Search

Search only in certain items:

The Corset
The Corset
Laura Purcell | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Mystery
9
9.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
This haunting tale will have you spellbound right to the shocking end!
Its set in Victorian times, linking 2 central characters. Lady Dorothea takes up charitable work visiting Ruth Butterham, a self-confessed murderess, in the local prison. Dorothea is a student of phrenology and is fascinated by how the shape of a person’s skull can “apparently” signify aspects of their personality.

Through successive visits, Ruth tells Dorothea her story. It all begins with Ruth as a victim; a victim of poverty, bullying and a physical attack. She becomes angry, hateful and vengeful. She is then pulled out of school to bring in a wage for her growing family. All her energy goes into sewing, sewing for money and sewing items for her soon to be born sister.

There are several macabre scenes at this point. Shortly after her sister’s birth, Ruth sews her a blanket with an angel embroidered in the corner. And it’s while she’s wrapped in the blanket that the new born dies, and the reason for the death is described by the slang “taken by the strangling angel”.

Ruth believes that she has the power to curse people to death with her sewing, and this is a belief that grows stronger with each garment that she sews. Ruth secretly enacts vengeance on her growing list of enemies, as more people die who are connected to Ruth and her sewing. The story intensifies as Ruth’s circumstances deteriorate at every turn.

While Ruth’s story becomes increasingly gothic, Dorothea’s chapters are light and breezy, concerned with finding the right suitor. With regards to her visits with Ruth, Dorothea’s attention diverts somewhat from her phrenology as she listens to her story - but she listens as a sceptic. She sees how bitter Ruth has been but does not see her as a murderess.

Towards the end of the book, Ruth faces her trial. But that is not the end of the drama! I did not see that ending coming!

The language of the book befits the era in which its set; and I often came across words I was unfamiliar with. This did not put me off at all. The book may be odd in its premise, but is more dark and sinister than most – thoroughly recommended!
  
40x40

Sarah (7798 KP) Oct 17, 2018

I love it when book reviews make me want to read a book I'd probably never have considered otherwise. Definitely add this one to the 'to read list ?

Sewing Knits from Fit to Finish: Proven Methods for Conventional Machine and Serger
Sewing Knits from Fit to Finish: Proven Methods for Conventional Machine and Serger
Linda Lee | 2018 | Art, Photography & Fashion
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sewing Knits from Fit to Finish: Proven Methods for Conventional Machine and Serger by Linda Lee is a great guide for anyone learning to sew. The book has high-quality paper with lots of colorful photographs and clear illustrations.

This book is not for beginners. the descriptions and directions are very thorough, they are still complex and intense. The author describes the different kinds of knit fabrics as well as outlines the best way to create buttonholes, hems, seams, etc to avoid puckering or stretching.

I received an ARC copy from Quarto Publishing Group - Creative Publishing International and Creative Publishing international via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
  
40x40

Adam Green recommended Os Muntantes by Os Muntantes in Music (curated)

 
Os Muntantes by Os Muntantes
Os Muntantes by Os Muntantes
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"These guys are a Brazilian 60s band, who people in their home country think of as their Beatles, but they're actually their own, weird, indescribable entity. The band is two brothers and a lady named Rita Lee. More than anything with this record, if you listen to it, you instantly want to live in Brazil – and you know a record is good if it makes you want to emigrate. It really conjures up a world. It's so imaginative and fun, it's part of that group of 60s records like Sgt Pepper's. They were 17 when they were making this record but they were already master songwriters with a massive skill and technique beyond almost everyone who is around right now. Just like The Beatles, they are able to be haphazard with it – they are so good they can have comedy skits in the middle of their songs: the coolest chorus with sound of breaking plates at the end of it. Apparently they were inventing machines while they were making it. They were putting their guitars through sewing machines. So the pulsing tremolo tone through one of the songs is the contact of the needle with the machine. Effectively they made a guitar pedal out of a sewing machine! It's super playful and Brazilian in character, but also perfectly fused with the international psychedelic revolution but it comes off as this other animal. It's the coolest thing when cultures get mixed together, it's so great to see that hybrid to happen. This band was important for me because when I was doing The Moldy Peaches because I was so inspired by how fun they were. My fantasy of what a show could be was them!"

Source
  
Stitch It Simple: 25 hand sewn projects to make and share
Stitch It Simple: 25 hand sewn projects to make and share
Beth Sheard | 2017 | Art, Photography & Fashion
10
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Stitch it simple is one of those rare books where I like every single pattern. I mean really, how can you not love a stuffed cat door stop, or felt slippers, or adorable elephants hanging down? The patterns range from small décor (stuffed butterfly, an Owl card) to large, (purses, window panels, cushions)

One thing I really like is a lot of the patterns have little “alternate patterns,” with a variation on the pattern. For instance the bird table-runner has a variation to make it into a placemat. The Owl card has an alternate Owl Tote bag you can make.

All the photographs are beautiful, and it has detailed drawings and diagrams on the techniques. This book would be awesome for people who want one book and lots of projects that will get them started sewing for the home.
  
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
1991 | Horror, Thriller

"Ted Levine’s Buffalo Bill, the most comprehensively overlooked performance of the nineties. That he wasn’t even nominated for an Oscar in the best supporting actor category—Jack Palance won that year for City Slickers (and did push-ups onstage)—is criminal. Not much can be said about this movie that hasn’t been said already—except perhaps a reminder of cinematographer Tak Fujimoto’s genius. He and Demme have the actors using the tightest possible eye lines, and in doing so draw the audience into conversations the brutality of which is all the more strengthened by this compositional straightforwardness. And I’ll never forget production designer Kristi Zea’s masterstroke of terror in the design of Buffalo Bill’s torture basement. Amid the moths and carefully positioned mannequins, near the skin suit and Bill’s sewing machine, is a couch with a quilt thrown over the back. The quilt is made of panels, and in each panel is a swastika. It’s a Nazi quilt . . . Enough said."

Source
  
New England Knits is full of 25 beautiful patterns—I love every single one—that are ideal for Fall, Winter, and Spring in the cooler areas of the world. There's a good variety: some sweaters, some cowls, some hats, a bag, a pair of mittens etc. They're all original and unique, and very inspiring. I can look at them and think of my own version or variation, either by changing the colors, adding a pocket, sewing on beads, etc. and creating my own look as well.

Again, I loved every single one. I've started one of them (Whale Watch Hat! It's really cute) and I can't wait to make some of the others.

Recommendation: The patterns are easy enough to read and understand for the intermediate/advanced knitter, which is the skill group it's written for. I'd say make sure you can read a pattern and use double pointed needles before trying any of these patterns. Summer is nearly half way over! Pick up your knitting needles and start on your Fall and Winter sweaters now!
  
Modern Calligraphy and Hand Lettering by Lisa Engelbrecht
Genre: Calligraphy and craft
ISBN: 9781592536443
Published: September 1st 2010 by Quarry Books
Rating: 5

This book was absolutely amazing. I have loved calligraphy since I was eleven.

This book had everything: information on supplies and tools and instructions on how to build your own tools. There are chapters on different calligraphy styles, like classic calligraphy, vintage styled alphabets, raw dry-brush techniques, funky fun letters, calligraphy on fabric, urban-styled graffiti, flourishes, gothic, and mixed media pieces. Every chapter is exciting and inspiring, and each chapter will speak to a different person and hit on their personal style. I have to say the fabric section really made me want to dance and get out my sewing machine. There were example pieces, full alphabets, photographs, stroke-by-stroke instructions on certain alphabets, and ideas beyond belief. This book is enough to keep me busy for at least the next two decades…

I recommend this book to anyone interested in calligraphy, collage, mixed media, or anyone who loves hand-writing pieces of art (Yes there are still some of us who love hand-writing letters and love poems and posters. We're awesome.).
  
The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978)
The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978)
1978 | Drama, History
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"I was working on a film with another writer friend that didn’t happen. It was going to happen in Europe if it happened, and I had been scouting for it, and I saw this film when I was thinking about that movie, and that maybe kind of bled into First Cow. Suddenly First Cow did come together, and they were both in the same period, and they both were sort of films of peasants in their little hutches. [In Wooden Clogs], this is like a little community of workers who are working on the property of their landlord; the Chief Factor in First Cow isn’t really a property owner, but he’s more like the CEO of Firestone going to another continent and using all the resources; he’s holding this kind of power in the region. There were some thematic things, but again, it’s people in their little houses working all day – always sewing, fixing things, feeding the animals – and then around the candlelight at night telling stories and cooking in their fires and everything is very tactile. All the hay, the thatch roofs, the wooden floors, all those things – the chores, the chores, the chores."

Source
  
Adventures in Book Binding was the perfect book to get me rolling. It had just enough information to educate me on the basics, but it didn't feel like a book meant for fourth-graders. I had no experience in book binding whatsoever (though I have years of craft experience), and now I feel like I'm ready to take off.

The beginning has information about tools, materials, adhesive, paper, and lots of other information. Each project has the fully explained version, a "Shortcut" idea and blurb for a more simple project, and a "Master" idea and blurb. The instructions themselves have many photographs, illustrations, and easy to read explanations.

The projects themselves are astounding! I loved every single one of them. They looked fun to make, they were all very different, and were very inspiring. I could spend hours flipping through this book, and every time I look at a project my mind goes crazy coming up with new ideas of my own.

There are templates and patterns in the back.

All in all I am highly satisfied with Adventures in Bookbinding and recommend it to anyone who has some experience in sewing or crafting and wants to get started creating their own books or journals.
  
The Ivory Needle
The Ivory Needle
Leslie Miller | 2017 | Mind, Body & Spiritual, Travel, Young Adult (YA)
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Quick read (3 more)
Magic
Adventure in Africa
Immortal elephants
Magic, Immortal Elephants and a trip to Africa! Sign me up!!!
I was not sure what to expect from this book and was pleasantly surprised!
This is a magical story about a 16-year-old Chessie and her brother who get shipped off to Kenya to spend the summer with their Gram. Chessie is not all too excited about the trip and is more concerned with the reasons their mother has made this hastey decision.
Her opinion is changed shortly, when upon seaching Gram's attic, she comes across a small ivory box that contains a sewing needle that happens to be made out of ivory from an ancient elephant. Upon using the needle, she is immediately linked to the elephant and it's herd and some weird trances and chanting ensue.
The story is told by 3 characters: Chessie; Daniel, a young native of Kenya who is dealing with poverty; and Ayleph, an ancient elephant spirit. All three are dealing with loss and change and struggling to accept the world around them.
This book had me at the mention of magic, and was a heart-warming tale that goes to show that all are possible, even magic, if you believe it to be so.
Highly recommended for everyone.