Beginnings: Project in Process

I've cut a few patterns in the last couple of weeks, so I have a queue waiting for me to get sewn up. I can't leave it for too long or these will become UFOs in a pile! But I'm starting with this one, Simplicity 3684.

I've made my pattern adjustments - mainly shortening the sleeve and the blouse above the waist - and grading between sizes at the shoulder to hip, as usual. And I've got it all cut out, but now I am pondering adding some easy embroidery to it.

I've been testing some ideas on scraps, to check out thread weights and colours, and design and stitch options. Don't feel I've got it yet but I'll do a bit more testing to see if this is something I want to go ahead with. If yes, more embroidery on the horizon. If not, just getting this all sewn up. 

I bought this cotton at a thrift shop recently. It has a nice texture to it but is a bit translucent so I did want to check if I could embroider without the stitches showing up behind. So far so good. I really like the fabric and hope that I got all the pattern adjustments right! And I am planning to have this all finished by the end of the month. More updates to come! 

Weekend Review: Fabric by Victoria Findlay

 

Fabric / Victoria Finlay
NY: Pegasus, c2022.
528 p.

This week I have another fabric focused read! This time I'm highlighting a book that I listened to while sewing - that made it particularly interesting as I went along. 

I thought this was a great read. Findlay covers a whole bunch of fabric types, shares stories of her travels and explorations of the history and current state of each, and also ties this all in with her personal life as she deals with her parents aging and death as her research trips progress. This was moving and gave extra depth to her perceptions of the places she travelled to; it also showed very clearly how long it takes to research and write a book like this. 

With the inclusion of her own story, this book reads more like a memoir, or at least "memoir adjacent". You'll either appreciate it or not, that's up to you to figure out. I liked it, and the final chapter about her mother's death made me, like many other reviewers, cry.

The fabric history parts are more like stories of her travels to find out about the usual suspects like cotton, hemp, wool, silk, and so on, but also some more unusual fabrics like tweed, jute, barkcloth and tapa. I was fascinated, especially by her travels to Papua New Guinea. Really interesting to see how the fabric is a community affair, a marker of identity and skill. She even has a short excursion into patchwork with a trip to Gee's Bend - not a fabric but definitely a fabric related community. 

This is quite long so if you have it in hardback you could dip into it between other reads. The chapter lengths are uneven though, so if you plan on reading one chapter before bed, try say the tweed chapter rather than the 100 page + cotton chapter! Anyhow, there is so much to this it's hard to cover it all. I will just say that I liked it, found her research into things like fabric related etymology fascinating, thought she wove her personal story in fairly well, and that I learned something here. I also thought that the audiobook, read by Carla Kissane, was well done, balanced and very easy to listen to. It's a great addition to the many books on similar subjects, with its own approach. 

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?

Sew Frugal with the Milou free dress pattern

 

This is a project I made for a number of reasons - a few online challenges, and the desire for a new spring dress in a nice yellow! 

I was inspired by the #SewFrugal challenge on IG, always a fun one; you are asked to make something from a free pattern using fabric from your stash. Add to this the "Mellow March" theme from MAGAM, also on IG, and a PatternReview contest, and I was inspired. 

I decided to try the free Milou Dress by Fabrics-Store.com. The loose fit, but with inset gathers on front and back, looked fun to me. I had a lightweight yellow cotton-poly sheet in my stash that I thrifted a few years ago, and thought it was the perfect match. 

I enjoyed making this, although with a free pattern you often do get what you pay for. I found this one pretty good overall, with one major exception. The neckline is tiny, and I mean just under 20", when the average woman's head is 21-22". Mine, however, is a large head - I have a gargantuan cranium! So it was particularly impossible to fit this over my head, which is important in a pull on dress! Luckily, it is a neckline with just a bias facing, so it was very easy to enlarge the neck opening and bind it appropriately. Of course if you wanted to keep a higher, tighter neckline you could always add a back slit in the neckline and face it. 

Another slight complaint is that there were no tips in the instructions on how to get a clean corner on the insets. I looked up a tutorial on Youtube to remind me. There were links to a few other techniques in the instructions, including one on how to add side seam pockets. I did this of course! 

Otherwise it was a pretty good project. I do find that the sleeve is a bit wide at the hem, I'm not sure I like the straight line all the way down. I do like the sleeve rolled up, but I am thinking of going back and narrowing the sleeve down toward the hem a bit. I also added 2" of length but I could cut that to 1.5" if I make this again, as I ended up taking a deeper hem than my usual. 

One of the challenges in the PatternReview contest was to make a basic solid coloured dress and style it for day and night. I had fun with those photos, but do think I'll likely wear this most in the day verson. I consider yellow a basic in my wardrobe! This was a fun make despite the small issues that cropped up, which were all easily fixable. I like the finished pattern - the original was colour blocked (very subtley, in white and cream linen) so that's always an option, too, but I love my solid colour version that I think shows off the main feature of the pattern, those inset gathers. 

Evening look!

Weekend Review: Sundressed

 

Sundressed / Lucianne Tonti
Washington: Island Press, c2023.
202 p.

I'm always interested in books about sustainability and sewing, and I heard of this relatively recent one somewhere, I think maybe a podcast -- can't recall exactly, but I did find the book via my library! 

It's a look at the production of natural fabrics through spotlights on farmers, businesses, and a hopeful look at improving the effects of fashion on our world. She takes on one fabric each chapter, and shares how it's grown/processed, and looks at some of the growing potential in each one through highlighting actual people and movements around each fabric. 

She starts the book with an overview of issues of sustainability in the fashion industry and the changes she hopes to see. Then she investigates cotton, merino, silk, linen, cashmere, rayon/viscose, hemp and denim. Each chapter is not overly long, so she doesn't delve into the history of these fabrics extensively, but situates them and then shares examples of things like regenerative farming, soil health, traditional skills, international organizations involved in greening agriculture in desertified areas from Mongolia to Australia, and so forth. Each chapter is also told in an easily readable voice, with Tonti tying in stories of her own experiences in the fashion world and with various fabrics directly. She also shares personal stories, particularly as this was being written in pandemic days. The writing style can be elegant and evocative in parts as well. 

I found it interesting, and because of the conversational tone and short chapters, probably more accessible to new readers than some more dense books on this topic. However, for those of us who have read a lot already, this does mean that we'll know most of what's included. What I liked was that she talked to some people I haven't seen mentioned in other books, and paid more attention to actual farming techinques and soil health than I'm used to seeing. It was really fascinating.

The one drawback to this, for me, was that she seemed to be moving between the US, Australia and various locations so quickly and frequently that I almost felt dizzy at times. Where is she actually situated, what is her natural perspective, I wondered. 

But as a whole, I did find lots of interest here, and it added to my understanding of more issues around sustainability in the fashion supply chain. 

Literary Sewing Circle: Spring 2025

 

Our Spring 2025 session of the Literary Sewing Circle starts today! 

I'm pleased to announce that our group read this time around is:

All the Things We Leave Behind by Riel Nason

This is a book I first read almost a decade ago (my original thoughts on it here) and it has stayed with me. I hope you will find this introspective novel, which delves into some serious themes, as engaging as I did.

Summary: 

It's 1977. Seventeen-year-old Violet is left behind by her parents to manage their busy roadside antique business for the summer. Her restless older brother, Bliss, has disappeared, leaving home without warning, and her parents are off searching for clues. Violet is haunted by her brother's absence while trying to cope with her new responsibilities. Between visiting a local hermit, who makes twig furniture for the shop, and finding a way to land the contents of the coveted Vaughn estate, Violet acts out with her summer boyfriend, Dean, and wonders about the mysterious boneyard. But what really keeps her up at night are thoughts of Bliss's departure and the white deer, which only she has seen.

"All the Things We Leave Behind" is about remembrance and attachment, about what we collect and what we leave behind. In this highly affecting novel, Nason explores the permeability of memory and the sometimes confusing bonds of human emotion.

(from publisher)

About the 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. Her works have been translated in many languages including German, Japanese, French and Scottish Gaelic. 

(from author's website)

This book is available for purchase in multiple formats.

You can find this title at all of these locations:

Direct from the publisher, Goose Lane Editions

IndieBound

Biblio.com

Chapters Indigo

Barnes and Noble

ABE Books

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com.au

Or, of course, check your local library!

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

How does the Literary Sewing Circle work? We read a book together, discuss it, and then make something inspired by our reading. As long as you can point out what inspired you from your reading, even if just a sentence, you can share your makes in our final roundup!

Anyone can join, and you can sew, knit, crochet, quilt or embroider - any textile art that you like doing - to participate. This is a reading/sewing circle, very low-key; no competitions here, just reading and sewing for fun. 

There is no official sign-up to worry about; just start reading along if you wish, and leave your thoughts on the book or your project on any of the Literary Sewing Circle posts. We do have a dedicated book discussion post halfway through and again at the end, but leave your thoughts anytime. And you can follow along on Instagram too if you like: look for @sewmelwyk and the hashtag #LiterarySewingCircle and you'll find us.

And when the final post goes up on week 6, so does the project linkup -- you can leave a link to your finished project there, whether it is on your blog, a pattern site, or even Instagram. It's easy :)

So, join in, and share!

Literary Sewing Circle Schedule

April 4 - Announcement & Introduction

April 11 - Inspiration post 1

April 18 - Preliminary book talk

April 25  - Author feature

May 2 -  Inspiration post 2

May 9 - Final Post: book discussion wrap up & posting of project linkup

We will have our project linkup live for two weeks after the final post to allow you to finish up and post your projects, which takes us to May 23, when the window to share your projects will close.

April Sewing Plans!

 

Ah, finally Spring is here...well, sort of. In any case, April is here, and that brings some new sewing challenges and plans!

I finished my yellow dress I had planned on making in March, even if I used a yellow cotton poly rather than the yellow linen I'd originally intended - I'll be sharing more on that soon. 

This month's online challenge is the #SewAprilBlouse25 one on IG, hosted by @sewn-on-the-tyne and @Cloth_Edit I was planning on making some blouses/tops this spring so I guess the time is now.

They have lots of fun prizes and the goal is to sew a blouse - definition on their IG account - here is what I am thinking. I'd like to make both of these but if I get one done I'll be happy! 

I also want to work on fitting the Hinterland Dress as part of the design course I signed up for with Sew Liberated - I'd like to have the bodice fitted and a muslin made this month. 

And finally, we have the next round of the Literary Sewing Circle coming up! I will be announcing our new title this Friday... look forward to some wonderful Canadian fiction this time around.