Weekend Review: Forgotten on Sunday

  

Forgotten on Sunday / Valérie Perrin
trans. from the French by Hildegarde Searle
NY: Europa, 2025, c2015.
304 p.

Here's a novel for the last Sunday of the month, featuring a character who is a seamstress. Forgotten on Sunday is Valerie Perrin's first novel, although not the first to be translated into English. Her second novel Fresh Water for Flowers was the first English offering, and was a huge hit. I liked it but found it a bit melodramatic. This novel was more to my taste, even though it also had some melodrama/soapy elements. 

Justine and her cousin Jules have lived with their grandparents since they were children, when both of their sets of parents were killed in a car accident. Justine cares for her grandparents in many ways, and takes care of Jules too, secretly putting aside money from her own savings to get him to university in the city. 

She is working in a seniors home as a care aide, where she spends lots of unpaid time listening to residents' stories. The book moves between Justine's own life, in which she is trying to figure out the truth behind her parents' death, and the life story of Helene Hel, a resident who is often on the beach with her husband in her memories. 

Add to that Helene's handsome grandson who has been visiting, some mysterious calls to family members of residents telling them their relative has died (which is the only way to get some of them to turn up for a visit), Justine's sometime lover 'What's-His-Name', plus her cranky grandparents' back story, and you get a lot of narrative threads woven in here. 

Justine is tough, she is self-contained, she is slow to trust, but she ends up with a sense of possibility for the future despite everything she is dealing with. Helene's story illuminates France prior to and during WWII, and there are the elements you might expect with that time frame. Helene was a seamstress, and this is an integral part of the story, one part that I really liked. There are descriptions of her sewing, measuring up men for suits, and so on. But she had a hard life, and her story perfectly locks in with Justine's contemporary one. I found the balance well done, with both characters and both lives making for compelling reading. As noted, the plot can get a little soapy, but I still thought that it was a great read that had some strong characters to carry the story. Lots of different elements to interest and engage a variety of readers. I'm glad I picked this one up.

(this review first appeared in slightly different form at The Indextrious Reader)

Weekend Review: Denim: From Cowboys to Catwalks

 

Denim: From Cowboys to Catwalks / Graham Marsh, Paul Trynka & June Marsh
London: Aurum Press, c2002.
128 p.

This visual history lives up to that claim; it's oversized and full of photos, both modern and historical. Lots of info in the photo captions as well as a relatively condensed but interesting text. The only thing that wasn't clear at the outset was that this was a history of denim (primarily jeans) in the US only. It is  a history of denim in the US, with only a few mentions of styles across the pond here and there. 

However, as such it is detailed and comprehensive about the many ways that denim shaped fashion culture in the States, from Levi's rise in California while Lee was bigger elsewhere in the nation, to the use of denim by cowboys, miners, as work outfits of all kinds (even factory coveralls), to the rise of denim as a fashion fabric from Claire McCardell onward. It discusses the many brands that popped up besides the two biggies, and the denim mills that were heavily used, particularly Cone Denim, around since 1891.

In the fashion/catwalk sections, there is discussion of British and European designers who incorporated denim into their new lines. But most of the book does focus solely on the US and the adaptations and changes in the use of denim by American citizens, who took jeans and denim jackets etc. and made them their own, whether as workwear, sportswear, hippie bellbottoms, punk ripped jeans, or sexy designer jeans. As the author said, denim is the only style that was both culture and counterculture at the same time. 

I enjoyed this; from historical pictures to vintage advertisements, to fashion images, the illustrations make the book. There is a wide range, and I appreciated the inclusion of McCardell and some of her denim suits and fancy outfits, as well as the famed Pop-Over dress, in the midst of a very male oriented fashion history. I learned the differences between jean jacket designs - Levi's vs. Lee - and enjoyed examining some details of the sewing and design of various pieces over the years. 

It's a pretty short read in the end, but it somehow covers a lot! Really interesting, I enjoyed this examination of how denim and casual jeans culture shaped a lot of communal identity and fashion directions over the 20th century.  Visually appealing and full of tidbits to keep you reading. 

Fabric Tape: a quick stashbuster

I saw someone online talking about making fabric tape -- it looked super easy and since I've just been sorting my fabric stash, I knew I had a lot of lightweight cotton scraps, tiny ones that are hard to use up. This seemed like the perfect project. 

Random cotton trimmings

It really is simple. You buy yourself some double-sided tape (I found mine in a dollar store in the craft section), iron your fabric well, peel off one side of the tape and stick it down, then trim neatly around your tape. You can make any size you want, but I stuck with small lengths that I can use to tape down corners of notes, decorate my journal and so on. 

This was a fun activity that didn't take much time, used a few of the small scraps I had that were too pretty to throw away, and has provided some nice material for my stationery collection (my other passion). Win win for me. 

A Nod to the Nautical with a Vogue Linen Tunic

It's hard getting back into a routine! I just realized I completely missed posting last week. I still have this to share with you, so I'm catching up now. 

The other project I finished in August was a top using Vogue 9364. This is a pattern I've owned for ages and always wanted to use. It consists of a top with scarf plus loose trousers. I wanted to make the pants as well, but didn't get around to it. The top will have to do for now! 

I used a linen blend in my stash that I had earmarked for this pattern a while back. I couldn't seem to see it matched up with any other pattern, so thought I should just make this and get it out there into the world. It somehow reminds me of nautical flags. 

The pattern description is "Very loose-fitting pullover top" and I should have taken heed. I could have sized down at least one size here. But it's still a light and flowy top, lots of fun to wear. The fabric is really soft, with a nice hand. 

I cut it with pretty much no big changes. Shortened the sleeves about about 1.5" but that is pretty normal for me and my short arms. They suggest purchased bias for the neck finish but I thought this fabric was too light for a purchased cotton-poly bias tape, so I just cut my own from self fabric. It worked fine. 

The pattern also calls for three buttons on the scarf and thread button loops on the neckline to hold the scarf in place. I didn't bother, it seemed unnecessary to me, as it would only serve to hold the scarf  a little further out from the neck. For that small aesthetic choice, I weighed my desire to have button loops poking at me at the neckline and left them off. I have worn the top without the scarf and it is nice. With the scarf it's just a little warmer and of course then I don't wear a necklace. 

One more fabric that I've wanted to use is out of my stash and into my wardrobe. I am liking this trend!

I have to do a wardrobe clear-out next, to make room for some of the new things I'd like to make in the upcoming months. I always find that difficult but have to balance new items with what's already here. Stash organization is an ongoing process but wardrobe organization is much harder for me! I generally like most of what I make for myself so want to keep it - but my closet is not a Tardis, so time to thin it out a bit :)

Weekend Review: Pockets

 

Pockets / Hannah Carlson
NY: Algonquin, c2023.
320 p.

I bought this book quite a while ago, as I love both fashion history and pockets!

It's a look at pockets over the centuries, and the imbalance between men's and women's access to built in pockets. It talks about things like tie-on pockets that women wore under their skirts for many years, transforming into separate handbags when fashions became more Regency - skirts weren't full enough (or even too transparent at times) to use old-fashioned underskirt pockets. And that the appearance of reticules carried in the hand, a visible 'pocket' that was previously considered an undergarment, was a bit scandalous. Or the fact that the appearance of the sober three piece suit for men, superseding frilly frock coats and breeches, can be dated to a specific day, Oct 15, 1666, when King Charles II made it mandatory court wear (made from English wool, not French silk!). 

There are 7 chapters, taking us from medieval Europe to dreams of a Jetson-like utopian future with sleek, pocketless outfits. It's engaging, with good stories folded in to the historical fact. All sorts of pockets are discussed, with the social reactions to fashion changes incorporated into the narrative as well. It's funny, intriguing, enlightening and full of great "dinner party tidbits" to share - like the ones I mentioned above. 

It's a bit academic but very readable, and it includes many illustrations, many in colour. It's a beautifully designed book, with a balance of text & pictures, and it has great quality paper. It's a substantial read in both form and content. Also has a lot of notes and a lengthy bibliography, so lots more to explore from here! Really enjoyed it. 

Weekend Review: Skirts: Fashioning Modern Femininity in the Twentieth Century

 

Skirts / Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell
NY: St. Martin's, c2022.
254 p.

Women wearing trousers was not the only big fashion story of the 20th century. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell's book looks at the changing fashions in skirts and how they also shaped and reflected social norms for women throughout the decades. 

It covers most of the 20th century, from Fortuny to Versace to Leger's bandage dresses -- talking about the skirts and styles that women wore while they did big, important things, no pants required. She talks about Chanel's influence, about the Wrap Dress, about politicians, sports figures, society icons and others outside of fashion who wore unforgettable dresses and skirts. And about some of the social significance of the choice of these outfits. 

This is a pretty short book, though, and written in a very conversational style, so it has to skim over a lot. There are black & white photos throughout, with a centre section of colour photos that include images beyond the twentieth century -- moving into iconic moments of the 21st, like J Lo in her Versace dress in 2000 or Billy Porter in his tuxedo gown in 2019. In her conclusion, she points out that men are wearing skirts -- is that the future? (this book was published in 2022 but since then the trend of men in skirts seems to have mostly died down.)

I enjoyed this quick tour of skirts, hemlines and important innovations in women's wear over the last century. I mostly wear dresses and skirts myself, so found this one entertaining and relatable. It's great to talk about the garment that most women wore for most of the last century. In one part of the book, she says, "It has become a lazy cliché of costume drama...to put a heroine in pants or breeches to signal that she is sporty, adventurous, rebellious, or somehow 'not like other girls'...But suffragists and soldiers marched in skirts. The heroines of the civil rights movement...took a stand in skirts. ... Even as they were increasingly given the option of wearing pants...women continued to wear skirts, this time by choice." 

This book celebrates that choice and the changing fashions with appreciation and respect. A fun read that doesn't feel like academic writing at all; it will appeal to the general fashion reader, like me! 

Upcycling to Reuse a pretty Rayon!

 

I made a couple of items in August, and cleaned my sewing room a bit. But I really did take a bit of a break! So here is the first thing I made last month. PatternReview was having an upcycling contest, and I had lots of ideas for complicated projects that would be really cool... but what I really needed was a light summer top. 

And, I had this old McCalls 7115 dress that I made way back in 2016 -- never wore it, but saved it because the fabric was so lovely, and had good memories attached. I bought this at my first PatternReview weekend in Chicago, and so really wanted to reuse it. I thought that I'd waited long enough so I found a top pattern in the stash that would fit onto the odd shaped pieces of the unpicked dress and just went for it. 

I chose Simplicity 2147, an easy pattern that I've had in the stash for a long time. It's a yoked top, which means I could fit it onto my fabric. It also has a nice pleat detail at the yoke, even if it's kind of hidden in this print. It does make the fit quite nice, though. 

I laid out the pleated part of the top on my remnant skirt & both front and back fit widthwise -- I just made the top the length of that original skirt & used the existing hem. It's a bit shorter than the "tunic or minidress" description of the pattern, but as I am also quite short, it's not that different! 

I cut the yoke from the dress bodice & so had to incorporate the button placket from the dress into the front yoke. After I finished I decided to stitch on 2 buttons from the dress to give it a little extra touch. They are nonfunctional.

So while I didn't get around to a complicated upcycle, I am very pleased with this one. It was great to finally reuse this dress, and I have worn this top three times since I finished it. It's light and comfortable, and I feel pleased that I finally made something from the disappointing dress. There are a couple of other items in my stash which could probably use the same treatment. Maybe I'll upcycle something else soon! 

September Sewing Plans!

 

Hello all! Back from summer break & ready to get sewing again. I finished up two simple projects in August but really did take a break, with not much time for sewing. All the better to return refreshed to the sewing room and to the blog! 

I have started thinking about sewing for the fall season but also have a couple of summery makes to finish off. 

These are the two summer projects that are cut & ready to be sewn. 

And then I have some "shoulder season" patterns in mind, for the in-between weather. I most want to make these two button up shirts.

And if I have time, perhaps I will finish another dress. I just picked up some lovely purple fabric at the thrift store that I think would make a great shirtdress, so that may be coming up next! 

I am starting to think about autumnal outfits already, even if it's not quite the weather for them yet. But it's definitely the time to start sewing them! Do you make a big switch over to new projects when the season change and if so, what is your favourite season for sewing?