Literary Sewing Circle: Inspiration!

 

This week's Inspiration post is taking a look at some of the imagery and colours in this novel as a way to spark project ideas. There are so many actual references to clothing in this book, which we talked about in our last inspiration post, but we're going more abstract this week. 

As always in the Literary Sewing Circle, inspiration can be a spark of an idea. If you have even a sentence that explains your inspiration, go ahead with the project! 

Some of the imagery that stood out for me as potential inspiration will be matched up with fabric ideas this week.

When Thomas is working his shift as Night Watchman at the jewel bearing plant, an owl flies up to window and entices him outside. This owl is a strong image that spooks LaBatte when Thomas mentions it the next day. This might appear in your project via some owl print fabric -- there is a lot to choose from.

Go Owl Out from the appropriately named online shop OwlBeSewing

Art Gallery's Nightfall Owls, found at
funky monkey fabrics

The jewel bearing plant itself is an interesting place -- Erdrich compares the gears, the disks, to the grinding of time itself. And the jewels, the tiny specks of jewel components that must be set in, are what provide a job and income to Pixie and her family. 

This Encrusted Gems fabric at Spoonflower might be perfect!

Or perhaps something a little bolder, also
at Spoonflower

When Patrice goes to the city looking for Vera, she finds herself in the strange lumberjack themed bar, with a very unusual job. While you might not want to evoke this, there are possibilities in the woodsy theme! 

You could go with the classic Buffalo Plaid, or any
other plaid really -- this one found at Len's Mills

Or for something more quirky, check out this
Burly Beavers print from Robert Kaufman

Even the small scene where Patrice discovers she needs glasses, and gets assigned the basic thick black framed glasses that everyone gets, might provide some inspiration!

Stof Fabrics of Denmark, found on Etsy

If we look at other characters like Millie, there are settings to play with there as well. The library that Millie is working comfortably in, or her satisfaction at being able to type her own work, are both great places to start when thinking about what to make. 

You might like this print in the Literary series by 
Heather Givens at Windham Fabrics

This typewriter font cotton found at Joanns is pretty cute

Then there are all the natural settings that are so key to the book. The lake with a fishing boat on it, when Pixie swims out to Thomas' boat to escape Bucky -- the snowy woods and the setting sun that Pixie and Wood Mountain walk home in after getting her glasses -- the night sky full of stars that many characters mention, and Thomas experiences as star people dancing -- the cedar and pine that Zhaanat uses for her teas -- there are endless beautiful and evocative moments described in this story. 

Constellation print found at FabricsGalore

Pine cone batik at Spool & Spindle

Snowy woods in French Terry at L'Oiseau Fabrics

Finally, if you want to create some patchwork in your project, don't forget about the loving description of the quilt that Thomas naps under in the old house when he gets home from work as everyone else is starting the day. 

"It was a quilt of patches left over from the woolen coats that had passed through the family. Here was his mother's navy blue...here were the boys' padded plaid wool jackets, ripped and worn...Here was Rose's coat from the early days of their marriage, blue-gray and thin now... his own double-breasted camel coat...his last conscious thoughts on his father's old coat, brown and quiet."

I hope you are enjoying the read, and that something from either of these inspiration posts, or something else from the novel has given you a great idea for your own project. Feel free to share any ideas you might have so far!

A New Fave: Florence!

Part Two of my current Fabricville Blogger project is another Jalie pattern -- this time the Florence Blouse & Dress. I chose to make the blouse length, as this was intended as part of an outfit along with my Fall-worthy Bianca, in the jumper configuration! 

I absolutely love this pattern! After much searching, I chose this black and white cotton (ANGELA cotton print - Stokes - White) from the Fabricville site; it has a bit more body than intended for the Florence, but it's still a fairly thin and malleable cotton -- it's slightly translucent, too: if you look closely you can see the print through the pockets. But it's certainly not a problem. 

I cut Size Y, although I'm size X by measurement -- it's a slight difference but I was really going for the boxy oversize look here. Once I received this fabric I realized that it had an 80s vibe that I hadn't really caught online. So I went with it and increased the oversize effect. I love the collar too. 

I found the perfect buttons for it at my local Fabricland, and got busy on this last week. It's an easy pattern and didn't take much adjustment or fancy sewing! I enjoyed making this one. The plackets are folded over, the collar has an interesting method of attachment, the opposite of what I'm used to, but easy. I also really like the low, curved back yoke and pleat. Because of this extra ease, you don't need to grade between sizes even if you usually do, there's plenty of room as drafted. I'd usually do an X/Y or even a W/Y blend on some Jalies but this one was perfect as it was. 

The only change I made to this was the hem. It called for a 2" hem, but I didn't lengthen this at all, and liked it the way it was prior to hemming. So I just did a narrow 1/4" pressed hem instead. It's the perfect length for my tastes now.

I absolutely love this as a standalone blouse.

And open as a fun, lightweight overshirt. 

And of course as I'd pictured it, under the Bianca as a paired outfit. The only catch here is that the armhole of the Bianca could be 1/2" lower and the Florence a smidge higher to work together optimally, but I'm not complaining. I love them both and adore this black and white print, and the purple corduroy, both available at Fabricville online.

I didn't expect to find such a perfect match of fabric and pattern with this top; but together it's an all 80s hit weekend! I love the fit, the construction, the aesthetic -- everything about this. Another one is definitely in the cards. 

Weekend Review: Cal Patch's Design-It-Yourself Clothes

Design-It-Yourself Clothes  / Cal Patch
NY: PotterCraft, c2009
158 p.

This book is a fabulous intro to pattern drafting and making your own patterns and clothes. That is exactly what it is -- there are no patterns in this book, but instead there are five items with variations for a total of 15 possible makes. The trick is to take her instructions, your measurements, and the desired look of a garment and build your own. 

The first 30 pages are a necessary introduction to the concept, and a lengthy, thorough look at measurements -- which ones you'll need and how to take them. This is more extensive than the basic measurements that sewists are familiar with and use in our work with existing patterns. These measurements are the core of what you'll use to create the patterns she shares in the second part of the book.

Part Two has the five core patterns and three variations for each: A-Line Skirt, T-Shirt, Button Down Blouse, Dress, and Pants. Each one starts with the basic pattern; there are instructions on the block and then how to use your measurements to create a pattern unique to you. Then there are two variations, and they are pretty big variations, so that the item looks like another piece, ie: Button Down to Jacket. You have to be a confident and I think at least an intermediate sewist to follow along and feel comfortable manipulating patterns in the ways shown here. If you're not already familiar with patterns I think you might feel a bit lost. Still, the instructions are thorough and the illustrations are simple but clear. 

Basic dress on left; Phoebe skirt and Betsy Jacket (my fave item) on right

Part Three gives some more elaborate changes to the patterns from the previous section, one for each, and encouraging the reader to experiment. This section involves significant changes like adding flare or yokes & pockets. It really does give you the idea that once you've become comfortable with making changes like this, designs are innumerable.

There is also a tiny bit of info included on fitting, grading patterns, and a few basic techniques. However, this book isn't really about the sewing as much as the pattern creation, so the process of sewing isn't much more than a paragraph for each project. But as the expectation is that readers who are making patterns will be experienced sewists, I didn't find this much of a drawback. 

There is also a brief, two page bit at the end on using readymade clothing and rubbing off patterns, which can add to your own collection of patterns. 

Overall I thought this was an interesting book with lots of inspiration and information, and one that could start you on a pattern drafting journey. The designs are fairly simple, so they aren't going to put you off your first go at pattern making. The only thing about this book that raised my eyebrows a bit was the claim that before this book, a reader was "hard pressed to find self-teaching tools" that weren't dry or outdated. I've found plenty of excellent, fun guides before this one, so I'm not sure where the person who wrote that blurb was looking. Otherwise, this is a great book to search out if you're interested in beginning drafting your own patterns and need a bit of guidance. 

The author, Cal Patch, also has online classes on this topic on CreativeBug. You can get a free trial or a low-cost deal often on CreativeBug if you'd like to check it out. If you don't have a subscription to CreativeBug yourself, check out your local library -- some libraries do subscribe to CreativeBug for their users, so you might be able to access her classes with your library card. 

Literary Sewing Circle: Author Feature!

Today's the day to talk about the author of our pick for this round of the #LiterarySewingCircle!

Louise Erdrich is an American author, writer of novels, poetry, and children's books featuring Native American characters and settings. She is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, a federally recognized tribe of the Anishinaabe (also known as Ojibwe and Chippewa).

Erdrich is widely acclaimed as one of the most significant writers of the second wave of the Native American Renaissance.

She is the author of fifteen novels as well as volumes of poetry, children’s books, short stories, and a memoir of early motherhood. Her novel The Round House won the National Book Award for Fiction. The Plague of Doves won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and her debut novel, Love Medicine, was the winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. Erdrich has received the Library of Congress Prize in American Fiction, the prestigious PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. She lives in Minnesota with her daughters and is the owner of Birchbark Books, a small independent bookstore.

(via Wikipedia and publisher's website)

photo by Alessio Jacona

You can listen to Louise Erdrich talking about The Night Watchman at Politics and Prose, from early March this year. 

   

 

If you're interested in exploring Indigenous fiction and stories a bit more, be sure to check out Louise's bookstore, Birchbark Books -- there is even a section of the online store that has some beautiful craftwork for sale.

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You can tell from Erdrich's writing that she really understands sewing, and has a visceral sense of it that shows she is also a maker. Here are some quotes from her works that show her familiarity with small moments of sewing bliss, and her love of clothing & embellishments. 

 

“To sew is to pray. Men don't understand this. They see the whole but they don't see the stitches. They don't see the speech of the creator in the work of the needle. We mend. We women turn things inside out and set things right. We salvage what we can of human garments and piece the rest into blankets. Sometimes our stitches stutter and slow. Only a woman's eyes can tell. Other times, the tension in the stitches might be too tight because of tears, but only we know what emotion went into the making. Only women can hear the prayer.”

― Four Souls

“Your life feels different on you, once you greet death and understand your heart’s position. You wear your life like a garment from the mission bundle sale ever after – lightly because you realize you never paid nothing for it, cherishing because you know you won’t ever come by such a bargain again.”

― Love Medicine

"Ever since the beginning these twins are sewing. One sews with light and one with dark. The first twin’s beads are cut-glass whites and pales, and the other twin’s beads are glittering deep red and blue-black indigo. One twin uses an awl made of an otter’s sharpened penis bone, the other uses that of a bear. They sew with a single sinew thread, in, out, fast and furious, each trying to set one more bead into the pattern than her sister, each trying to upset the balance of the world... 

The pattern glitters with cruelty. The blue beads are colored with fish blood, the reds with powdered heart. The beads collect in borders of mercy. The yellows are dyed with the ocher of silence. There is no telling which twin will fall asleep first, allowing the other's colors to dominate, for how long. The design grows, the overlay deepens. The beaders have no other order at the heart of their being. Do you know that the beads are sewn onto the fabric of the earth with endless strands of human muscle, human sinew, human hair? We are as crucial to this making as other animals. No more and no less important than the deer.”

― The Antelope Wife

“How the flowers were fired and colored into the design. Perhaps this sort of gesture will be lost, perhaps it is a function of consciousness that we don’t need in order to survive. Perhaps this piece of evolution makes no sense—our hunger for everyday sorts of visual pleasure—but I don’t think so. I think we have survived because we love beauty and because we find each other beautiful. I think it may be our strongest quality.”

― Future Home of the Living God

"...sometimes, as I sit sewing in the room of the rebuilt house in which I slept as a child, I hear the crackle, catch a whiff of smoke from the stove downstairs and suddenly the room goes dark, the stitches burn beneath my fingers, and I am sewing with a needle of hot silver, a thread of fire."

-- The Leap (short story)
 

Bianca in Fall

This is Part One of my current Fabricville Blogger Project; I chose to make the Jalie Bianca (a pattern I've been eyeing for a while now) in a rich Eggplant Feather Wale Corduroy, thinking that it would work nicely as a fall dress and also as a jumper!

The fabric is soft and malleable -- but as it's corduroy there is really no drape so I chose to make the straight shift view without sleeve bands. It's perfect as a straight jumper style dress, with no closures to worry about, and the best patch pockets! Huge and attached into the side seams as well as being topstitched. 

This pattern has no closures, but both front and back are cut in two, with a centre seam. If my corduroy had a bigger wale so that the stripes were more noticeable, I might have cut the two front pieces on alternating grainlines so that one was vertical and one horizontal. I think the play of light and texture on the two would be interesting! But since this fabric is very fine, I just went with one direction for the whole dress, the nap facing down. 

This is a great pattern, as expected from Jalie. Because I was making it in a non-suggested fabric, I did make a couple of changes, however. The original pattern has a back neck facing and a front bias facing. The facings are attached prior to sewing the shoulder seams. 

But, since I wanted to fully line this dress/jumper, I chose to use bias facing all around the neck so that I could sew the shoulder seams of both dress and lining and baste together at the neckline before attaching the bias facing. I could have just sewn the lining in as the finish, but I prefer lining to sit under a facing at the neckline, because I feel like otherwise a bit of the lining always rolls out no matter how carefully I understitch it. That's just me; you could definitely finish the neckline with the lining if you're less worried about that than I am! 

I also finished the sleeve edges by basting the lining and dress together and attaching the bias arm facings as well. It's a nice tidy finish, and fortunately I had a lovely winey-purple bemberg lining left over in my stash that worked perfectly. I decided to stitch the lining down into the hem like I have for the last two jumpers I've made, because that holds it all together neatly and there's no twisting around with the heavier fabric and tights when the two layers are firmly attached. 

When I finish Part Two of this project, it will add to possibilities of this Bianca!

Weekend Review: Girl With a Sewing Machine

Girl With a Sewing Machine / Jenniffer Taylor
Tunbridge Wells, UK: Search Press, c2017
144 p.

This is a cute, DIY style book with lots of projects for ambitious beginners. Written by Jenniffer Taylor, a contestant on the Great British Sewing Bee in a previous year, this is a book that brings back the more free-form 70s kind of sewing book -- it's quite fun. 

There are no patterns per se in this book: there are measurements and a guide on how to draft your patterns according to your own measurements. Most of the patterns are quite simple, but there are a few like some wrap trousers and a dungaree dress that look more complicated even though the process of drafting them is fairly straightforward -- a lot of rectangles and angles to trim. 

The book starts out with some very simple craft projects -- a teacup pincushion, for example -- to get familiar with hand-sewing and your sewing machine, then talks about measuring yourself correctly, and moves on to drafting patterns. There's even a section on customizing existing clothes using doilies, dyes and block printing.

There is an intro telling Jenniffer's story, and showing that she's a rock'n'roll kind of girl, which explains her more independent and free form sewing style. Taylor sprinkles sewing tips throughout the book, little things that help in the sewing room such as keeping bobbins organized, that add a little more to the text.

The projects do have a certain DIY aesthetic, which may not be for everyone, but they are still nicely finished and look modern and wearable. This book would be great for a younger sewist, especially one who likes to do things their own way. Anyone who wants a step-by-step, clearly outlined pattern to follow will likely find this book stressful, but if you know a creative go-getter who learns by doing, this book has lots of energy and inspiration to just get going on making and customizing a wardrobe. 

Literary Sewing Circle: Book Talk!

 

It's hard to believe that we are already halfway through our Literary Sewing Circle round for this fall! Today's the day for some serious book talk! How are you doing with the book? Have you started it yet? Finished it? 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. I hope you are all enjoying it so far!

1. What was the first thing that drew you to this book? Was it the setting? The historical context?

The first thing I knew about this book was that it was written by Louise Erdrich, and that was enough for me to put it on my TBR. I love her writing! But the concept of the book, that it was based on her grandfather's life and was looking at the political context of Indigenous rights in the fifties seemed really interesting as well. I just know that when I pick up a Louise Erdrich book I will enjoy it. 

2. Were you familiar with the historical context of this book? Did you know about "Termination" of tribes in American politics?

I didn't know about this element of American governmental interaction with Indigenous tribes. It's not surprising in a way, but the scope of it was shocking when I learned a bit more. Looking into the history of Termination Bills further really illuminated reasons for the rise in activism in the late 60s, 70s and beyond by groups like the American Indian Movement -- so many tribes had to fight termination bills, and developed skills of resistance and a collective response. 

 

3. There are a lot of characters interacting throughout the many chapters. Did you have any difficulty keeping them straight? 

I didn't, because I thought Erdrich created strong individual characters with their own quirks and habits, making them memorable. I enjoyed the way that the different characters had different concerns, and how the story moved between them all. 

4.Is there a particular character that you found especially compelling? Any themes or symbols that really resonate with you?

I liked the quiet steadiness of Thomas, and the determination of Patrice. I found them to be strong main characters who carried the novel. 

But I really liked Millie Cloud as well; her depiction as someone removed from half of her family but trying to reconnect was compelling. And her love of learning and libraries, and her relationship to patterns and clothing was also endearing. 

5. Names are important in this novel; from Pixie wanting to be called Patrice, to all the nicknames people are known by, and the meaning of family names, there is quite a bit of discussion of names. Why do you think this is a theme in the book?

A person's name can say a lot. Patrice demanding her more adult name rather than the nickname of Pixie shows her moving to a stronger self-determination in her life, I believe. And her sister's name, Vera, means 'truth', and Vera's experience reveals a dark truth about the treatment of Indigenous women that continues today. And their mother, Zhaanat, retains her traditional name - which reflects her entire lifestyle, as someone strongly tied to traditional ways. 

Thomas Wazhushk's name means Muskrat -- and Muskrat is the animal who, despite his unprepossessing size and strength, was able to find a clump of mud to build the earth with in an Ojibwe creation story. He's a builder and defender; Thomas shows this in himself very strongly, with his letter writing, connection building, and defense of the tribe to the government in a direct delegation to Washington.

6. Erdrich discusses not only the shoddy treatment of tribes by the federal government, but also the treatment of Indigenous women in the larger society. The role of women on the reservation contrasts with the value placed on them outside. Do you think this is something that still goes on?

This is a disingenuous question, in a way. Poor treatment of Indigenous women goes on constantly -- here in Canada there is an entire National Inquiry report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous women, and many egregious examples of terrible, racist violence against Indigenous women that keep surfacing. 

In the novel, Pixie is harrassed and attacked by local boys, but manages to escape. She doesn't say much about it to anyone except her mother, but the instigator of her attack suffers physical disfigurement that some say is retribution. When the legal system does nothing to protect or defend women, this kind of result is like a dream that evil deeds will be punished.

7. The novel is titled "The Night Watchman" in reference to Thomas Wazhushk -- his role as a watchman and guard is multifaceted. How do his jobs and his propensity for writing letters, communicating and advocating cement his central role in the story?

The novel was sparked by Erdrich's grandfather's experience, so it makes sense that Thomas is the main character. But he's also a spokesperson for the existential questions of identity and self-determination in this reservation and beyond. I think it's interesting how Thomas uses what he learned at residential school of the ways that white Americans think and act to benefit his goals. The descriptions of him writing letters and letters and letters, using his Palmer penmanship, is almost hypnotic. 

It's a rich concept, Thomas as Night Watchman. Not only for the jewel bearing plant, but also for the reservation and its rights and identity. And also, he watches in the night, finding Roderick, owls, and Star People to help him on his way. There is a complex web of meaning in the seemingly simple title and position that Thomas holds.

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

There are many things in the book that appeal to me as project ideas. From the clothing described in our first inspiration post to many images and places that will be explored further in another inspiration post, I can imagine quite a few projects. Being careful of course not to be culturally insensitive!  I tend toward making dresses, and am thinking of a few stash fabrics that might reflect Thomas' letter writing, or perhaps some of the colours of the reservation's landscape or animal life. I don't have a firm idea yet but there are many possibilities to explore.