Weekend Review: Daddy Dressed Me

 

Daddy Dressed Me / Michael Gardner & Ava Gardner
illus. by Nadia Fisher
NY: Aladdin, c2023.

This charming picture book is a lot of fun to read, especially if you followed Michael Gardner's original blog about his journey to sew for his daughter Ava. 

The storyline is that Ava has been asked to recite a poem at school and is very nervous about it. Daddy agrees to make a very special dress for the occasion. But both of these projects are hard! So they help each other - Ava practices her words while Daddy is sewing, with his help with the hard bits. And she encourages Daddy as he goes through the steps of this challenging new dress. 

In the end, Ava wears a beautiful dress and recites her poem perfectly. This is a sweet story of the gentle relationship between these two. And the illustrator has done a fabulous job of capturing the essential charm and all of the sewing details too! I really loved the way that the words Ava is learning are made into bright colourful parts of the text, alongside all the fabric designs and colours there. It really works well and was a satisfying read. 

There is a short afterword by Michael Gardner about how and why he began sewing for Ava, and it was a great addition for the adults reading this. Definitely worth searching out this lovely picture book. 

It Starts with a Square

 

It Starts with a Square / Cris Wood
Beverly, MA: Quarry Books, c2026.
144 p.

I'm doing something a bit unusual for me today, and that's reviewing a book that hasn't been published yet. This collection of low-waste designs by Cris Wood is being released on August 4, so very soon -- and I really wanted to share it so you can look out for it -- it is fantastic! 

Cris Wood really hit it big online with her Envelope Dress during the pandemic boom in sewing, and has continued to develop new patterns. They are all zero or low waste designs, and there is quite a variety to her stable of patterns. This book incorporates some of those classics as well as new patterns. This is a generous book - there is so much of her work included.

The book has 17 garment projects (!) made entirely from basic squares and rectangles - no closures or premade patterns required. She goes over how to measure your body and translate that into the shapes for each pattern, and there are no really tricky techniques once you've got the measuring and cutting down. There's a section where she talks about how to mix & match the pattern elements to create new pieces, as well, which should appeal to more practiced sewists - it really extends the wardrobe options in the book.

This would be a great book for sewing newbies but it's also inspiring for those of us who have been sewing for a long time. I'm really excited about the possibilities here, and there is even one of her patterns included in this book that I've been meaning to make for ages, so now I will definitely give it a go. 

If you've enjoyed her work online, or if you're interested in low-waste sewing in general, don't miss this one. It's an inclusive collection, with lots of images of every pattern, on varied body shapes and sizes, and a great discussion of how this kind of sewing is based on your body, not preset sizing. I think this is one of the most welcoming sewing books I've seen in a while, but it is also organized, well-laid out, easy to use and instructive. It's a hit for me! 

You can see some of the interior images and pre-order on her website!

Gertie Sews Glam Knits

 

Gertie Sews Glam Knits / Gretchen Hirsch
NY: Harry Abrams, c2026.
192 p.

The latest pattern book by Gretchen Hirsch features knits - not a frequent fabric in her vintage-inspired designs. But in this book she covers all you need to know to make knits look glam and Hollywood. It's more than a pattern book, as she discusses quite a lot about knits themselves to begin with. How to identify, decide what kind of knit you'll need, the differences in content, stretch, drape, recovery and more. She discusses stabilizing, finishing, and so forth. It's actually a great intro for people who are hesitant to sew knits, or who are generally unfamiliar with them. 

Then of course there are the patterns. There are six main patterns here, with pattern-hacking variations included to extend their potential. All patterns are available as pdf downloads, in sizes 2-20 and 18-34, A-H cups. You could really make a knit wardrobe with the patterns here, if you were so inclined. They include: 

• The Jewel Neck Top
• The Surplice Top
• The Halter Top
• The Pencil Skirt
• The Side Draped Skirt
• The Tap Shorts

They all look lovely the way they've been presented here, on two body sizes. For my own wardrobe, I'd be most inclined to make the Pencil Skirt, particularly one of the variations that has a few draped tucks on the front. But this is a really informative read, as well as being visually engaging, as most of Gertie's books are. So it's just fun to look at even if you don't end up making anything! If you like vintage knits, this is one to get.

Dopamine Dressmaking

 

Dopamine Dressmaking / Brogan Allard
London: Quadrille, c2024.
191 p.

This is another book written by a former contestant on the Great British Sewing Bee. It highlights the style she showed in her appearance on the show - lots of frill and print. Very suitable to the younger sewist who loves this vibe! 

I love dresses so really wanted to check out this book. And while the styles aren't necessarily things I would make for myself, I found this to be quite a good book. It's well structured -- with 15 projects: there are 8 dresses, with a variation for 7 of them. The size range runs 6 - 22, or B/W/H of 21/23.5/33.75 to 46.5/39/49.25. 

The book starts out with an introduction to Brogan, some basic sewing info on sewing kit, fabrics and how to use the patterns in the book (all downloadable pdfs from the link in the book). Then it moves on to the projects. Each one has the initial pattern instructions, then a variation, then a technique tutorial on something that was involved in that project. Lots of learning opportunities here. The projects are all dresses: 

• T-shirt Dress
• Sun Dress
• Tea Dress 
• Buffet Dress
• Everyday Dress 
• Bib Dress 
• Shirt Dress 
• Party Dress

The Party Dress, as the most elaborate, is the only one without a variation included. The others have a second view that is different enough to feel like a new dress idea. The instructions are pretty good, and there are tons of bright and colourful photos included in the book too. This would be a great project book for someone still fairly new to sewing, to help them stretch their skills and learn new techniques. I always enjoy seeing the Sewing Bee contestants again after their season, and I thought this book was a well thought out collection, even if aimed at quite a specific audience. Lots of colour, print, and pretty dresses - definitely a great dopamine hit just to look through it! 

Weekend Review: Margaret's New Look

 

Margaret's New Look / Katherine Ashenburg
TO: Knopf Canada, c2025.
296 p.

I really wanted to like this book by Canadian author Ashenburg. And there were some great things about it that I enjoyed, and so finished the story. But as a whole I didn't end up loving it, for a couple of reasons. But what is it about? 

Margaret, a curator, is putting on a big show about Dior. The story takes place all during the planning and lead-up to the exhibition's opening. It starts with her at work, heading to a meeting, where we find out about all the characters and the workplace politics that will shape her future. Then we see her at home, where her writer husband and two youngish daughters are introduced. And we hear about her family - especially her father, who never admitted to his Jewish heritage but now it seems pretty obvious to Margaret and her sisters. 

Margaret also has connections with a man who is able to source some Dior pieces for her, through an elderly lady she finally gets to meet, and she discovers that this woman was a petit main in Dior's workshops in her youth. Very convenient for finding out more for her exhibit! 

There were a lot of threads to this story, and unfortunately I didn't find it very successful. The parts about Dior and his controversial history (mostly around WWII, his sister's war, his focus on fashion during the Nazi regime etc) were interesting, but I already knew everything she mentioned, from other history books. The fact dumping really felt like it would have been better served in a nonfiction approach. If a reader was completely new to this history, though, it might feel more compelling. There was a good core to the story, which kept me reading to the end. 

However, I felt that the characters and the plot were clunky and often flat. It was easy to guess how the story was going to unfold (not much mystery there) and the element of Margaret both being very concerned about her father's possible Jewish heritage and at the same time seeming so oblivious to it all was confusing. I didn't feel that that element was clearly explored. 

So a mixed review, I guess - the idea of the novel was interesting and the look at Dior's fashion world was great. But the characters did not catch me; I like to read for characters and great writing, and neither of these was really present in this book. 

Weekend Review: Narrative Textiles

 

Narrative Textiles / Ailish Henderson
London: Batsford, c2024.
128 p.

Another book I picked up through my library, this one looks at stitching and mixed media work from the viewpoint of storytelling. It's by a UK author, and has that particular UK sensibility to it - lots of distressed, vintage fabrics, a kind of "messy" style, and in this case, a lot of focus on family history and stories. 

It's not a project book, per se, more of an inspirational one. While the author shares many of her projects and how-tos are included, it feels like more of a study of how to incorporate physical family textiles and materials into a more idea driven project focused on communicating a narrative. So, lots of info on preparation - which materials to use, where to find them, WHY you're using them and what you are trying to share. Whether you're focusing on family, travels, pets, personal identity/self-portraits, or similar themes, there's a technique that you'll be able to use, or at least be inspired by. 

It's a beautiful book, as Batsford publications so often are. There are full page, detailed photos of projects and lots of lovely studio shots too. Henderson incorporates her own family story and her poetry into the book, and it makes it feel quite relatable. The projects/techniques are also accessible, as they don't require specialist studio equipment, just things that stitchers might have already, or which are easily sources. 

I'm not sure it's inspired any immediate work for me, but I did enjoy it, and some of the concepts were things I want to remember. If you are interested in stitching family stories or investigating identity through textile work, this is one you would really enjoy as well. 

You can find an interview with Ailish Henderson on the podcast Stitchery Stories to hear more about her work. 

Weekend Review: Elevate Your Scrap Sewing Projects

 

Elevate Your Scrap Sewing Projects / Sallieann Harrison

Mount Joy, PA: Landauer Publishing, c2023 

215 p

A rather random reading choice today, but this is one I came across in my library and was pleasantly surprised by! It's a book of projects to use scraps, mostly quilting scraps, and the projects are mainly home decor and accessories, but there are some intriguing techniques that could also be adapted for garment details. 

The book is pretty to look at, and definitely scrappy; the author shares some new ideas with a modern, pretty aesthetic. The author is UK based, so there are lots of Liberty scraps in evidence here -- it's a pretty book to flip through! 

It starts out with an "About Me" to introduce the author a bit, then has a "Tools Tips Techniques" chapter which goes over quite a lot of the basics. It makes it easy for the beginner sewist to feel confident trying the projects. The projects themselves have a range of difficulties, and are shown clearly with lots of photos of process and finished project, and they have pretty good instructions. There is a mix of fabric manipulation and more straightforward quilting projects, as well as a couple of other styles of project. 

The 10 projects are: 

• Basket Weave Cushion or mini Quilt
• Pleated Bucket Bag
• Summer Cushion 
• Woven Cork Pouch
• Rope Basket
• Sallieann Flower Quilt
• Japanese Origami Cushion
• Heart Strings Pouch
• Christmas Presents Mini Quilt 

There is a bit of repetition -- for example, the fabric pleated bag and cushion use the same techniques, so there is duplication in the instructions. This was the technique I was most interested in though, and the most unusual for me, so I was happy to have two examples to study. 

I liked this one, and it gave me some ideas, always a good thing in a new craft book. It's quite charming and I think the projects are modern enough to appeal widely. You can get a flip through of the whole book with the author in the video below, if you are interested! 

Weekend Review: Sew Happy & Healthy

 

Sew Healthy & Happy / Rose Parr
Concord, CA: C&T, c2021
80 p.

A bit of healthy sewing content today...I read this book on ergonomic sewing by a fellow Canadian, and found quite a few great tips to stay healthier and less achy after spending time in the sewing room.

This book is quite short, but covers a number of things. It starts out with some guidelines about setting up the sewing space ergonomically, starting with studio design. Then moves on to ergonomic tips specifically for cutting, pressing, and then all the sewing options. How high to have your sewing and cutting tables, pressing techniques, angles, how to use different machines etc. She is a quilter so does talk about seated sewing, longarm quilting and various situations like that which may require different adaptations. This is all very practical and useful. 

The book is illustrated with drawings throughout, no photos. They are clear and show the details of both the set-up suggestions and the stretches well, however. 

The book then moves on to 20 pages of stretches for sewists, to keep your body supple and help you avoid any chronic repetitive strain injuries. It's very helpful. There is then a brief section on healthy habits and snacks - I have to say, this part I just skipped over, it wasn't interesting to me. Then the book closes with some tips on best practices when attending workshops - things like have a proper transport for your machine so you're not hauling it uncomfortably, find out what the workshop offers so you don't haul along unnecessary items (ie: irons if you don't need to). Like I say, this is primarily aimed at quilters so definitely a lot of workshop info will be very relevant there. But the info is great for any sewist who spends time in a workspace that hasn't been optimized. There are a few tips here I could use, and I will definitely incorporate some of the stretches - I can already see how they'd help with the aches and pains of longer sewing sessions. I thought this was a good book and super practical for any sewist!

Weekend Review: Crafting a Knock-off

 

Crafting a Knock-Off / Barbara Emodi
Concord, CA: C&T Pub., c2026
232 p.

I love this series of cozy mysteries set in Nova Scotia, written by a Canadian craft legend :) When book 7 became available, I grabbed it! This details the further adventures of Valerie Rankin, middle aged craft and general store owner, as she once again gets involved in a mysterious death -- and like usual, goes off on many misguided suspicions before the truth is revealed. 

In this volume, she encounters Murray Nunn, a big talker who is trying to push business development and an export scheme. He won't leave anyone at the local craft fair alone, and while Valerie is talking to him, he suddenly drops dead. On camera. She has a wide range of suspects, from local craftspeople to those who have just arrived in Gasper's Cove for their own purposes, and even including her boyfriend's nephew -- which causes some relationship bumps. 

But Valerie must continue on her sleuthy ways no matter what, and with the involvement of the local RCMP and her crafting ladies, they eventually solve the mystery, and Valerie's fears of the end of her relationship prove unfounded. 

I love these books for their characters and the Nova Scotia setting -- and of course the inclusion of craft content! There are upcycled quilted coats, tartans and kilts, piecework sewing and craft fairs as integral parts of this mystery, and they are important. I thought this one was well constructed and entertaining. Always a treat to revisit Gasper's Cove! 

Weekend Review: Seasonal Flower Embroidery

Seasonal Flower Embroidery / Kazuko Aoki
trans. from the Japanese by Alison Markham Powell
Boulder, CO: Roost Books, c2022.
112 p.

 I recently bought this lovely little book - I really enjoy Japanese aesthetics, and this embroidery book was delightful. One of a series of books by author Kazuko Aoki, this one features florals, inspired by a local Tokyo flower shop. It is quirky, though, with a few new ideas in it that delight me. She stitches a variety of blooms over 25 projects, and some in a more traditional, expected context, like hoop art or embellishment on clothing or housewares. But there was one project in particular that appealed. She embroiders a flower, then cuts it out of the fabric and glues a wire on the back to make it a stand alone piece — even covering the bottom of the wire with 2 paper circles cut from old books (as seen on the cover). I loved this! I really want to try it out, it's so beautiful! 

She also creates patches and pins, purses, gift tags, totes and more. I was really taken with the way she moves embroidery off the fabric and into 3D settings with her pins and display florals. But each of the motifs are beautiful. The book is laid out nicely, organized by the four seasons, with three kinds of flowers represented in each season. The patterns are clear, well explained, and illustrated with beautiful large photos. Then there are the projects - each of these also has robust instructions and large example photos which are pleasingly displayed. It's a treat to look at, even if you don't make anything! 

This is a great book, and it makes me want to pick up all of her other books now — she has a lovely style and I enjoyed the creative use of embroidery in unique projects. Definitely work searching this one out if you can! 

Weekend Review: The Atlas of World Embroidery

 

The Atlas of World Embroidery / Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood
Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, c2026.
400 p.

I was lucky to come across this large and expensive book through my library system. It's quite big, full of 300 colour illustrations, and gives a great overview of embroidery from around the world. That is both its strength and weakness - because it covers so much, there is of necessity just a few pages on each style and region. But it gives a great sense of what's out there, and what you may be interested in then researching further. 

I thought it was an enjoyable one to flip through, and with so many images to examine that it was creatively satisfying. I flipped first to Ukraine to see what she'd included, and of course because there are only a couple of pages she could only touch on the basics. But this was in a chapter on Eastern Europe, with other, similar countries covered as well, so you could see the fine differences between countries. But there are so many regional differences with one country as well! 

This book made me hungry to explore more into areas I wasn't as familiar with, and the illustrations just piqued my interest in wanting to know more. I'll have to look up other histories that cover just one style to get more in-depth. This book, however, introduced me to a ton of styles. 

I liked it, found it absorbing, but not sure I'd spend the $60 price tag on it for my own collection - it's more of a browsing kind of book for me. Thank goodness for the public library! 

Weekend Review: Embroidered Interiors

 

Embroidered Interiors / Penny Dowdell 
Stash Books, c2026.
160 p.

This is a fabulous new embroidery book, with a distinctive style and many new tricks for the embroiderer! I wasn't familiar with Dowdell's work before I picked up this book but am very impressed by it. So much colour and detail and lots of full coverage work that feels lush and complicated. She also uses extras like attached items or cutouts with images behind the holes cut into the working fabric. There are many cool ideas here that I haven't seen elsewhere, and she makes it seem easy. 

This is a project book, with a range of patterns provided, with instructions for each step, threads and stitches given, and all the extras explained (like adding coloured plastic for a stained glass effect). The patterns and guides are very clear, and include all sorts of interiors, from bedrooms to libraries, conservatories and dining rooms like the cover. I am impressed with the style of stitching and the complete instruction given. Anyone could learn this technique by following this book. There are also cute additions of sleeping cats and dogs in some of the scenes which could be added anywhere, really. An interesting element is how she shows that an entire 'set' can be stitched, or you could do a closeup of just part of one of the patterns if you want a bit more of an up-close view. Because of this, there are so many options to stitch from this book. 

I thought this was a wonderful book, very generous in the amount of information and guidance given. The style feels a little different from what I usually see, and is quite inspiring. I do love the cozy vibes! There is a stitch guide included, but she uses just a handful of stitches, so beginners could learn those and then tackle some of these complicated looking pieces which are just made step by step.  

This one is a hit, in my opinion. Just a little different, full of useful patterns, info and encouragement, and so cute. 

Weekend Review: Garden of Stitches

 

Garden of Stitches / Mary Engelbreit
Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel, c2026.
160 p.

I am featuring some enjoyable new embroidery books this month, beginning with one by the fabulous Mary Engelbreit. I found this one thanks to the library system, and loved it. Of course, I've always liked Mary Engelbreit's style, which helps: this book is so her! 

It's a series of embroidery projects, floral themed for the most part. You know I was going to love the one on the cover! There are 30 projects, starting with pretty simple ones and moving forward in difficulty as you go through the book. The final patterns include her distinctive lettering, and I think it works really well in stitch. 

Each design has a pattern and a guide to the colours and stitches used for each element. There are a lot of line stitches, which are great for beginners, with not too much difficulty and a nice result. She also introduces the idea of shading some of the shapes on the embroidery with fabric markers before stitching, as seen on the cover image. This cuts down on full coverage embroidery while giving more depth to the images. It's a great idea that I think artistic people will enjoy, especially if they are new to embroidery and want to make a quick project. Also, this isn't just hoop art. There are examples of stitching onto jackets, hats, or pillows, for inspiration on how to use these designs (or parts of them) in your own way.

As noted, I got this one through the library, but I need to get myself a copy as there wasn't enough time to try some of these cool projects! It's a cheerful, colourful collection by an artist I admire for her art style and for herself too. Looking forward to owning this one. 

Weekend Review: The Hundred Dresses

 

The Hundred Dresses / Eleanor Estes; illus. by Louis Slobodkin
NY: Clarion, 2014, c1944.
93 p.

A bittersweet, classic children's book for today's review. Wanda Petronski is a new student, in a school full of well-off children. The girls in her class, especially one named Peggy, make fun of her for her Polish name, the fact that she wears the same faded blue dress every day, and after a little while, for her outrageous claim that she has more dresses at home: “A hundred of them. All lined up in my closet.”

Peggy's friend Maddie feels bad about the way that Wanda is treated, but not enough to say anything -- she's afraid she'll be next if she does. But then Wanda stops coming to school, and they wonder what's happened to her. Shortly after, the school art prize is going to be announced, and when the students enter their class, there are 100 beautiful sketches pinned up to view -- all of the hundred dresses that Wanda had drawn before her family moved to the more friendly big city. 

Wanda has also left instructions for two of the sketches to be given in particular to Peggy and Maddie, as she created them with the girls in mind. Maddie realizes that she made the wrong choices, that speaking up is always the thing to do when something is happening that she is uncomfortable with. The lessons in this story are gentle and not overly didactic, they arise out of a naturally told story. And sadly they are still so relevant 80 years after this was written. 

But aside from that, the descriptions of the dresses and the imagination that Wanda shared with the class are all so lovely and I really enjoyed picturing the drawings that she'd created. A lovely read, with so many touching elements. 

Weekend Review: Skirt A Day Sewing

Skirt-a-Day Sewing / Nicole Smith 

This is a bit of an older book but I found it in the library! It's an interesting concept and would be a fun one to work through bit by bit. 

The author sets it up with some basic sewing info, then spends time showing you how to draft a custom pattern for yourself, so that you can start altering your skirt block into the 28 designs she's created for this book. 

After that beginning (including the nearly 40 page chapter on drafting, which includes many illustrations to help you out), the book has four further chapters, each taking on one style of skirt, then expanding it into a full week of patterns that you can adapt from the basic design, using your own block. 

The four chapters focus on Wrap Skirts, Straight Skirts, Flared Skirts, and High-Waisted Skirts. The cover image shows off a few of the variety of options included. I like the idea of this book, and think that by creating your block and then taking on some drafting challenges to make some of the variations shared, you could really learn a lot. She is good at explaining things and makes it sound quite achieveable. There are photos of each skirt, and lots of diagrams and clear instructions for every variation, too. 

The skirts show variety and how to change up a plain pattern to incorporate a range of features. Of course you're probably not going to like all of them -- many just aren't my style, but I still read about how they were made from the original pattern. That info was fascinating. And it gives you some knowledge about tweaks you can make to patterns you already own, to add in or adjust features (like pockets, pleats, gores, waistbands, ruffles, etc) that you'd like to have in your garments. If you like skirts, this would be a great book to check out! 

 

Weekend Review: Matchy Matchy

The Matchy Matchy Sewing Book / Amy Gonzales & Theresa Kuo

This is a newer sewing book (just published in Dec 2025) and I had a lot of fun going through it. Matchy Matchy Sewing Club is a pattern company that has a very strong aesthetic -- patchwork clothing, lots of volume and airy makes overall. I tested one of their top patterns, the Skipper, a while back, and was looking forward to checking out this book. 

It's a bit short, but even with that, there are 12 new patterns included (9 garments and 3 accessories). Lots of huge, bright photos of all the projects, instructions with illustrations, and a great opening to the book that includes basics of sewing, including terminology and tools, for those brand new to sewing, which may be a lot of their market. I thought it was really well done. 

The patterns can all be found via a QR code in the beginning of the book. If you go to that page, you can download any of the included patterns which interest you. I found 3 of particular interest, even I will likely tone down the patchwork vibe on mine as I'm not a gingham fan and don't have any scraps of it since I don't use it. But these patterns are perfect for scrap busting, as they are designed to be made up of many panels so you can interpret that however you like :) 

This is a sweet book that will likely appeal to many of the young sewists new to the sewing world. It fits in with the youthful style currently popular, and is very accessible for new sewists. I think they did a great job with it. 

 

Weekend Review: Bog Fashion

 

Bog Fashion / Nicole DeRushie
Furulund, Sweden: Chronocopia, c2025.
192 p.

Now this was an unusual sewing book! Thanks to my library, I was able to travel back in time to find out all about Bronze & Iron Age clothing. History, examples, textile facts, plus pattern instructions to recreate tunics, capes, shoes and more. Absolutely fascinating. 

The author is Canadian but based in the UK, and is both a spinner and weaver herself as well as having a Masters in History from a UK university. So her degrees plus her hands-on experience combine to make this a great read. She covers so much about how we even know what we do about textiles from this era (hint: thank the preservative powers of a bog). She talks about important finds and places them in context, so you can understand the development of textiles in various communities in England and Scandinavia over the centuries. Absolutely riveted by this book! 

It's really well organized, covering prehistoric clothing sources, materials, tools and techniques, spinning and weaving, cloth, colours, pins and needles (plants and bone), various stitches that were found to be in use, and then the garments themselves. The projects include how to make a Blackthorn pin or bone needle, wrap garments, tunics, tubular garments, skirt, trousers, shoes, belt, and metal pins like the ones used to hold garments together. Plus a bonus hat at the end -- that one was very unusual. 

Each chapter was intriguing, and included many sketches and photos to show both historical info and her modern re-creations. It was so engrossing, looking at a garment and learning about the weave or fibres that might have been used, and how it may have been dyed or worn. And why certain things were preserved - usually as grave clothing. 

It is very well written, informative and not at all dry. So grounded in practical knowledge, and so full of human life in so many ways. I loved this one! The author includes a bibliography, some of which I've read (including Women's Work, which I also enjoyed).  Any sewist who has an interest in the past will find this book a wonderful read.  

Weekend Review: A Sewist's Diary

Patchwork: a sewist's diary / Maddie Ballard
Portland, OR: Tin House, c2025.
144 p.

Today's book is a memoir in short chapters, arranged around garments sewn by the author. Each chapter starts with a garment and a list of what was needed to make it; then the essay goes in many directions, musing on life and larger issues. 

Ballard has arranged the book to follow her life chronology, at least loosely. In the first few chapters she is in love, living with a partner during Covid lockdowns. Then they have broken up and she is living with her grandmother (that relationship is really special), then she's going back to school and moves to a new city once more. She is a New Zealander, and this book takes place in that country. But there are many layers to her essays. 

She talks about her mixed Chinese heritage, while she sews a cheongsam embroidered with the names of her female relatives. There are discussions of friendship, family, the guilt she feels at not speaking Cantonese better, the way that clothing reflects her personal identity and more. There is some talk about fast fashion, the politics of making, and the way that hand making slows down the pace of life in a kind of resistance to capitalist busy work.  

I liked the way that sewing was the core of the book, and everything revolved around the project she was working on in each chapter. Sewing talk was a big part of the book, from fabrics to patterns to techniques, and her comment that sewing for yourself means believing in your future self. I thought that was a charming way to think of sewing a wardrobe. 

I found this a pretty good read - it's short, the hardcover includes sketches of the garments she's talking about, and sewists will relate to the crafty content. The writing is thoughtful and lyrical, but she is a younger writer so the book does contain its share of angst as well. Still, the concept is lovely and I appreciated the recognition that handcraft can help shape a life. 

 

Weekend Review: Bojagi

Bojagi: the Art of Korean Textiles / Youngmin Lee
London: Herbert Press, c2024.
160 p.

What an inspiring & thorough book this was! I picked it up on sale recently, after hearing it mentioned by a nearby quilter. I was really taken with it. 

It is written by a Korean-American sewist and creator, and contains a lot of history and context around bojagi over many centuries; its origins, uses, traditions and so on. This is itself was fascinating. 

The book goes over the basics of bojagi technique, and shares 17 projects that a reader can try. Some of these are traditional, some are modern kinds of things that are made using the techniques of bojagi but which give a contemporary feel and use to the project. And there are so many bright, clear, inspiring photos! There are many techniques covered, and once you've tried them and maybe also some of the projects, you might be inspired to think about how to incorporate this into your everyday sewing as well. 

It reminds me of another book on Bojagi that I read a few years ago. I'd give this one the same rating: interesting, inspiring, full of textile history, intriguing projects, and a great cultural intro to this type of Korean patchwork sewing. 

You can find out much more at the author's website, or check out this short video at the Asian Art Museum for a quick overview. 

Weekend Review: How to Keep Your Clothes Forever

 

How to Keep Your Clothes Forever / Leah Giblin
Melbourne, Australia: Smith Street Books, c2025
223 p.

This was an interesting read! Aimed at regular consumers, not strictly sewists, it talks about things like how to maintain and care for your wardrobe, buy more sustainably, and maybe even learn some easy sewing. 

I thought it was a good read -- there is lots in it for people to learn, especially if they are newer to the idea of sustainable wardrobes. What I loved was that there is no strict minimalism or bland neutral colours on show here. It's more about being conscious of what you already own, and what you actually need to add to your wardrobe. There is a small section on thinking about WHY you buy clothes, and I think that could also apply to why we make clothes. 

The book is broken up into three main section: Buy Less, Care, and Keep. Buy Less is pretty obvious - it's here that she talks about options for buying & shares the ethical triangle ranging from "use what you have" to "buying fast fashion". Sewing our own ends up somewhere in the middle, closer to the more ethical side.  

Care covers laundering, closet maintenance, and fibre awareness. Keep goes over ways to make your wardrobe exciting again, whether by mending, refashioning, trading with friends, restyling new outfits, or deciding what's best to do when you need to dispose of something in your wardrobe. This section has some easy sewing and mending projects in it to inspire either making your clothes wearable again, or using their fabric for projects like a moth bag for your closet or a sunhat or a produce bag, etc. 

There are plentiful photos throughout the book, featuring models of diverse kinds, and lots of encouragement for the new sewist to try out some of the techniques. Many of the shopping and wardrobe maintenance tips are applicable to our own sewing as well, including fabric purchases. It was a cheerful book despite the discussions of the perils of fast fashion, and has lots of great ideas in it. There is a bit of a fresh perspective from this Australian author, too. I'm glad I came across it!