Weekend Review: The Dress Diary of Mrs. Anne Sykes

 

The Dress Diary of Mrs. Ane Sykes / Kate Strasdin
London: Chatto & Windus, c2023.
303 p.

This is a new book I've been eagerly awaiting! I've heard so many interviews with the author on many stitching and sewing podcasts, and first saw a mention of this upcoming book in Threads magazine last year. It's finally out, and my library got a copy :)

If you are interested in history, clothing, textiles, and material culture, you'll love this one. The author was given an unusual scrapbook, which was full of snippets of fabrics from across the lifetime of Mrs. Anne Sykes, stretching from her wedding day in 1838 onwards. These snippets had little annotations, but because Anne Sykes referred to herself in the third person, Strasdin had difficulty finding out who had created this book and the context for it. But in one entry only, Anne Sykes referred to herself in first person, and that helped Strasdin crack the code. 

The book is then made up of chapters describing the scrapbook itself, or sharing the history of some of the textiles included (like the cottons that made Anne Sykes' family's fortunes), and also an explanation of Singapore's colonial society (where Anne and her husband lived for a few years after their marriage). Then, some of the chapters explore the other people who Anne included in her book, especially the ones who show up repeatedly with many swatches. 

Thankfully for a book of this kind, there is also a central section with many colour plates of various fabrics from the original. It was fascinating to see them all, and I found some of them quite striking and not what you'd expect from the mid-1800s -- one in particular looked so art deco I was shocked to see it there. My favourite was the green and red checkerboard on the bottom row below -- striking indeed! I'd buy that fabric today if I saw it out there :) 

This is more of a social history inspired by Mrs. Anne Sykes' diary, than a straightforward story of the scrapbook and Anne Sykes herself. Strasdin takes us on many side journeys into textile and social history while also explaining and outlining how she did her research and found more about the people mentioned in the scrapbook. That was quite a feat as she had just begun when Covid hit and she had to do most of the research online and via email/phone calls to libraries and archives. 

But if you are a history fan, or a dressmaker yourself -- or both -- I think that you'll enjoy this approach. It's very readable and has both the colour plates in the middle and some other images throughout. It's a fascinating way to explore this era in history, through a physical artifact that survived for nearly 200 years somehow, and made its way to the author. Definitely one to look for!

Weekend Review: The Fabric Of Civilization

 

The Fabric of Civilization / Virginia Postrel
NY: Basic Books, c2020
320 p.

This book is an overview of fabric and the ways in which it has shaped the development of civilization, whether that's related to trade, economics, social classes, gender relations, arts, history or another facet of life.

It reminds me of both Kassia St. Clair's The Golden Thread and Elizabeth Wayland Barber's Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times. She is taking a look at textiles across history, as the original tech, and notes that because textiles are so abundant we have "textile amnesia", forgetting their vital role in so many areas of life. She aims to change that. 

The book is broken up into thematic sections: Fiber, Thread, Cloth, Dye, Traders, Consumers & Innovators. It's mostly told in a conversational tone, with lots of illustrative anecdotes that make it a fun read. Some of the sections are a little technical/dry (especially the weaving ones) but overall it's informative and engaging reading. 

She illustrates how textiles, and the artisans who made and worked with textiles, shaped the world in many ways. I knew about binary code's source in weaving, but didn't know about the other elements of arcane mathematics that were created by weavers designing patterns. It was fascinating! There was discussion of the cloth trade across Europe and how those traders developed into some of the first banks and introduced techniques of book-keeping, also something new for me to learn. And the discussion of Italian silk manufacture and all the people involved in it -- including women as masters -- was really memorable.

I enjoyed the stories, and the commentary on textile words that are a part of our languages now. There are a few caveats about the book; it is really Europe focused, and some of the more distasteful aspects of textile history are skimmed over without much commentary -- ie: the use of slavery in the textile world, or aspects of cultural theft when looking at silk and weaving. However, it does give a wide view across many centuries of many other elements of textile history, manufacture, and its potential for the future. Recommended for anyone interested in how textiles have a core role in world history and in the tech world in many ways. It's a readable look at this topic, a great starter for further deep dives into any of the specific chapters or subjects that really speak to you. 

The author has even made a playlist to go along with this book on youtube, featuring 12 short videos on various themes from the book. Some are very short, so it's easy to view a few! 

Weekend Review: Linen & Cotton

 

Linen & Cotton / Susan Khalje
Newtown CT: Taunton, c1999
139 p.

Another older sewing book that I checked out from my library system, this one was surprisingly still useful even after 20+ years! I love sewing with linen and cotton and I learned things from this book about their manufacture, finishing, and treatment that I hadn't actually known. 

There's a chart of weaves and finishes, which are illuminating -- of course they don't cover every single permutation, and since it's from 1999 there may be newer things missing. But one new thing to me: I had no idea what ottoman was and now I do.

There are also great tips for working with the characteristics of linens and cottons to get the best results from them. Many of them are things I routinely do, but somehow I never knew that bias should be pressed with the iron at 90° to the neckline (or wherever you've applied it) so that you don't stretch it out and undo all your hard work getting it sewn on cleanly. And there is a very complete rundown of topstitching techniques which I found very helpful - little tricks like which threads to use, tension issues, marking your lines and more.

After discussing the fabrics themselves, the chapters cover fabric prep, sewing techniques, garment innards like interfacing, underlining or shoulder pads, decorative details like pleats, pockets and topstitching among others, and finishes with finishing details - useful tips like inserting hanging loops, bra carriers or dress shields, which I haven't seen often in sewing books. 

There is also a 16 page 'design gallery' of garments which show off the techniques and fabrics mentioned. Although this is an older title, I really enjoyed the bright and clear examples from designer patterns (of course, this is Susan Khalje!). There were some details I really liked, and one dress that I'd wear right now if I owned it -- Vogue 1956, an Emmanuel Ungaro design. 

I found this to be a useful reference book with some great info in it. If I find a copy out there I'd pick it up to add to my collection. I enjoyed reading all the info, it felt like quick expert tips to get your summer dresses and suits polished up to the next level. 

Literary Sewing Circle: Amatka Inspiration!

 

This week's Inspiration post is taking a look at some of the imagery and themes in this novel as a way to spark project ideas.

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

There are quite a few different elements that jumped out at me as potential connections for a project. Let's start with the difference between Vanja's brown, drab clothes and the brighter ones that Ivar and Nina wear. When Vanja first goes shopping for warm clothes upon her arrival, she "thought of Nina's blue overalls and Ivar's green shirt and picked out clothes in shades of blue and green." There is also mention of overalls at Nina's hospital workplace and Ivar's mushroom farm job. Of course, there are many, many popular jumpsuit patterns out there right now! The most workwear related ones I can think of might be either the Blanca Flight Suit by Closet Core Patterns, or this new design by Burdastyle.de They'd fit right in made in a "monochromatic and bright" colour like those from Amatka.

As Ivar shows Vanja around the mushroom farm, they see many types of mushrooms that supply the colony. This suggests a project using some wonderful mushroom prints! Or if you're wealthy and lucky, maybe you can even source some mycoleathers to use. 

Check out this one, or many other cool mushroom prints at
MycoBoutique in Montreal, for all things mushroom

If you are thinking of something a little more sedate and toned to the mood of Amatka, you could try this print called "Birch Mushrooms", found at Riverside Textiles in Toronto. 

Remember Vanja's marking error as a child? When she got so entranced by her naming of pencils that it seemed she was chanting cil-pen instead, and saw her pencils' reality waver? Maybe a pencil skirt is the project for you -- make sure you don't make a cil-pen skirt by mistake. 

To make doubly sure that you are making a pencil skirt, maybe try a pencil print while you're at it...

Vanja's connection with office supplies continues once she gets her job in the administrative offices of Amatka. You might make something from a print that reflects that. Or perhaps a print covered in keys, the result of Vanja's playing with naming and reality, when she wants to get into the closed archive. 

Aubergine Vintage Keys from Fabric.com

Evgen the librarian assists Vanja in her search for the truth. Perhaps some library card prints are in order. Or simply a book print, like this Laura Ashley print from Fabrics.com! 

Maybe your project will be inspired by some of Amatka's poetry. Can you think of a way to incorporate some of the poems by Berol's Anna in her poem cycle about the Plant Houses of Amatka? Or simply be inspired by Vanja's view of the Plant Houses glowing in the night as she sneaks out to explore the lake and falls asleep there. 

Moon Garden by Jacqueline Hurd at Spoonflower

Near the conclusion of the story, as Vanja looks at the shining Berols' Anna, she says "her eyes mirrored a different landscape than the one they occupied", and sees that the sky above the lake is now "robed in black, adorned with brilliantly striped and mottled spheres".

Maybe a Constellation Hoodie by Love Notions, or the Etoile Dress by French Poetry, or even the infamous Galaxy Dress (Vogue 8280 or the updated 1631) can represent this spacious and endless view.

Etoile Dress, by French Poetry

Think about some of the beautiful space print fabrics that are available now, and how you might use them, as well. 

Galaxy Glitter from Spool & Spindle

Black Space from Funky Monkey Fabrics

I hope that with all these different ideas you're starting to see the potential for a project of your own. If you have another idea, or a part of the book that has jumped out at you as your own inspiration, please feel free to share in the comments! The closer we look at the book, the more there is to work with, and your vision might add to someone else's too. 

Next week's book discussion post will be our wrap-up post for the reading part of the Literary Sewing Circle. There will be 3 more weeks to get your project done and posted, on the link up that will appear next week as well. I'm working on my own project ideas, which I've hinted at in this post. Look forward to seeing all of yours. 

Weekend Review: Patternalia

 

Patternalia / Jude Stewart
NY: Bloomsbury USA, 2015.
160 p.

Kicking off this month of reviews with a plethora of patterns, a gallimaufry of design, a hodgepodge of historical facts -- in Jude Stewart's Patternalia.

Stewart is a journalist, who has written about design and culture for magazines like Slate, The Believer and Fast Company, to name just a few. She's also the author of an earlier design book, ROYGBIV, obviously about colour! Her journalistic style is clear throughout this book, as it's a series of short chapters/essays on different patterns and elements of pattern. It feels like it's a gathering of some of her magazine pieces, actually, which have been massaged so that they work together. And it does work, to an extent. 

I found a lot of interesting elements in this book. It covers different areas like stripes, dots, plaid, paisley, and many of the patterns we come across daily. But because there is such a wide scope for this small book, it does only skim the surface in most areas, sometimes skimming too shallowly indeed, as with the section of keffiyah, which I felt could have used more historical context. She pulls a lot from other books, and the bibliography and references are full of things to look into further (some of them I've read, and more on those ones later this month!) 

I found her writing style breezy and flippant, which sometimes works, but also gets old fast. The most irritating thing about this book, at least for me, is the inclusion of "footnotes" at the bottom of every page to direct people back and forth in the book to other mentions of the topics. These are often repetitive, and feel as if the publishers were trying to be hip and figure out a way to incorporate the sense of hyperlinks into the text -- which didn't work at all. It's too bad there's not a traditional, organized way to direct people to subject matter and thematic links in a book that works perfectly in the paper format...{cough} like an index {cough}. 

Anyhow, as a quick and wide-ranging introduction to the concept of patterns in the world, this is worth skimming through. As mentioned, I thought there were some neat facts included, and the references to other books on some of the topics were the most valuable part of my reading experience. You might find the writing style more to your taste than I did, especially if you've already read her first book. So kind of a middle-range book for me -- it's not terrible but not my favourite on this topic, either. The kind of book to test out at your local library first. 

Make Nine / Use Nine 2021

 It's the beginning of a new year, and time for a new sewing plan! I made a #20in20 plan for last year, but am not making a 21in21 for this year -- continuing that trajectory could just get ridiculous ;) 

Last year I ended making 5/10 of the patterns I'd picked, and using 4/10 of the fabrics. Not too bad, it did help to have them written out like this. 

I'm moving back to the basic #MakeNine this year, and adding in a #UseNine as well. Just like last year, these are aspirational lists; I'm not holding myself to anything! I'm really a mood sewist, just like I'm a mood reader, so these lists are fun to make but not rigid at all, or I will get sewing block pretty quickly. I know myself. 

Anyhow, my list for 2021 of nine great patterns from my extensive stash that I'd like to make this year are as follows:

1. Montana Midi Dress by Style Arc

This is a simple dress that is just the style I like wearing in summer. I have tons of lightweight cotton and some linen that might all work with this one.

2. Melrose Dress & Top by Itch to Stitch

Another perfectly simple silhouette for an easier make -- and Itch to Stitch is always reliable with drafting and fit, so I know that I'll like this one. Even has a boxy top view as well!

3. New Look 6159

Skirt suits are appealing to me right now, and I think this pattern is just what I'm looking for. I'm planning on a classic matchy matchy outfit here. 

4. Butterick 6655

I like the short sleeve, short length view -- this is essentially a well-fitted shift dress with a faux button placket stitched on. I think if I could get this fitted well it could serve as the basis for many variations.

5. Talulah Knit Dress by Style Arc

I like the look of this one, if I can get the fitting right -- petite-ing a dress with all the detail in the hem area can be a bit tricky but I'm willing to give it a go.

6. Bento Tee by Liesl & Co.

I love the silhouette and the cool pockets and I saw someone on Instagram make a dress version which is also tempting. I've liked the patterns I've tried from this company previously so this is next up.

7. Fringe Dress by Chalk & Notch

This one was on my list for 2020 but I didn't get to it. I still really want to make it so I'm carrying it forward! 

8. Simplicity 1542

Another great pick for a blazer -- this one has 3 great views, plus a flippy skirt. I like all 3 versions of the jacket, just have to choose one to try out this year.

9. Ivy Pinafore by Jennifer Lauren

Another item from last year that I didn't get to but am carrying forward, mostly because I want to wear it while jumpers are still in fashion, plus, I have a great wide-wale blue corduroy I want to use for this. 

Next up, the 9 fabrics I want to use this year -- some a few years old, some quite recent. This may be matched with some of the patterns above, or they may not. It all depends what I am feeling! 

L to R: checkered cotton canvas (lightweight), reddish wool blend houndstooth (thrifted),
wool blend b&w houndstooth with faint gold sparkle

L to R: crinkle polycotton floral, gorgeous tropical print rayon,
vintage poly blend faille (thrifted)

L to R: rayon abstract alphabet print, rayon knit, poly blend knit with faint houndstoothy vibe

There are also a couple of alphabet prints that I'd put on my list for 2020 that I haven't gotten to yet but really want to make up this year. Text based print, houndstooth and dark florals -- all my favourites for this year! Plus green, I'm really loving it right now. 

So that's my plan for this year. Let's see how long it is before I'm distracted and veer off this path ;) I also have at least 10 Burda magazine patterns I'd like to make, not to mention my vintage/retro stash... oh for more time! 

With all these plans it will be interesting to see what my stash looks like by the end of the year. Have you made sewing plans this year or are you planning to go with the flow? 

Sewing Plans and Preoccupations

Along with some of the social sewing I've been doing recently, I've been trying to get busy with some other projects. This what I'm working on now, and hoping to get done before the end of the month!

I've cut a Burda dress from this very cool knit fabric. It's like a glen plaid, and has a black flocked print on the thin grey knit base.

But look a little closer, and that print gets even more interesting!

I'm using a magazine pattern from September 2019 that I've had my eye on since I received that issue; there's a self belt that I am hoping will work out in this fabric as well.

I'm also on the verge of cutting out my #BHMPatternDesigners project, a floral Khaliah Ali top, Simplicity 2230.

That should take me to the end of the month!

I am also planning on tracing out a few more patterns from some of my Burda magazines, especially a skirt from the May 2019 issue for the monthly challenge at the Stratford Garment Guild - which is just to make any skirt of your choice.


Something else that is sewing related and super fun is that I found a collection of notions and a stack of patterns at my thrift store this week. I haven't found much of anything for a long time so this was a nice surprise! The notions are already dispersed to various storage spots (some bias binding, rick rack, hooks and eyes, and a belt kit) but here are the patterns:

So Star Trek!

I am planning on trying out the McCalls 3330 first -- in the jumper view, of course!

How about you? What does your sewing queue look like? Have you had any great sewing supply scores recently?

20 in 2020

I know I said that I want to slow down and try more complex patterns this year, but that didn't stop me from getting all excited about the 20 in 2020 plans going around. The numbers are just too irresistible!

I was looking through Instagram sewing challenges, pondering doing the Make Nine challenge for the first time, or maybe the Use Nine Challenge instead...so I thought I'd combine them into a 20 for 2020 Challenge by adding one more to each!

Now, having said that, this is going to be a relaxed and aspirational challenge, not one that I'm going to rigidly hold myself to. I don't do well with fixed parameters, so this 20 in 2020 is my overarching them for myself, and a reminder of things I'd like to do by the end of the year.

Onward with the details!

Here are the Ten Patterns I'd like to get to this year:

1. Jennifer Lauren Laneway Dress
2. Jennifer Lauren Ivy Pinafore
3. Chalk & Notch Fringe Dress
4. Antero Shell Top (from the Well Traveled Collection)
5. Halla Agnes Dress
6. Halfmoon Atelier's La Brea Tee
7. Jalie Rachel Top/Dress
8. Closet Case Cielo Top/Dress
9. Victory Patterns Hazel Dress
10. Named Sointu Tee

And here are Ten Stash Fabrics I'd like to use up this year:

L: Windham Fabrics cotton, R: knit

L: Cotton voile, R: knit

L: Rayon twill, R: Linen/Cotton blend

L: mystery woven, R: knit

L: stretch poplin, R: knit

These 20 may overlap, or they may not. I have some ideas now put down in writing, but will always follow my mood as to making things. I have at least ten Big 4 and Burda patterns that I'm interested in too! And then there is my goal of drafting a pattern of my own.

So it will be interesting to see how things look at the end of the year! Do you like to make plans or to go with the flow?