Literary Sewing Circle: Inspiration!

 

It's time for more inspiration for our sewing projects drawn from The Excitements! This week I'll be looking at some of the places, clothing and imagery mentioned in the book to spark some ideas for our own sewing. 

Starting with some of the important places in the book, we could find projects that match up nicely. We might start with a set from one of our sponsors, How To Do Fashion -- we could choose the Paris Dress to reflect one of the primary settings. 

And top it off with the London jacket to reflect the other! 

Another setting is the Scottish estate of the Williamson sisters' grandmother. You might want to be loosely inspired by this and make the Edinburgh Bag by Greyfriars & Grace. 

More casually, we might be inspired by the Canadian character near the end who is from Halifax, and try out the Halifax Hoodie by Hey June Handmade.

If we want to move down to more specific places, we might be inspired by South Kensington, the area that Penny & Josephine live in. You could try the Liesl & Co Kensington Knit skirt for a quick nod to this location.

Or you might be more inspired by Chelsea, where Penny & Connor get married & hold their reception at the arts club. You could try the Chelsea Blouse by Maison Fauve, in that case. 

Or maybe it's the specific store that opens the book, Peter Jones, that sparks your interest. You could make the Great Jones Jacket by Sewing & The City to reflect this locale - maybe in a fabric showing off a café theme - or even an elephant theme?

Speaking of elephants, let's move on to some ideas that are inspired by images in the book. How about that crystal elephant that Penny finds at Peter Jones? 

You could try the I AM Crystal overall dress

Maybe made in an elephant print like this Starry Elephant from Becks Fabric

Or maybe it's Penny's series of dachsunds that catch your fancy. You could make any pattern using a dachsund print fabric - there are so many out there, like this batch at Spoonflower. 

Or you might even make your own little stuffed dachsund friend, using a pattern such as this one by Burda! 

Gems and jewellery are a big part of the story. An emerald and diamond ring with a ballerina setting (or is it peridot?) plays a big role, but in the Samuel family safe, there are also sapphires mentioned. Any of these might be the start of your project idea. 

You could try the Emerald dress by Made by Rae

Or the Emerald Shirtdress by StyleArc

Ohh Lulu has a Peridot bralette if you want to try some lingerie, maybe in a pale green

You might try a va-va-voom style with the Sapphire Dress by Sew Confident

Or, go a little more low-key with the Sapphire Sweater by Simple Life Pattern Company

The origami inspired Diamond Dress by Wasteless Kiwi might be a really cool project to take on 

Or, if you want something simpler, try the Diamond Hem Trousers by StyleFalcon 

The many references to jewels could even just be reflected in your fabric choice - a green, blue, sparkly/gold solid, or even a print. This vintage Mary Englebreit fabric would be ideal! 

Perhaps the sisters' habit of communicating in Morse Code is what catches your attention and to shake it up a bit, you'll try to make this easy Morse Code quilt, a free pattern at MyFavoriteQuiltStore 

But it could be the fine art of Defendu which inspires you! You could make the Jupe Défendue by Atelier Brunette -- after all, Archie's skills in Defendu really stand out in Paris. Make it in a silver coated fabric in a nod to the Matchbox defense, if you like...

Or the champagne that they all sip while they are at the auction house soiree in Paris might make you choose the Champagne Fields dress by Matchy Matchy Sewing Club.

There are also quite a few mentions of clothing in the book. Penny and Josephine (despite the cover art) prefer somber pantsuits for special occasions. Penny is partial to mahogany, while Josephine wears navy. You can find many lovely patterns for full trouser suits, such as the Mackenzie blazer and pant by Style Arc -- though I'm not sure the sisters would like to wear something that uses Davina's name! 

So you might try another kind of suit, like the striking Victoria suit by Burda Style. 

Arlene, on the other hand, loves bright colours and fashion design. But for her Paris trip, she makes herself a long burgundy gown for the soiree -- which sadly, she never gets a chance to wear. Maybe you'll make one yourself in tribute to her, and wear it somewhere swish! You might try using the retro Butterick 7036, an 80's does 40s style (the slinkiest view E of course)

Or just something that reflects a 40s style like these choices from Lady Marlowe.

You might be inspired by the 40s sections to make something influenced by wartime style. Butterick 6282 is clearly inspired by uniform style, and if the FANY or WREN uniforms spark your interest, this might be a good jumping off point for you. 

Or if you just want to make something simple after all, you could try a knitted beret. As Penny says, so many ladies wear them... You can find a free pattern for a classic knitted version at Purl Soho, or a sewn one by YesYou2CanSew on Etsy, if you want to make your own. 

Knitted

Sewn

I hope that you've had fun reading and pondering your project so far. Next week's wrap up post will let us talk more about the book and share our links to projects in the comments. If you have any questions about projects or are just excited to share your ideas, please do so in the comments here!