Weekend Review: Thread Me a Button

 

Thread Me a Button / Jude Aquilina & Joan Fenney
Port Adelaide: Ginninderra Press, c2012.
73 p.

I discovered this little book of poetry in a library collection online, and the adorable cover and title drew me in. It really is a collection of poems all centred on buttons! It's written by two Australian women, and it's surprising how much they can wring from a button. 

The book is set up in 6 sections, each with an average of 9 poems, ranging from haiku length to full page poems. There are some that are straightforward, some quite funny, and a few that are more serious and moving. 

There is a poem about a woman who lost her lover in the war, and for the rest of her life she wore one of his buttons stitched to a petticoat. There are some celebrating beauty, or relationships. In the section "In the Sewing Drawer" I found some of my favourite pieces, lots about the act of sewing. And this section includes what I think was the most memorable poem, for me, called "In the Light"; it's about the closing down of Mrs. Pearl Morris' haberdashery shop, and I found it evocative and bittersweet. 

This was a chance find, and a gem. I enjoyed reading through this accessible collection, which will appeal to anyone fond of buttons and the garment sewing world. Easy to read a few each night before bed to relax and enjoy some sewing related whimsy! 

Weekend Review: Creative Mending

 

Creative Mending / Hikaru Noguchi
Rutland, VT: Tuttle, c2022.
104 p.

One more Japanese mending book for this month's featured theme! I also found this one thanks to the library and it was really sweet to look through. Lots of photos, lots of repairs shown as examples of the different techniques on real items -- including a cat-scratched armchair. In fact there are lots of repairs made where it's noted that the damage came from cats chewing on fabric or playing with clothing ;)  

This book has a lot of solid content, some of it familiar from other books but some more intriguing as well. As with any Tuttle book, there are many clear and colourful photos to illustrate everything - this is pleasing just to flip through and look at them all. But it starts off with an intro to tools and threads then moves to four Basic Techniques: Goma-shio (basically seed stitch), Basket Darning (traditional weave) and two based on the buttonhole stitch, Honeycomb and Tambourine. Then examples for each. 

This is followed by seven sections on Advanced Techniques: Patching on top or from inside a garment, Repairing Damage to an Inseam, Underarm, or Edges, Darning using Wool Roving (ie: needlefelting) and Darning Large Holes. Each of these is a compound technique - they use the Basic Techniques and then apply it to the particular situation. She discusses small things to keep in mind, like inserting a finger darning stick into your gloves before stitching so they hold their shape, or using a long needle for larger holes so it's easier to pick up threads, or choosing fabric for patches that suits the garment,  especially for underarm mends. And this is all followed by some "darning samplers" -- more examples of how her techniques have been used on actual garments. I like the use of embroidery to cover stains, personally.

There is a lot of info and inspiration here, with the caveat that you have to share this aesthetic to really benefit from the many styles and examples. It is all Very Visible Mending, with colourful circles, either solid or radiating stitches, spread across the front of a shirt or jacket, or blocks of stitches covering ravelling edges, or "frankenstitches" (here really meaning they resemble Frankenstein's stitches) running up a seam or tear. I like the idea of patches, but I would have to tone it down a little for myself. I still enjoyed this one and particularly liked that she shares photos and info on many threads that can work for darning - I feel that sometimes people hesitate to start mending, thinking they need some special and unobtainable materials to begin. Not so! 

I've learned a lot from mending books this month but still have lots in my mending piles...thankfully nothing too bad that would need the kind of intensive care of the items in this book, though. This one is entertaining but best for those who love the idea of Visible Mending. 

Wardrobe Colour Palette & Planning

While I haven't been actually sewing as much lately I have been trying to nail down my wardrobe plans for the next season. That includes the colour palette I want to use. I don't have a lot of love for the trendy colours being predicted for the spring/summer (I don't really like a lot of pale colour) so I've been looking at my previous wardrobe plans and trying to recreate something current. 

I'm using the Design Your Wardrobe process from Seamwork which I used the first time I looked into this topic. I've found that much of what I did then still applies -- the silhouettes and fabrics and colours I identified in my original Bold, Playful Power Suit wardrobe are still appealing to me. But I am going to update it to my current season and desires, and come up with some Spring/Summer plans soon. 

I'm still a fan of jewel tones and black and white as neutrals. I've been trying to narrow things down a bit, and have concluded that cobalt, yellow, hot pink and a slightly subdued green are my key colours. With a deeper magenta and sometimes a red or purple thrown in as occasional additions.

On the weekend I popped out to the fabric store to take advantage of a thread sale, and when I got home I realized I'd unconsciously purchased threads in my colour palette. Quite a few blacks and whites and greys (useful for anything!) but the colours were all these ones. I wasn't even thinking about the plan, only about which fabrics I might be using soon. So I guess this planning is sinking in! 

It made me realize that I'm beginning to narrow my preferences a bit, which makes it easier to keep a wardrobe in which things can be combined. And it also means a stash cleanout should be next, to winnow out the colours and substrates I'm no longer likely to use. But that's a good thing -- and I hope it will make my sewing practice more regular, once I have less to sort through to get to a project. 

Weekend Review: Mending with Love

Mending with Love / Noriko Misumi
trans. from the Japanese by Nancy Marsden
North Clarendon, VT: Tuttle, c2021.
88 p.

I read Misumi's first mending book, Joyful Mending, a while back and when I saw this one in my library I grabbed it. I enjoyed her first book and her approach to mending as a life skill. Plus Tuttle books are so nicely photographed and easy to read, I knew I'd find something interesting here. 

It's presented in five parts: 

• Intro- with her philosophy of mending and life
• Mending Socks
• Mending Stains, Holes and Frays
• Covering Stains with Stamps
• Remaking

It also includes nearly 15 pages of mending techniques at the end to help you accomplish the projects she shows throughout. 

I've read a fair number of mending books, but I did find some new approaches here. And as expected, it's lovely to look though. The projects are practical and attractive, and incorporate a variety of techniques, including more uncommon things like crochet or needle felting. There is even a section specifically on "mending the cat's mischief" ;) 

I like that she includes ways to cover or hide stains (embroidery, stamping etc) as well as just fixing obvious damage like holes or snags. It's maintaining a wardrobe (as well as household goods), not only mending in the traditional sense. And there is a cute addition at the end, with ideas for upcycling worn out things into household items -- it's brief, but includes making trivets, potholders and towels from old tshirts or wool sweaters. Handy ideas. Overall a really cute book with some fun ideas and a nice aesthetic, especially if you are a fan of Japanese sewing books in general.

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! 

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. 

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? 

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.