Weekend Review: Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

 

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris / Paul Gallico
NY: Bloomsbury, 2022, c1963
320 p.

I've always known about this book but didn't read it until recently; I finally picked it up when this movie cover edition crossed my desk at the library. It's a fairly short book but it was a delight to read. It was published in the 60s but there isn't too much in it that is terribly dated to ruin it, which is always nice. 

Mrs. Harris is a London char-woman who is always positive and down-to-earth. She has her regulars who she cleans for; some are lovely and some are, well, not so much. But when she's cleaning Lady Dant's apartment, she sees the most beautiful thing she's ever seen in her life: a Dior dress. She determines at that moment that she is going to have one, despite how ridiculous it sounds. 

And so she embarks on a savings journey, squirrelling away every extra penny and even going to the track. After two years of determination, she heads to Paris on her quest. But there is so much she doesn't know, like that you don't just walk into Dior like it's Woolworths and pick up a dress off the rack. But fortune favours the bold, and despite barriers in her way, she is put in the path of so many people who decide to help this charming lady. And she passes any help and good fortune she has on to others, too, taking joy in the small things of life and valuing love and connection. 

There are some events near the end that I wished the author had decided differently about, but in the main this is a charming book with a sense of joy and community, leaving you with a definite feel-good vibe. I thought it was full of the delight of Paris and of course of Dior and dressmaking in general -- there are employees and customers of Dior who befriend and help Mrs. Harris, and even a cameo by the great man himself. There are dreamy descriptions of dresses and fabrics and ateliers, as well as of the beautiful streets and markets of Paris. It's so lovely. 

I enjoyed this one so much that I immediately watched the new movie. Unfortunately it doesn't have the same uplifting charm; it highlights a little more of the disappointments and dissatisfactions in the story. It was a good film and Leslie Manville was great as Mrs. Harris, but there is no real 'edge' to the book while there is in the film, and perhaps it was because I had just finished the book two days before the film that I wasn't completely taken with it. I'd say that with this one, as with most book to film experiences, be sure to read the book first if you can ;) This edition also included a second novel, Mrs. Harris Goes to New York, but that one is missable. There is none of the charm of dressmaking and Paris, and it definitely loses something for it, becoming more sentimental than delightful. Stick with Paris and Dior and you'll enjoy the reading!

Vyshyvanka Day and big plans for 2024

Vyshyvanka Day is a relatively recent celebration, held on the 3rd Thursday of May each year. The aim is to celebrate traditional Ukrainian embroidered clothing. The idea of Vyshyvanka Day was suggested in 2006 by Lesia Voroniuk, then a student of Chernivtsi University, and has grown to involve all of Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora across the world. 

I've worn my store bought Vyshyvanka the last couple of years (a gift from my sister). But as I have mentioned previously, I would like to make my own to wear next year! So I'm planning on starting now, to hopefully get it done by next year ;) I won't be making a fully traditional, heavily embroidered one, since I don't have those skills. But I have a few patterns to try out for the base, first, and then I'll choose some less complex embroidery that I want to add. 

Here are a few patterns that I already have in my stash, which might work with some small changes or adaptations. I hope to try them out and see how I like the fit before choosing the one I like best to embroider. 

First is this older pattern, Simplicity 3786. While there are some pintucks in the centre panel, I do like the sleeve and overall silhouette of the view she is wearing.

Simplicity 3786

Next up is this more recent McCalls 8042, which I picked up in a sale just recently. I really like View C but am not quite sure about that neck ruffle bit. Probably would change that!

McCalls 8042

I also have two Indie patterns that have potential -- one is the Love Notions Rhapsody Blouse. This gives a little bit more of a modern shape to the traditional blouse, which I might like.

And the other, which might be the most likely of all of these to be the one I use, is my recently purchased Poppy Blouse by PatternScout. 

There is also the option of making the blouse in the traditional manner, which is just following body measurements and cutting mostly rectangular pieces. There is an example of this in the book Ukrainian Embroidery, by Ann Kmit, which I might follow. Or if I'm lucky enough, I might be able to take a sorochka pattern class with Myroslava Boikiv from Toronto. 

With all of these options, I see some fitting muslins in my future. Then, on to deciding on the embroidery patterns -- and that's the more complicated bit, both the choosing and the stitching! And that's why I'm starting a year ahead :) 

Weekend Review: The Dress Diary of Mrs. Anne Sykes

 

The Dress Diary of Mrs. Ane Sykes / Kate Strasdin
London: Chatto & Windus, c2023.
303 p.

This is a new book I've been eagerly awaiting! I've heard so many interviews with the author on many stitching and sewing podcasts, and first saw a mention of this upcoming book in Threads magazine last year. It's finally out, and my library got a copy :)

If you are interested in history, clothing, textiles, and material culture, you'll love this one. The author was given an unusual scrapbook, which was full of snippets of fabrics from across the lifetime of Mrs. Anne Sykes, stretching from her wedding day in 1838 onwards. These snippets had little annotations, but because Anne Sykes referred to herself in the third person, Strasdin had difficulty finding out who had created this book and the context for it. But in one entry only, Anne Sykes referred to herself in first person, and that helped Strasdin crack the code. 

The book is then made up of chapters describing the scrapbook itself, or sharing the history of some of the textiles included (like the cottons that made Anne Sykes' family's fortunes), and also an explanation of Singapore's colonial society (where Anne and her husband lived for a few years after their marriage). Then, some of the chapters explore the other people who Anne included in her book, especially the ones who show up repeatedly with many swatches. 

Thankfully for a book of this kind, there is also a central section with many colour plates of various fabrics from the original. It was fascinating to see them all, and I found some of them quite striking and not what you'd expect from the mid-1800s -- one in particular looked so art deco I was shocked to see it there. My favourite was the green and red checkerboard on the bottom row below -- striking indeed! I'd buy that fabric today if I saw it out there :) 

This is more of a social history inspired by Mrs. Anne Sykes' diary, than a straightforward story of the scrapbook and Anne Sykes herself. Strasdin takes us on many side journeys into textile and social history while also explaining and outlining how she did her research and found more about the people mentioned in the scrapbook. That was quite a feat as she had just begun when Covid hit and she had to do most of the research online and via email/phone calls to libraries and archives. 

But if you are a history fan, or a dressmaker yourself -- or both -- I think that you'll enjoy this approach. It's very readable and has both the colour plates in the middle and some other images throughout. It's a fascinating way to explore this era in history, through a physical artifact that survived for nearly 200 years somehow, and made its way to the author. Definitely one to look for!

Skirt Repair for Continued Wear

Happy Vyshyvanka Day! 
Mine worn with my re-hemmed red skirt

I've had a number of skirts sitting in my mending pile for a while now. This MeMadeMay I decided that I'd focus on looking at my wardrobe, seeing what I enjoy wearing, and also fix some of those pieces that are patiently waiting to be worn again! 

The skirts I've worked on all had minor issues - needing to be rehemmed, bottoms of zips fixed, etc. Nothing hugely construction heavy. And yet they were all languishing. So I grabbed a few of the easy ones and got to work! 

First was this grey skirt from the famed Vogue 1247. The fabric around the zip was weakening slightly, and it wasn't very invisible to begin with - it's an early make. So I simply restitched it closer to the zipper tape to make it more invisible and to reinforce that pulled fabric. It worked just great. 

Before

After

Then I shortened a red knit skirt that I made last year - it's just the wrong length, both too long and too short to be either effectively! So I cut off the current hem and just folded it up again so that it sits at the knee rather than under it. I like this much better. 

Too long and too short and the same time!

Cutting off an inch

I haven't worn this black and white skirt, Simplicity 4236, much since making it in 2014. I put a pocket into one side but it never sits properly. Even though I am staunchly behind adding pockets to everything, this one just doesn't work, so I gritted my teeth and removed this one! It does lie much more smoothly across the hip now, and I think I may wear it again! 

Original

Depocketed!

I still have to shorten and narrow this blue skirt slightly (also a Vogue 1247) 

and make the walking slit in this magenta skirt much longer (and add a modesty panel at the same time - I saw a recent tutorial on adding a Dior pleat to a skirt, and I'll be adapting that here.)

But those are a little more involved so will take a bit longer -- still planning on having them done by the end of MeMadeMay though! 

Cover Designs! #30: Well Matched

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 rom-com title that's part of a series all set in the world of Renaissance Fairs; it's Well Matched by Jen DeLuca.

Summary from the publisher: 

Single mother April Parker has lived in Willow Creek for twelve years with a wall around her heart. On the verge of being an empty nester, she’s decided to move on from her quaint little town, and asks her friend Mitch for his help with some home improvement projects to get her house ready to sell.

Mitch Malone is known for being the life of every party, but mostly for the attire he wears to the local Renaissance Faire—a kilt (and not much else) that shows off his muscled form to perfection. While he agrees to help April, he needs a favor too: she'll pretend to be his girlfriend at an upcoming family dinner, so that he can avoid the lectures about settling down and having a more “serious” career than high school coach and gym teacher. April reluctantly agrees, but when dinner turns into a weekend trip, it becomes hard to tell what's real and what's been just for show. But when the weekend ends, so must their fake relationship.

As summer begins, Faire returns to Willow Creek, and April volunteers for the first time. When Mitch's family shows up unexpectedly, April pretends to be Mitch's girlfriend again...something that doesn't feel so fake anymore. Despite their obvious connection, April insists they’ve just been putting on an act. But when there’s the chance for something real, she has to decide whether to change her plans--and open her heart--for the kilt-wearing hunk who might just be the love of her life.

This fun summer read has lots of potential! And you get two outfits in one: modern women's wear, and Ren Fair-ish men's wear ;) 

For April's outfit, you could probably whip up this pair quickly, using any free t-shirt pattern, something like the Toronto Tee by Rebecca page, or the Anything But Basic Tee by DIBY.

And it's hard to tell in the drawing if April is wearing jeans or close fitting trousers. Either way, you could whip up this whole outfit from Closet Core patterns, using the Ginger Jeans or Sasha Trousers, plus their new free Core Tee. 

As for Mitch, well, this outfit takes a little more finagling to put together. The top could probably be made using a nice linen or cotton blend, using this Butterick 4486 historical pattern - View B would be the closet match. 

The kilt is more of a tutorial kind of make, rather than a paper pattern. You can find instructions on kilt making on the Scottish Dance website. But if you'd prefer more of a pattern with some historical info included, you can also go to the Folkwear Scottish Kilt pattern. This includes instructions on the measurments and construction of men's and women's kilts, as well as actual patterns for the men's vest and jacket. 

Or if you want to go full traditional, check out the online class that Paula Duncan offers via her Kilt Making Academy -- she's a bespoke kilt maker who also teaches the basics. It looks very cool! 

Enjoy your summer sewing and reading! I hope that if this Cover Designs entertained you, you'll look up the whole Jen DeLuca series for some fun summer reading.

 

Weekend Review: History of the Paper Pattern Industry

A History of the Paper Pattern Industry / Joy Spanabel Emery
NY: Bloomsbury Academic, c2014.
272 p.

I have owned this book for a long time, and was surprised to realize that I'd never shared it here! I was reminded of it when I recently read Wade Boissoniere's book about patterns from the 50s, and so I pulled this off the shelf and revisited it. 

It's written by Joy Spanabel Emery, who was a professor at the University of Rhode Island. This university has a large pattern collection, which has merged with a few others to create the Commercial Pattern Archive.

This read is a bit of a mixed bag -- interesting to the reader who is already inclined to want to read about this, but a bit dry in style, and really follows the economic ups and downs of pattern companies as its main focus. 

Still, I enjoyed finding out all about the varied companies and their successes, failures and merges. An additional chapter past the 2010 cutoff would be fascinating with all the massive merger/buyouts of pattern companies in the recent past. 

It focuses quite a lot on the early days of patterns, as they were created and became a 'thing' in home dressmaking. As the blurb for the book states, "their history and development has reflected major changes in technology (such as the advent of the sewing machine), retailing and marketing practices (the fashion periodical), and shifts in social and cultural influences."

And this really does sum up the book quite well, although it really should have stated that it is primarily American history, with only a passing mention of some European companies as they relate to the American ones. It does show how patterns changed, from trade secrets to home instruction for professional sewers to more of what we are familiar with today, envelope patterns for home sewists. And there is a section at the end which shows a sample pattern from the 1850s to the 1960s; this is fascinating, showing the covers and the scaled pattern pieces. There are illustrations throughout, which does add to the interest.

It's a good intro, but be aware it's dry, and there are numerous typos, which I find distracting in an academic text. I'd really like to read more a cultural history on sewing patterns in the home sewing world, but this is more focused on industry. So it this a must-have? Probably not, but if you can find one to borrow and read through, I think most avid sewists who are familiar with patterns would be at least a little bit engaged and learn something new!

Weekend Review: Framing Our Past

 

Framing Our Past: Canadian Women's History in the 20th Century /
ed. Sharon Anne Cook, Lorna R. McLean, Kate O'Rourke
Montreal: McGill-Queens UP, c2006.
532 p.

I borrowed this book from my library recently & didn't expect to share it here! I wanted to read it because my undergrad degree was in Canadian history and I enjoy reading women's history, and I recognized some of the contributing authors. But there were some really fascinating pieces in this book that deal with textiles and women's work. 

The book is quite large & heavy - not a bedtime read! But it's really well done. It's a collection of many, many short pieces by academics on a wide variety of topics, broken up into thematic sections. Most are between 3-5 pages; this isn't deep exploration, rather short overviews or essays on many themes. It's easy to skim these a few at a time, and the book goes by quickly despite the number of chapters. And there are a lot of great photos, too!

For sewing readers, there are a good handful of intriguing entries. You can see the entire table of contents at the publisher's book page, but the ones that stood out to me were mainly in the last section, "Earning Their Bread". This had a number of pieces on women using sewing, pattern-making & millinery as a career. These were: 

• Creative Ability and Business Sense: The Millinery Trade in Ontario by Christina Bates 
• Our Mothers' Patterns: Sewing and Dressmaking in the Japanese-Canadian Community by Susan Michi Sirovyak 
• Federica and Angelina: Postwar Italian-Canadian Couturiers in Toronto by Alexandra Palmer
• Fabrications: Clothing, Generations, and Stitching Together the History We Live by Kathryn Church

These were all fascinating in their own way, but it was the piece on Japanese-Canadian sewing that first brought me to this book. It was mentioned in another book I was reading (can't remember which one) which caused me to search out where I could find this article. That was an illuminating article about the preponderance of sewing and dressmaking in the Japanese-Canadian community, and how it helped many women to survive financially, even during the shameful years of Japanese internment during WWII. I learned very little of this kind of domestic-focused history during my studies; much of the women's studies I took focused on non-domestic topics but I am very glad to see things changing and more of the daily life of women being studied and explored. 

The others ranged from the rise and fall of millinery as a good living, a study of two Italian couturiers who had successful high-end shops in Toronto, and a story of an academic daughter reconnecting with her seamstress mother via curating a museum exhibit.

 

There were also a couple of articles of interest to fellow sewists in the first section, "Living Women's Lives", which covers a surprising number of artistic topics, from reading clubs in Winnipeg to specialists in Inuit art, to Alice Peck, May Phillips, and the Canadian Handicrafts Guild, by Ellen Easton McLeod. All of these were must-reads for me; I didn't read all of the articles in the other sections, but did skim most of them. What a great find, and I'm so lucky to be able to access academic books via Interlibrary Loan, because otherwise they are way too expensive to explore! 

If you're also a history buff and are intrigued by elements of women's history like these ones, I recommend this book. The pieces are not overly academic - ie, they are mainly quite readable - and cover a huge range of interest. And the sewing related bits are fascinating!

Pathways to Possibility: a SAQA conference

 

Last weekend I was at a textile art conference in Toronto, with the wonderful organization SAQA. I've been a member for a couple of years, but am very much a rank beginner in this area. But I couldn't NOT go to a conference so close to me! 

It was an inspiring weekend, where I met so many creative people and learned so much from the speakers, who were all sharing such different elements of creative textile work. I didn't actually take many photos, too busy listening and talking ;) But I did get a nice photo of the small piece I made for the auction that is one of the SAQA fundraisers. 

And with the artist Nancy Turbitt, who bought my piece! 

We had a foggy, windy, rainy weekend so I was glad that much of the conference was in one place. But we also got to visit a couple of museums that were extremely close by -- the Textile Museum and the Campbell House Museum. Both had great exhibits; the Campbell House is showing Colour with a "U", a collection of textile works by Canadian SAQA artists, until June 3. Definitely recommended! 

And the conference had a Community Stitch project, where you could take and exchange bits of fabric, threads and embellishments. I didn't actually get much stitching done during the conference, but this week after coming home I've been working on putting together a little piece using the bits I gathered up from the Community Stitch table! Just testing things out and seeing what happens :) 

It was a really engaging event and I'm so glad I went. I will most definitely be continuing to primarily make and share my garments at this blog, but now and again you might also see a little bit about the artworks I'm making. 

MeMadeMay 2023

 

I wasn't really thinking about joining MeMadeMay this year. I already have tons of me-mades, and wear something I've made myself just about every day. But then I saw some pledges out there that inspired me. 

Zoe, the founder of MMM, stresses that this isn't a photo challenge, or a making challenge -- it's supposed to be a chance to examine your wardrobe and sewing habits and figure out what's working, and help you create more sustainably. 

So my pledge, inspired by a number of people on IG, is to:

• Mend the items in my mending pile, which only keeps growing
• Wear as many different me-mades as possible this month so that I can evaluate what I like wearing, and figure out how to alter or refashion the things that I'm not wearing. 
• Evaluate my fabric stash to see if there are items there that I won't likely be using in future, and find new homes for those pieces. 

I think this pledge fits in with my focus in recent months, and I feel comfortable with it. If I do share some daily outfit photos on IG, it will be the ones that I have time for, and the ones that I find I really love wearing. And of course I'll keep watching the hashtag because it's great fun to see what everyone else is wearing this month!