Terrace Top for the Literary Sewing Circle

I had a bunch of ideas for my project for the Literary Sewing Circle this round. I decided to make this quick one to start with.

I have made a few Terrace dresses by Liesl & Co and have always wanted to make a top version. I had this very soft vintage tablecloth in a bright yellow floral that reminded me of the marigolds that Violet and Bliss planted around the sign for the Purple Barn. So I decided to use it! 

I feel like it fits the book both because of the marigold link and because it's upcycled-- it looks like a 70s piece that could have been for sale at the Purple Barn! 

I cut this to a top length but otherwise just followed my regular process from the 3 previous Terraces I've made. However, I was sewing late at night so made a few rookie errors! I sewed it with a 5/8" seam allowance when it should have been 3/8" - but thankfully it still fits! I raised the neckline a bit so I could fit the entire flower in but I think it's a bit high. I may go back in and cut it down again, or I may not. 

Anyhow this is a bright Dopamine Dressing top that I'm going to enjoy wearing. The 70s vibe goes well with my jean skirt, too! 

Literary Sewing Circle: Book Talk and Wrap Up!

 

Today is already our final day of the Literary Sewing Circle focusing on Riel Nason's All The Things We Leave Behind!

I hope you've had the chance to read the book, and both the first and second inspiration posts, and are getting lots of ideas for a project of your own.

This is our final and roundup post. Share links to your projects here: as soon as you are done your project, just pop a link to your post into the comments and we will all be able to visit your blog/instagram etc. and explore your creation -- remember, it can be sewn, or knitted, crocheted, embroidered... any textile art that you practice. Or you can just tag me, @sewmelwyk on IG and use #LiterarySewingCircle as a hashtag

We've discussed our reading in our first book talk post, and discovered more about the author and this book in the author interview post. You can add any additional thoughts now that you've finished the book and seen those posts too. 

Here are a few more questions to ponder -- and add any of your own to the comments too! 

How did you feel the sibling relationship was portrayed? Why do you think the author made the choice to have the parents absent for much of the story? Did you think any of the side characters were particularly important to your experience of this novel? How did the setting and the description of the landscapes affect your opinions of the book? Was there any moment that felt especially powerful or memorable for you? Anything that resonated strongly? 

Please share your thoughts on the book, its themes, characters, or anything you noted about it -- either in the comments here or on your own blog with a link to your longer thoughts in the comments so we can find it. I love to talk about the experience of reading so feel free to comment no matter when you're reading this post; if you've read this I'd love to hear about it!

Literary Sewing Circle: More Inspiration!

 

It's time for more inspiration for our sewing projects drawn from All the Things We Leave Behind! This week I'll be looking at some of the imagery and the outfits mentioned in the book to spark some ideas for our own sewing. 

I found this book rich in imagery, and any of those fleeting mentions could spark a project. From the opening of the book, when Violet says "I've seen the Saint John River, its surface sparkling in the sun like a disco ball as it flows merrily alongside the highway", there are so many images of nature, her surroundings, and memories. 

You might want to take on a Saint John River inspired project literally, by using the River Dress by Beaton Linen for a mellow outfit that fits right in with the greenery

Or you could take a crack at the River Dress by Caroline Hundsholt - it offers some amazing opportunities for artistic fabric choices. Maybe even something shimmery mixed in there.

Or maybe just think about the River Tunic by Diane Ericson for a zero-waste project that's quite flowy.

You might even want to try one of these in a shimmery disco ball fabric like this one on Etsy if you are feeling particularly adventurous! 

Of course you might be more inspired by the description of The Purple Barn. "An enormous rectangle, a hundred-foot-long barn, painted purple. Really it's lilac or mauve, a rich purple softened a bit, like with a good dollop of white stirred in."

You could try making the Frenchglen Barn Jacket by Green Pepper Patterns (maybe in a shade of purple?)

Or maybe the Purple Top/Dress by JoliLab (known as Violette in French). It has pretty options!

Or in a nod to the description of the Purple Barn, you might try the low waste Mauve Skirt by EcoJolie. 

Or perhaps the Lilac Blouse by LysimaqueSew on Etsy - pretty sleeves, maybe a bit of a 70s vibe going on to suit the book.  

Or accessorize with the super cute Lilac Mini Messenger Bag, a free pattern by Blue Calla Patterns. 

Then there is another floral motif to consider, when Violet talks about the quirky signage for the Purple Barn. "There's a flower garden at the base of the giant sign. Pink rose bushes are surrounded by a wide ring of bright yellow marigolds and big rocks painted white."

Maybe make a Rose button-down blouse by Jalie in a nod to this -- or the Marigold by Blank Slate Patterns! 

Marigold

Although you might find the 70s feel more with the Marigold Dress by StitchMaiden, or the free Marigold camisole by Mood. 

Mood Marigold Cami

A very striking image is that of the Rainbow Room in the old Vaughn estate, described when Violet first encounters the sunroom filled with coloured glass antiques. "There is a section of greenish-yellow Vaseline glass, one of pink and green Depression glass, marigold carnival glass, cranberry glass, a group of old cobalt-blue poison and perfume bottles and sun-tinted amethyst glass. Then across the windows at the front of the cottage, the ones facing the water, there is a huge collection of ruby glass."

You might be inspired by the colours to make the Cobalt Trousers by Caledonia Dreamin' -- there is even a bell bottom version there for a nod to the 70s setting of this book. 

Or perhaps you'll try the Amethyst Top & Dress by Boo and Lu instead

Maybe something 30s inspired in pink or green to match that Depression glass, maybe one of many from EvaDress patterns

Or it could be that wall of ruby glass that perks you up... 

With the Ruby Dress by Made by Rae

Or maybe the Ruby Dress by Dressmaking Amore for a more fitted look! 

Or you might just reflect this image in your fabric choice, like this one found at SewingPartsOnline 

Then there are the many antiques in the book. Maybe they will inspire you to make something vintage, whether that's in a fabric print or a specific antique that's mentioned by name, like the poodles that one customer loves: "Mrs. Harris is in checking if we have any new spaghetti poodles. She collects them. They're little department store china trinkets with "fur" that resembles miniature pottery spaghetti noodles."

The obvious make for this one is a classic Poodle Skirt. Here's a quick video tutorial to draft your own, with MADE Everyday. 

Or if you are more inspired by the pottery spaghetti noodle fur, try this Spaghetti Dream Frock by Lydia Naomi! 

Or perhaps it is a simple dish that catches you! 
"A customer comes to the counter...carrying a pressed glass butter dish, carefully holding it in front of her with both hands...The woman sets the dish down on the counter and traces a finger over one of the maple leaves in the pattern."

You could find the Maple Dress by CocoWawa Crafts and make something inspired by that lovely antique. 

Or maybe combine it with the plethora of quilting in this story and try out the Maple Charm Quilt Pattern from Coriander Quilts on Etsy.

And speaking of quilts, perhaps all the quilts by Quinny in this story will spur you on to make a quilted garment! You could get your hands on Sewing Quilted Patchwork Jackets, the new book by Fit for Art Patterns, which includes 10 projects and two base patterns for you to make a fun quilted garment for yourself or a child. 

Or you could investigate any of these Top 10 Quilted Jacket patterns shared by The Fold Line! 

Maybe it will be the Seven Birches Campground where Violet and Jill are staying that inspires you - try the Birch Unisex Tee by Samantha Marie Designs

Or have fun with the Christmas in July events at the campground by putting together this felt garland by Lia Griffith! This is a dual inspo referencing the pop tab garlands at the Snack Stop! 

You might find Violet and Bliss' childhood scrapbook full of license plate rubbings interesting and be inspired to make this Wristlet by Sue OVery

Or you might be more inspired by the historical village where Jill works, to make some retro clothing. When Violet goes to help serve at a wedding there, she says she throws off her day wear (and blue eyeshadow) -- "I get all ready: slip, bustle, full-length burgundy skirt, a pink calico blouse with a high neck and puff  sleeves." 

That could be something like this Edwardian Skirt by Black Snail Patterns

And that could be combined with the Antoinette Shirt by Isa in Stitches (also a modern look!)

Or the Regalia Blouse by Sew House Seven, also a popular modern blouse that could fit nicely into historical wear!

I hope that you have both been inspired by this post, and are enjoying the reading. Please share any inspiration you might be thinking of for your own project! 

And also, please share any quotes from the book that have jumped out at you so far, and thoughts about which parts have really caught you. Any striking images, characters, moments, settings?

Literary Sewing Circle: Author Feature!

Today is the day we get to learn more about our author! Riel Nason is a Canadian author and textile artist/quilter.  She writes for both adults and children.  She is best known for her debut novel, The Town That Drowned,  which won the Commonwealth Book Prize for Canada and Europe among other awards, and her bestselling picture book series starring The Little Ghost Quilt. She lives in Quispamsis, New Brunswick. Nason is also a textile artist (quilter) and has had several exhibits of her original work as well as writing two nonfiction books on the topic.

We are so fortunate that Riel was available and willing to give us an interview on her writing for our Literary Sewing Circle! 

1. Welcome, Riel, and thank you for taking the time to do this interview for the Literary Sewing Circle! 

Thanks for having me here!

2. Can you tell us a bit about how you came to write All the Things We Leave Behind? What was the genesis of this story? The setting of All the Things We Leave Behind is so strong; readers can feel the forest (and its animal residents) and the river almost as characters themselves. Why did you choose this setting, and also the decade of the 70s, for this story? 

This novel was the follow-up after my debut The Town That Drowned. I knew I wanted to write another story set in the same New Brunswick region, with the fictionalized main event of TTTD now ten years in the past. (The event was the permanent flooding of the St. John River Valley due to the building of a hydro-electric dam, which completely changed the landscape of the area.)  In ATTWLB the story is largely centered at a roadside antique shop with an endless forest behind it, which characters find many reasons to visit. I love the forest and I grew up in rural NB with a forest as my backyard.  But as lovely as the forest can be, it can also be very dangerous.

3. Violet's voice is compelling as the main character and narrator, and her close relationship with her brother Bliss while he struggles is a strong thread of this story. Her parents are absent for much of the book, leaving her to manage on her own, but despite this, the theme of family and connection is so important to the book. How did you balance all of these elements?

I really can't put much description as to how I figure out what to emphasize where/when or what a story needs at any point.  I certainly have a huge awareness of how it is all coming together though.  When it comes to characters I am constantly thinking about the subtle combination of what would really, truly happen in this situation, with what needs to happen to advance the plot.  I often hear other authors say something like "I just create the characters and follow along to record all the surprising things they do." That is very, very far from what happens for me.

4. How did you decide to include the hard topics that you explore in this story? There is a thread of loss that runs through this book, from the Boneyard to the Vaughn estate to the reflections on the lost town of Haventon from your first novel. But there is also light, and connection, and just daily life that keeps going on. Do you find it difficult to fold this all in together? I'm wondering, because I felt it was so effective throughout the book.  

I think I'll answer about the "hard topics" here, a big one of which is mental illness. The character of Bliss really struggles in the novel.  As an author I write fiction, but fiction still has to be "true" -- in that there are some big topics that you don't want to guess at, or kind of try to figure out as you go. Mental illness can be just too devastating and overwhelming and perhaps impossible for a person to understand when looking from the  outside-in rather than the inside-out. So anyway, I have OCD and have had it for most of my life.  As an author I follow the write-what-you-know path. I am absolutely not the character of Bliss, but I do have a proper lens to look at him through.

5. As someone who is involved in sewing and textile arts yourself, do you see a connection between the making involved in textiles and in writing? Do they inform one another for you? If so, how?  

They are both creative pursuits that involve elements of fun and frustration for me.  But I definitely use the backspace key and delete things more than I use my seam ripper.  As to one informing the other, it's fun to put "quilting" into my stories. In my middle-grade novel Waiting Under Water one character is a textile artist/quilter.  And it was especially fun to turn a quilt into a main character in my picture book The Little Ghost Who Was A Quilt.

6. I know that like the readers in the Literary Sewing Circle, you are also a sewist, particularly in your work with quilting. What are some of your favourite creations, and where can people find out more about your creative pursuits?  

My favourites are always changing.  But lately I've had a lot of fun making small bags and other small accessories.  I sometimes post things I'm making/have made on Instagram @rielnason

7. Are you working on anything else that you'd like to share right now?

My next book comes out in August. It is the second in The Little Ghost Quilt series called The Little Ghost Quilt's Winter Surprise. Then the third in the series should be out late next year.

*****************************

I hope you are enjoying All the Things We Leave Behind so far! Please leave any thoughts on your reading or this interview here. You can also find more about Riel at her Instagram.

Literary Sewing Circle: Book Talk!

 

Today's the day for some beginning book talk! How are you doing with the book? Have you started it yet? Finished it? Finding it slower or easy to get through? Do you have any reactions you'd like to share? 

Here are a few questions to ponder today and for the next while -- whether you have begun reading, or you've only read blurbs & author interviews so far and still have something to say, join in! Although there might be a few spoilers in the questions and discussion below so if you haven't got too far yet you might want to come back to this post.

I'll add some of my own thoughts and you can reply to them or add your own impressions. If you want to hear other takes on a part of the book that you are curious about, leave your own questions in the comments, too. We'll be having another book discussion on the last post of this round if you would like to add more thorough comments there, after we've all finished it. 

1. If you decided to pick up this book and read it for this round, why? Was it the description or just the challenge that caught you first?

I've wanted to share this book for a while, but it was out of print for a while so I couldn't - when I saw that the ebook was in print again I thought it was a good time to choose this title. I've always liked Riel Nason's writing style and this is my favourite of her novels, perhaps because of the textile elements, the antique store, or the compelling family story. I hope that if you've been reading along, her story has caught you as well. 

2. Are you at all familiar with the setting of this book, either geographical or the decade she's chosen? If so, does this add anything to the read for you?

While I've never been to New Brunswick, I feel like this setting is a familiar Canadian one. I grew up in Saskatchewan where there were also rivers and forests and small communities, also in the 70s, and it feels similar to Violet's experiences in some ways. I loved the rich descriptions of the landscape and the mood evoked, with the sense of time both in the landscapes and in the human items that are always "left behind". 

3. There is a mix of beauty and darkness in this story, with the narrative revealing only glimpses at a time. Did you like this, or find it effective? Did you think the outcome of the book was hopeful or not?

I remember being surprised by the storyline and some of the secrets which were slowly revealed when I read this first. But I also felt all the developments were embedded in the story and nothing felt out of place when it was revealed. It was more like something else being uncovered, that existed all along. I liked the way Violet's recollections moved from more traumatic moments into moments of beauty and comfort, to keep the story on an even footing. I did like the ending and thought it was developed believably. 

4. Is there a particular character that you've enjoyed so far? Any particular themes that stand out for you?

I really like Violet, I think she is an interesting mix of youthful and mature - maybe because of her responsibilities in her family. Her relationship with Jill, her best friend, was also interesting to me, as Jill felt more naive or immature in ways, and yet she was the one getting ready to jump into a marriage. I liked that subtle observation of social conventions through their friendship. And the themes of memory and loss permeate the book in so many ways, including how Violet's narrative moves between recollections and the present. But I really appreciated the way that antiques, both in store and in terms of the Vaughn estate, play a role in representing memory and past generations as well -- maybe because I thrift so much, I felt this concept strongly. And of course, the quilting elements were very appealing too!

5.  Is there anything specific  in the book that has sparked an idea for a project yet? Are you mulling over any ideas?

I have many ideas, some shared in the last post, and some more conceptually inspired, by some images in the book as well. The next inspiration post will be sharing ideas based on concepts like imagery, quotes, the mood of the book, so stay tuned for that. I have looked through my fabric stash and two particular fabrics have jumped out at me as suitable for some of my ideas so I may go from there... 

Has anything leapt to the top of your project list in your initial reading? Let us know if so! If not, let it percolate, and check out our next inspo post for more ideas. 

Literary Sewing Circle: Inspiration!

 

It's the first week of our Literary Sewing Circle featuring All The Things We Leave Behind by Riel Nason. Have you found a copy yet? Have you started reading? If so, how are you finding the opening chapters? 

Today's inspiration is going to look at some of the characters and places in this story; we'll find ideas based on their names. Here are a few suggestions of projects you could make based on these elements. 

We'll start with our main character, Violet Davis. Violet tells this story, and her perspective shapes everything. Maybe you will want to make an outfit based on these options. 

First we have the Sinclair Patterns Violet Ruched Tee It has pretty lines and feels like it could be a relaxed summer top.

Or maybe you're thinking more delicate with the Seamwork Violet Blouse

And there is also the choice of a complete outfit all in one with the FibreMood Violet Dress 

Perhaps you're thinking more of something inspired by Violet's calm and reliable boyfriend Dean, If you want to make something manly, consider the Mood Fabrics Dean Jacket 

Or if you're thinking something more comfy, try out the Bobbins & Buttons Dean Sweatshirt 

Of course you might be inspired by Violet's best friend Jill. You could make the very 70s Jessilou's Closet Jill Wrap Skirt  

Or for more 70s fun, check out the Sew Hungry Hippie's Jill Tunic 

If Violet's parents are the ones you catch your attention, you could make the IThinkSewBags Charles Duffle Bag (on Etsy) as something her dad Charles might have used in his travels.

Or perhaps the easy wearing DG Patterns Anne Dress will reflect Violet's mom Anne instead. 

You could even be inspired by Pepper Shaker, the resident cat at the Purple Barn! Check out the Made For Mermaids Pepper Puff Sleeve Top  Imagine it in a fabulous feline novelty print! 

Or this fun pattern, the OhMeOhMy Sewing Pepper Top & Dress It's so 70s! I could see Violet or Jill wearing this one.

Looking outside of Violet's immediate circle, the caretaker of the Vaughn estate and his wife offer some potential. While I couldn't find a pattern for Cecil, I did find the Style Arc Mavis Knit Tunic for his wife. 

Of course the Vaughns themselves might be the source of your inspo, with matriarch Ivy offering a wide range of potential makes.  There's We Are the Fabric Store Ivy Dress & Top, or the Ivy Pinafore by Jennifer Lauren. 

We Are The Fabric Store

Jennifer Lauren

It could be that George and Alvina Quinn (aka Quinny) are the two that catch your eye...while there are numerous George's out there, I am focusing on Alvina with this Free Alvina Beanie in Crochet If you know how to crochet, it's cute! 

Or you might focus on the Quinn part, with the Merchant & Mills Quinn Trouser

Then you could add on the 5 out of 4 Patterns Quinn Cardigan for coziness

Or with a slight spelling change, you could highlight their patchwork prowess with the Quin Patchwork Dress, a free pattern from Fabrics-Store.com 

On that note, you might be inspired by King's Landing, the historical village where Jill works. You could make any historical outfit from that earlier bustled up era, inspired by Jill's costumes or the one Violet is quickly packed into the day she helps out at a wedding. The wardrobe genius at King's landing is Elsie Mackay and there are a couple of outfits that might suit her. First an historical one, most suitably, with the Wearing History Elsie 1910s Blouse

Or just for a more relaxed 70s vibe, the loose fitting Mocha Elsie Dress could be a fun pick. 

You might even find yourself inspired by Violet and Bliss' special deer, Speckles, and decide to make this free Speckles Quilt by Tilda's World to use up some of your scraps. 

Or maybe it's the locations that appeal to you, like the Seven Birches Campground where Violet and Jill are staying for the summer. You could try the Birch Dress by Mood.

And then add on a great 70s style waistcoat, like the Birch Vest by Patternscout!

You could be inspired by Violet's actual home community across the river from Seven Birches, Riverbend - if you knit you could try this Riverbend Scarf from Garn Studio.

Or you might just try finding some of the Riverbend Collection fabric line by Noodlehead and making something from that! 

Whatever you choose, I hope you are enjoying the read and finding lots to inspire. 

************************************************************

Have you connected with any of the characters yet? Is there one you particularly like? Anyone that you dislike? What do you think of the time period, the New Brunswick setting, and the narrative style? Do any of the characters spark ideas for a project yet?