By the Book: Six Stitchy Reads for Sewing Fiends
- Words by Peppermint
Are you a sewist with space on your bedside table simply longing for a book to fill it? Are you going on holiday and need an engaging read to distract you from the pain of being separated from your sewing machine? Or are you simply a voracious reader with a passion for fashion?
It can be hard to search for βsewing booksβ without being inundated with pattern collections and technique textbooks (not that we donβt appreciate them, in their place) so weβve put together a curated collection of books that are actually books β fiction and non-fiction β for the edification and enjoyment of sewing enthusiasts.Β
NON-FICTION
THE DRESSMAKERS OF AUSCHWITZ
In the heart of the Holocaustβs most infamous death camp, 25 young inmates were selected to design, cut and sew beautiful fashions for elite Nazi women while surrounded by mistreatment, squalor and the hanging threat of the gas chambers. Historian Lucy Adlington follows the fates of these remarkable women β exploring their bravery, bonds and resistance β and showcasing the power of fashion history to uncover new and fascinating perspectives and insights into our past. Not to sound like a movie trailer, but if anything deserves the descriptor βan unbelievable true storyβ it’s this tale.
THE POCKET: A HIDDEN HISTORY OF WOMEN’S LIVES, 1660-1900
Barbara Burman and Ariane Fennetaux
βWhat has it got in its pocketses?” It’s the question Gollum and the rest of us are always asking and it’s the question that Barbara Burman and Ariane Fennetaux are here to answer. Endlessly fascinating in its finite focus, the book looks at womenβs tie-on pockets and the things they kept in them to generate incredible insight into the social history of womenβs everyday lives β from duchesses and country gentry to sex workers and washerwomen. Itβs a meticulously detailed masterpiece of material culture and microhistory, stuffed full of fun facts, feminist thoughts and support for Big Pocket Supremecy.
DRESS CODES: HOW THE LAWS OF FASHION MADE HISTORY
Do dress codes give you a sense of security or cause clothing confusion? Does anyone know what constitutes business casual or white tie? Law professor and cultural critic Richard Thompson Ford takes us through the laws of fashion and the customs of clothing from medieval sumptuary laws to 1920 bans of bobbed hair and the roots of the Zoot Suit Riots. Richard reveals throughout history, the fashion police have been far from fictitious and that far from frivolous, fashion reflects the struggles for power and status within society, even today!
Read More: Netflix and Sew β Our Favourite Sewing-Inspired Television Shows
FICTION
THE DRESSMAKER
True Peppermint fans might say, βHey, didnβt you already recommend The Dressmaker in your sewing films roundup?β Yes, but this time it’s the book β itβs totally different! No shirtless Hemsworth in here unless you have a strong visual imagination. Fabulous fashion designer Tilly Dunnage returns to the small Australian town of her birth with a trusty Singer sewing machine in hand and a heart set on revenge! Relive the classic Australian Gothic tale of love, hate and haute couture but this time in the cinema of your mind!
THE DRESS THIEF
Set among the glamorous golden age fashion houses of Paris in the 1930s, The Dress Thief follows Alix Gower, an aspiring designer with a terrible secret β in order to support her family, she copies high-end designs for the lucrative knockoff market. Offered her big chance at legitimacy and living her dream at the terrible price of one last job β stealing an entire spring collection β Alix fears how quickly everything sheβs worked for could fall apart at the seams! A riveting and romantic novel that tackles themes of intellectual property and the origins of modern fast fashion.Β Β Β
THE GOWN
The scene is London, 1947, the harshest winter in living memory, postwar Britains burdened by shortages and rationing are enduring lives of quiet desperation despite their nationβs recent victory. Meanwhile, Princess Elizabeth is getting married to her cousin (both third and seventh!). Our heroes, Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, are embroiderers at a famed Mayfair fashion house whose friendship is tested when they are selected to take part in the creation of Princess Elizabethβs wedding gown. Meticulously researched and richly detailed, youβll feel prepared to pick up the embroidery needle at the end of this book!
READ IT? RECOMMEND IT!
A few extra recommendations from our beloved sewing communityβ¦
The Forgotten Seamstress,Β Liz TrenowΒ
The Seamstress of Sardinia, Bianca Pitzorno
The Sewing Machine,Β Natalie Fergie
The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison,Β Meredith Jaffe
Threads of Life: A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle, Clare Hunter
The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History, Kassia St Clair
The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World, Virginia Postrel
The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle,Β Jennifer RyanΒ
Read More: Grab the Popcorn β Here are 11 Films to Inspire Your Sewing
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βCrafting is something that has come naturally since I was small and I just havenβt stopped. When I was smaller, I was interested in the end result. As Iβve gotten older, I realise itβs the process that keeps me coming back to craft. Itβs a meditative state for me and I find the repetitive action of the stitching and felting quite therapeutic.ββ
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Craving a world filled with warmth and whimsy? Itβs all in a dayβs work for textile artist @Cat_Rabbit, whose latest book, βTrinketsβ, is bursting with felty food friends to make and cherish. Cat invited us into her universe, filled with cheeky characters, layered storytelling and loads of humour. β
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Plus: try the super sweet pattern for Catβs Lucky Pickle, perfect to make as a stocking stuffer, extracted from Trinkets. β
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Read more from our βJust felt rightβ feature in Issue 64, at newsagents and stockists now!β
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Photos: Tatanja Ross @On_JacksonStreet and Cat Rabbitβ
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Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the Bondi Beach violence, especially the Jewish community. Also to the beachgoers, those who bravely helped and the first responders.β
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While it`s easy β and understandable β to get caught up in the horror of it all and direct anger at certain groups, remember this quote from teacher and author Erin Gruwell: "Don`t let the actions of a few determine the way you feel about an entire group."β
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βYou don`t fight racism with racism. You fight racism with solidarity," said Bobby Seale of the Black Panthers. And solidarity is exactly what we need right now.β
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If you are feeling overwhelmed, you are not alone. Remember there is much more kindness in the world than hate. β€οΈβπ©Ήβ
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@LifelineAustralia has created a Bondi Beach Incident: Wellbeing support guide, where youβll find information about common reactions, reassurance that what youβre feeling is valid, and ideas for taking care of your wellbeing.β
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https://lifeline.org.au/bondi-incidentβ
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You can also call Lifeline on 13 11 14, text on 0477 13 11 14 or chat at lifeline.org.au/crisis-chat anytime, no matter how this has impacted you.β
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@BeyondBlueOfficial is also available with free 24/7 support by phone on 1300 22 4636 or webchat at https://www.beyondblue.org.au/β
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Register.Find.Reunite. has been activated by @RedCrossAu to help people reconnect with family and friends. Visit redcross.org.au to access the service.β
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@NSWPolice Public Information and Inquiry Centre (PIIC) is operating 24/7 on 1800 227 228 for information relating to people impacted.β
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@LifeBloodAu is supporting Sydney hospitals. O- and O+ blood are always in high demand in emergencies. To donate (from anywhere in Australia β all states are welcome and helpful!) call 13 14 95 or use the Lifeblood app.
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Ice, ice, baby! Calling all kitchen magicians and dessert devotees: itβs time to churn, blend and devour your way to frozen heaven. Itβs our final giveaway β and hoo girl, itβs a goodie! Thanks to the clever folks at @TheOriginalGreenPan.Anz, one reader will cool their mitts on the Frost Ice Cream & Frozen Drink Maker β perfect for conjuring up home-made gelato, sorbet, smoothies, slushies and more!
Valued at $599, the Frost Ice Cream & Frozen Drink Maker is designed with GreenPanβs signature Thermolonβ’ ceramic non-stick coating, so you can whip up summer-ready sweet treats free of PFAS, PFOA, lead and cadmium.
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