[a colorful array of thread with a scissors]"If you take up sewing as well, with every pattern traced and cut, with every seam stitched, with every pocket set in, you will feel more at ease and confident, and you will also understand more deeply all the places you can go astray."

 

 

 

 

September is National Sewing Month.   This online exhibit celebrates the notion of making your own work, in an era of mass-produced clothing and furnishings, and discusses everything from the appreciation of the art to the frustration of the critical eye finding that one dropped stich.

[a thimble surrounded by thread]

Making Honest

When the growing season ended, Rochelle started sewing.  Then she found that creating well-made things by hand can satisfy both spiritual and emotional cravings.

[a girl wearing a homemade face mask]

Face Mask Fairies 

Published in July 2020, this article details a critical fact about COVD-19: Making masks, face shields, and other protective equipment is the COVID-19 version of rolling bandages or knitting socks for the troops. But there is a major difference. In the beginning, no long-established agency like the Red Cross was coordinating today's efforts. They were completely bottom-up.

[cover art]

American Quilts, The Democratic Art

This photograph book covers the historical panorama of quilt making in the United States, from the quintessential patterns to their cultural significance.  From applique, to the rise of the pieced quilt, and the reliance on quilts as a form of social and emotional comfort during tumultuous times, quilts have become the biggest fiber art legacy in the United States.

[illustration of women in a sewing circle]

Sewing Societies

At the beginning of the Civil War, both Union and Confederate women formed sewing societies to provide uniforms, underclothing, blankets, socks, tents, haversacks, regimental flags, and other necessities for soldiers in the field. Part of a massive voluntary effort by women on the home front, complex sewing societies developed as women sought to meet the vast need of supplying the men in the field.

[cover art of the book, showing a young girl standing and looking sideways at the viewer, with a large pair of scissors in one hand]

Sew Fab

Sew Fab is a style and sewing workbook for anyone who loves fashion. It will teach you not just to sew, but how to wear your creations with flair. Start by finding your style tribe, learning to accessorize, identifying the best colors for you, and more.  There's a mix of easy step-by-step projects to sew by hand or using simple machining, from a hair bow to a little black dress (but in the color that suits you best!). Packed with gorgeous illustrations, step-by-step projects, tips, and fun activities, you will be creating unique clothes and accessories in no time.

[cover art]

Sew It Tonight, Give It Tomorrow

50 fast, fun, and fabulous gifts to make in an evening.  Michele Reisch won an Emmy Award for her costume designs on television soap operas. Patrick Lose creates designs for stars like Liza Minnelli and Jane Seymour. Ellen Halloran's design work has been seen in New York City galleries and featured in The New York Times and The San Francisco Chronicle. With straightforward instructions and illustrations, these and other sewing experts offer their expertise and industry know-how to this sewer's must-have.