Weekend Review: Sewing Love

 

Sewing Love / Sanae Ishida
Seattle : Sasquatch Books, ©2022
271 p.

This is the second book by Ishida that I've read, via my library. It's a wonderful book! I really enjoyed it and I know I'll be reading it again to soak in all the detail involved. 

It's more than a basic sewing book, and more than just a project book, too. It's a great book for the intermediate sewist, who is looking for more learning and more challenge. The first part of the book deals with block making -- how to create a pattern block based on your own body. 

The second half then goes in to the projects: how to make yourself actual garments using your blocks. The garments are all fairly loose-fit casual clothes, so the adaptations and adjustments you'll have to make to get a decent fit are easier than closely fitted, detailed clothing would be. So it's a good way to start getting comfortable with fitting using your block. If you prefer heavily structured, fitted clothing, you'll likely want to look elsewhere. 

But the tone is very encouraging, and the adventurous beginner might feel up to giving this a go as well. There is a lot of information in this book, but it's nicely organized, non-intimidating, and well illustrated. There are clear illustrations accompanying the block making instructions, and also quite a number of photos of projects on all ages and sizes of sewists. And the book design as a whole is calm and beautiful overall, as well. 

The discussion of the block making hits just the right level; accessible but not overly simplified. There are LOTS of measurements suggested here, more than the usual basics. I can see the influence of some of the books she's put in her bibliography, especially Joi Mahon's range for measurements. She also refers to two of her favourite sewing/pattern books in the text and the bibliography, SEW by Barbara Emodi and How to Make Your Own Dress Patterns by Adele Margolis, which are also faves of mine so I am naturally inclined to like this book as well!

It's a friendly, welcoming book but one that still provides a lot of learning opportunity. You could spend a fair bit of time working your way through the block process and the patterns, and come out on the other side much more confident about your fitting and pattern adjustment skills. Recommended. 

Cover Designs! #29: The Other Side of Midnight

 

Cover Designs is a feature in which I try to match up the outfit on a book cover with a dress pattern and sometimes even potential fabric matches as well. Today's pick is a suitable spooky read for the fall season -- and one by a favourite author of mine -- The Other Side of Midnight, by Simone St. James.

Summary from the publisher: 

London, 1925. Glamorous medium Gloria Sutter made her fortune helping the bereaved contact loved ones killed during the Great War. Now she's been murdered at one of her own séances, after leaving a message requesting the help of her former friend and sole rival, Ellie Winter.
 
Ellie doesn't contact the dead—at least, not anymore. She specializes in miraculously finding lost items. Still, she can't refuse the final request of the only other true psychic she has known. Now Ellie must delve into Gloria's secrets and plunge back into the world of hucksters, lowlifes, and fakes. Worse, she cannot shake the attentions of handsome James Hawley, a damaged war veteran who has dedicated himself to debunking psychics.
 
As Ellie and James uncover the sinister mysteries of Gloria's life and death, Ellie is tormented by nightmarish visions that herald the grisly murders of those in Gloria's circle. And as Ellie’s uneasy partnership with James turns dangerously intimate, an insidious evil force begins to undermine their quest for clues, a force determined to bury the truth, and whoever seeks to expose it...

This outfit can be replicated, and modernized, by using some quick and easy patterns! First off, to get that skirt, the Everyday Skirt by Liesl & Co would be a quick copy. Just add a bit of length so that it's below the knee, and this simple skirt with elastic back waistband and pockets is a match.

Liesl & Co Everyday Skirt

Then add a top to copy the lines of the cover image -- the Drop Sleeve Top by the Avid Seamstress is a great match, and it's free! Just sign up to her newsletter and you can download this quick woven top to make this outfit a close copy of the cover.

Avid Seamstress Drop Sleeve Top

And of course, to top off the look you'll need a lovely 20s style hat -- you can find a few at Elsewhen Millinery on Etsy, or try this multiple view pattern by VintagePatternGirl to give yourself some choices. 

VintagePatternGirl's 1920's Cloche with Ribbon Trim

You can enjoy a spooky seasonal read and dress like the woman on the cover while you do it! 

Weekend Review: The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle

 

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle / Jennifer Ryan
NY: Ballantine Books, c2022.
411 p.

This was a very enjoyable novel, set on the home front in England, mid-WWII. It follows the fortunes of three women as they adjust to the new patterns of life in their small village. 

Grace Carlisle is the vicar's daughter, and she's trying to fix her deceased mother's wedding dress for her upcoming nuptials. But she's as uncertain about the wedding as she is about the repairs, especially after she runs into Hugh Westcott, a childhood friend and member of the local aristocracy who she hasn't seen in years.

Cressida Westcott is a successful, London based fashion designer who left the village when she was young and had no intentions ever to return. But her fashion house and her home have both just been destroyed in the Blitz -- she had a narrow escape. She has nowhere left to turn other than her old home. Her nephew Hugh is now in charge, and she can only hope that both Hugh and her niece Violet are more welcoming than her late brother was. 

Meanwhile, Violet is excited by the idea of her famous aunt coming to live with them -- but shortly after Cressida arrives, spoiled Violet receives a conscription letter. She's off to train for a position in the women's corps, but doesn't know what she will end up doing. 

The three women learn to be more empathetic, build their relationships, create meaningful activity that draws the women of the village together, and of course, find true love. 

It was a straightforward story with not too many surprises. It was pretty easy to see the direction that the story was taking as it went along, but it was an enjoyable read with interesting characters. When they start the Wedding Dress Sewing Circle, spurred on by Cressida's arrival and Grace's need for help from the ladies of the already existing sewing group, it livens up the village and allows for some great sewing talk. As mentioned in the notes to this book, and in the last book I read, Fashion on the Ration,  a Wedding Dress lending circle was actually a real thing in the war, started by Barbara Cartland (yes, the romance novelist) who was upset to think that women in the services would have to marry in their ugly uniforms. There is a lot of fascinating historical content in this book, which was so intriguing. 

The parts I was most drawn to were the fashion bits; I thought they were the most unique parts of the story, and of course the whole idea of clothing availability and design in wartime is of interest to me -- I just read a whole book about it! There is info about the clothes rationing schemes rolled into the story quite naturally, and Cressida, as a designer, is asked to participate in the (real life) design challenge given to a handful of fashion designers by the British government when they were trying to figure out how to make Utility clothing more appealing. The scenes at the challenge event were fun to read, especially since Grace was one of Cressida's models -- it was entertaining to see our characters inserted into an historical moment. 

And there was also a bit of historical detail shared at the top of each chapter; the explanation of the design requirements for a piece of Utility clothing was my favourite bit.

If you enjoy a sweet historical romance with a Happy Ever After and lots of period colour, as well as a lot of fascinating fashion tidbits, I'd recommend this read. 

Vogue 8805 in Leafy Red

This is my latest project as a Fabricville blogger. I was choosing from the most recent fabric releases, so after much deliberation finally picked this 100% cotton corduroy. It was a hard decision! But when I saw the deep red with the cobalt, green & black motifs I thought it would fit in nicely with my 80s inspired sewing of late. Also it's quite seasonal, looking like falling leaves.

 

It's a lightweight & fine wale corduroy so I thought it would match up well with a simple shift that doesn't require any real movement in the fabric. I used Vogue 8805, but combined the middle & bottom panels, to only have the yoke seam left. 

Fortunately the print matches up well enough that even that topstitched seam doesn't break up the visual  line. I didn't shorten it at all so while it's thigh-high on the model it's just at the bottom of my knee, my preferred length.

I added side seam pockets of course; I marked the waistline while I cut it out to give me the pocket placement line. I just used my standard pocket pattern. 

Another change I made was to line it with some black bemberg lining. I cut the lining only for the bottom half of the dress, below the yoke. I basted it to the bottom piece & sewed the yoke on, topstitching all 3 layers together. This allows a stiffer fabric, and one that likes to stick to itself as well as any tights, to hang better and not frustrate a wearer. Nothing worse than a dress that tangles up between your knees as you walk!

The back neckline has a slit which closes with a hook & eye. Unfortunately I find that it pops open while I am wearing it, not sure why, so I am going to replace it with a button & loop. 

Anyhow I love this fabric! It's the perfect weight for this time of year & I really love the print and colours of it. Perfect cozy Fall dress that could even make an appearance at Christmas 😉

Weekend Review: Fashion on the Ration

Fashion on the Ration / Julie Summers
NY: Profile, c2015.
240 p. 

This was a fantastic read, a history of (mainly) women's wear in Britain during WWII. If you're interested in fashion history, you'll love it. I was able to get my hands on it thanks to the wonders of Interlibrary Loan. 

It's broken up into a series of themes; clothing rationing and coupons, women's uniforms, CC41 and Utility clothing & the involvement of high fashion designers in making utility clothing acceptable, make do and mend, fashion magazines during the war years, and the idea of beauty as a morale booster. That's just a quick overview. There is so much in this book, and the bibliography and notes are extensive to lead you on to more. 

Unfortunately there are just a few photos included; while they are wonderful I'd have loved to see even more examples of what she was talking about. I enjoyed the fashion images but also the advertising posters and packaging. So fascinating! One of the photos features a Utility dress by Norman Hartnell. I had to look twice because it seemed very familiar to me. Then I realized it's because it's basically Butterick 6450 (which I've made) though most likely without elastic since that was also rationed for the war effort. 

It's very well written -- keeps you reading like it's a novel. Summers goes into personal stories to illustrate her topics, including excerpts from letters. There was one woman who wrote such delightful letters to her husband that I quickly checked the bibliography to see if I could get my hands on them -- sadly they were manuscript only at the Imperial War Museum archives that the author used. These personal elements, newly shared, make the book particularly engaging. There are also excerpts from Vogue and the newspapers about the patriotic duty of dress and beauty at this time, which bring a feel of the contemporary realities for people trying to make sense of the complicated and ever changing coupon system (as an aside, the endpapers are printed as coupon sheets and it's really neat!) 

Coupons didn't go too far, but as she points out, clothing was still relatively expensive then, so you wouldn't be out buying five suits a season anyhow. There were workarounds that came and went; at first overalls didn't take coupons as they were work wear, but eventually even those required coupons. Upholstery fabrics didn't need coupons so there were various outfits made from those choices. She shares a story of an unfortunate woman whose new dress matched the sofa when she went to a friend's for tea. And there was lots of reworking of current clothing to create new items to meet the fashions and the need for new clothing. Of course, the rich were at an advantage because they had so much to begin with; it was the middle classes and poorer who really suffered (although she makes a point that when Utility clothing became widely available, it was often of better quality than poorer classes had ever been able to afford, so sometimes their wardrobes actually improved.) 

There are many more intriguing stories and personal bits in this book; I enjoyed the way she melded fashion history with personal stories and the wider social context as well. The huge changes that the war made to the way women dressed came from clothing shortages but also from the many changes in women's daily lives -- they were wearing uniforms in service, or work wear in factories or as Home Girls, and their need and desire for specific types of clothing evolved. 

Of course I was also interested in the make do and mend parts and the discussion of sewing related info. At this time, not only was Vogue a popular magazine, but it also had the Vogue pattern book which provided sewing patterns since home sewing was still very common. Summers quotes the Vogue pattern book early on in the book, and I could relate! 

In the autumn of 1939, the editor of the Vogue pattern book told women not to moan about the long evenings caused by blackouts, but to make the most of them by dressmaking. She encouraged the beginner to start with easy patterns because 'nothing is more demoralising than failing to produce the finished article.'

This is a great read, highly recommended. Solid history, told in a well organized and engaging narrative, with lots of fabulous fashion and sewing stories rolled in. This was so good I'll be looking for a copy of my own to keep. 

 

Literary Sewing Circle on Autumnal Hiatus

This is the time of year when I should be announcing a new Literary Sewing Circle title -- I'm already a couple of weeks later than I should be for this project. Alas -- the announcement this time is that the Literary Sewing Circle will be on hiatus until Spring. 

I've been trying to pull something together for us all, but it just didn't work out in time, and life has been so hectic that I've decided to put another round off until early next year. Rushing out a title that I haven't fully prepared for feels less inspiring that just waiting until the next round and having something solid for you to read and participate in. 

I'm sorry for any disappointment but I do hope you'll look forward to a new start for the Literary Sewing Circle in early 2023. 

Weekend Review: Women's Work

Women's Work / Elizabeth Wayland Barber
NY: Norton, c1994.
334 p.

As I read the book that I talked about last week, I kept thinking about this book, which I read many years ago. I realized I'd never shared it here! So I have reread it, well, skimmed through it again and reread the parts I was most interested in ;) 

It's similar in some ways to the new book I just read, even if the focus is a bit different. Women's Work is really focused on textiles in the historical record, and how work with and on textiles was generally assigned to women. Barber shows that the role of textiles in women's lives was varied, but that one way or another, most women had something to do with the production of textiles in the ancient world and forward. 

She covers Neolithic uses of fibre -- from early thread making to later weaving and tapestry in Classical Greece and beyond. The focus is on mostly European or well-studied cultures like Egypt, middle Europe, and Greece. The range is limited to that historical context and doesn't move into later developments; it really is about the early years of textile work. 

It's the kind of fascinating book I enjoy, taking elements of social history, archeology, mythology, ethnography, and practical experience, and tracing developments using all these tools. It's a trail which follows the curiosity of the author, who herself learned to weave at a young age, which helped her to identify objects and the meaning of varied finds in the historical record. As an academic, she saw the connections which earlier (mostly male) researchers had missed: as she says, "it's hard to see what's not there" unless you know it should be there in the first place. This practical knowledge of weaving and cloth production helped her to interpret Egyptian friezes, understand early migration of technology and people, and identify simple things like why there would be a line of stones in a straight line at a dig (loom weights). 

There is one story she shares at the beginning of the book of trying to replicate a cloth from a shred found in an excavation of an early Celtic settlement -- it was a small piece and as she warped and wove her sample she realized that it was difficult because she'd mixed the process up -- her warp really should have been the weft and if she'd done it that way it would have made sense right away, both numerically and in ease of creation. It was neat to see that hands-on experimentation suddenly brought new understanding of the culture that had made that original scrap.

There are lots of great tidbits in this book, and although it is an older book now, still lots that is entertaining and informative. It makes me want to read a lot more on the subject now that there is so much more being published. Postrel's The Fabric of Civilization, which I just read, takes this story further in time, and focuses on some of the mathematical elements of weaving; The Subversive Stitch by Rozsika Parker, another older read, looks at the role of stitching or embellishing the cloth rather than weaving it but has a similar female focus. And there are many more to look at. However, as one of the original studies of cloth and women's lives, this is still a solid read with a scholarly thoroughness. I'd love to read something like this that focuses on Africa, Asia or South America, all areas that aren't covered here. If anybody knows of a specific title, please share! 

Rush Hour Dress in Cobalt

I recently made a Rush Hour Dress with a special feature for the Liesl & Co Advisors Circle. The pattern includes both a sheath dress and a blouse with a distinctive asymmetric peplum. I decided to make the dress and create a detachable peplum for it to get more wear out of the pattern. 

 To find out all about how I made the peplum as a separate piece and made it wearable, check out the post on the Liesl & Co blog. I was amazed at how it changed the look of the dress, and really enjoyed the process of creating it. 

Today's post here, however, will talk a little more about the Rush Hour Dress itself. This was the first time I made this pattern, and I used a cobalt linen blend from my stash. The pattern is for a closely fitted sheath dress, with a bodice that includes princess seams and Dior darts. I knew from reading other reviews and from the look of the pattern that I was going to have to do some alterations. 

First off, I did my regular shortening steps; here I took up 3/4" above the waist and nearly 2" out of the skirt length (I took this out above the back walking slit and didn't change the length of that at all). I then measured up the bodice and ended up shortening the dart by 1/2" and then dropping the point by 1/2" as well. I think that worked out all right. 

To test everything I first made the lining - I used a poly lining for the skirt and some lightweight cotton for the bodice lining - I didn't want poly lining in the bodice. I love the colour contrast a lot; I was worried that it might peek out at the neckline, but made sure to press well and then understitch to keep the lining inside. It doesn't show at all but I know that the beautiful yellow contrast is there! 

When it got the the hemming stage I wasn't sure what I wanted. I didn't want a visible line of machine stitching 2" above the bottom of the dress, so I considered both a blind hem and hand stitching. Hand stitching made me think of using some seam binding as an edge finish to reduce the bulk, and when I was sorting through my shoebox full of thrifted seam bindings and bias tapes, I came across this one: it is an iron on hem binding. It has 2 strips of adhesive, and you just press it until they look clear on the right side. I tested this old packet on a scrap, and the adhesive was still good and didn't leave any marks on the fabric's right side. So I went for it! Another hidden yellow contrast :) 

The lining is then stitched down at the back slit, and it's lower than that hem edge level, so you won't see the flash of yellow when I'm walking. Again, just something that I know is there. It was really easy to apply and it's a great way to cover a fray-prone linen edge without the bulk of a turned edge. I'm going to have to see if they still make this product. 

Another change I made was to add some side seam pockets. I made the skirt slightly less fitted than the model image, so there was room to pop in some pockets. I can't wear a dress without them! I just used the same fabric again for the pocket bags and my favourite pocket template. 

I'm really pleased with the fit of this dress, although I might take a pinch out of the back neckline if I make it again; it's just a little drafty near the back zip. Otherwise, I love the style and fit of this one, and the extra add-on peplum is just a bonus to extend the wear. It was a fun project to tackle and I'm happy with the results. 

Worn work style!

Stitchalong: Poppy finisher!

I did it! Finished my #PeaceForUkraineSAL, I mean :) 

I didn't get much stitching or blogging done for last week -- had so much to do. But I worked extra hard on the poppy over the last few days so that I could finish up and share the completed stitchalong pattern. (Designed by Nat, a Ukrainian embroidery artist found at EmbroideryArtByNat )

I started this last motif rather slowly, beginning with the centre and the little bud. I then moved on to the split stitch outlining, which took forever -- I'm not great with split stitch. Forgot to take many in progress photos with this one, as I had it set up in the stand and was just taking a few stitches whenever I could fit them in - photos slipped my mind! 

The poppy is then mainly filled in with four tones of long and short stitch. I looked at a few finished ones by others and realized I liked the ones with the lightest colour just lightly applied. So I tried my best to balance it so that the darkest red was most in evidence. Again I wasn't sure about it halfway through, but once the darker shading was in it looked good. And when the black was added it all came together for me! 

I left the poppy until last because I was worried about being able to do all the shading. But after all the practice on the other motifs I think it turned out well. All that's left is taking it out of the hoop and finding a suitable frame for it. This one is going into a proper glass front frame; I'll share photos once I have finished that. 

I have really, really enjoyed stitching this piece. I've tried to listen to Ukrainian podcasts & audiobooks, sometimes music, while I was stitching so that it would feel like it was a learning experience in all ways. I really love the podcast UkrainianSpaces and recommend it. And I've been reviewing some of the books on my book blog, with more to come, if you're interested. 

There are many other great patterns by this designer, I encourage you to check her out on her website and/or Instagram. This pattern is still easily available on Nat's website along with many others, both images related to Ukraine and many other floral and nature designs, too. 

And please keep paying attention to what is happening in Ukraine, and help where you can. There are many local charities that need our help. 

 

Weekend Review: The Fabric Of Civilization

 

The Fabric of Civilization / Virginia Postrel
NY: Basic Books, c2020
320 p.

This book is an overview of fabric and the ways in which it has shaped the development of civilization, whether that's related to trade, economics, social classes, gender relations, arts, history or another facet of life.

It reminds me of both Kassia St. Clair's The Golden Thread and Elizabeth Wayland Barber's Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times. She is taking a look at textiles across history, as the original tech, and notes that because textiles are so abundant we have "textile amnesia", forgetting their vital role in so many areas of life. She aims to change that. 

The book is broken up into thematic sections: Fiber, Thread, Cloth, Dye, Traders, Consumers & Innovators. It's mostly told in a conversational tone, with lots of illustrative anecdotes that make it a fun read. Some of the sections are a little technical/dry (especially the weaving ones) but overall it's informative and engaging reading. 

She illustrates how textiles, and the artisans who made and worked with textiles, shaped the world in many ways. I knew about binary code's source in weaving, but didn't know about the other elements of arcane mathematics that were created by weavers designing patterns. It was fascinating! There was discussion of the cloth trade across Europe and how those traders developed into some of the first banks and introduced techniques of book-keeping, also something new for me to learn. And the discussion of Italian silk manufacture and all the people involved in it -- including women as masters -- was really memorable.

I enjoyed the stories, and the commentary on textile words that are a part of our languages now. There are a few caveats about the book; it is really Europe focused, and some of the more distasteful aspects of textile history are skimmed over without much commentary -- ie: the use of slavery in the textile world, or aspects of cultural theft when looking at silk and weaving. However, it does give a wide view across many centuries of many other elements of textile history, manufacture, and its potential for the future. Recommended for anyone interested in how textiles have a core role in world history and in the tech world in many ways. It's a readable look at this topic, a great starter for further deep dives into any of the specific chapters or subjects that really speak to you. 

The author has even made a playlist to go along with this book on youtube, featuring 12 short videos on various themes from the book. Some are very short, so it's easy to view a few!