colours for all the designs. In her recommendations, threads are DMC, and the ribbon embroidery ideas use Mokuba ribbon, while the beading elements use Delica. But as she says, you can use whatever you like. 

The chapters are: 

  • Embroidering Patterns
  • Embroidering Plants
  • Embroidering Animals
  • Embroidering Lucky Symbols
  • Embroidering A Journey
  • Embroidering Alphabets
  • Embroidering on Patterns
  • Finishing (pouches, brooches, bags etc)

I was particularly taken with the alphabet designs. I love a good letter! These are block letters with filling stitches and they are beautiful. She shows them in different colourways with differing backgrounds and I love them all. There is even a set of numbers to go along with this. 


I also liked the lucky symbols she included, and can think of ways to adapt some of her ideas to use any of your own favourite signs and symbols. All in all I really liked this one and found it fresh and interesting.