Literary Sewing Circle: Sisters of Grass Sewing Inspiration

 It's the first week of our Literary Sewing Circle featuring Sisters of Grass. Have you found a copy yet? Have you started reading? If so, how are you finding the opening chapters? 

Today's inspiration is going to look at some of the characters and places in this story; we'll find ideas based on their names and personalities. There are many evocative names, both personal and geographic, in this book, and here are a few suggestions of projects you could make based on these elements. 

Let's start with the main characters! 

The story starts with our modern day museum curator, Anna. There are many patterns you could use inspired by this character. Of course I couldn't help thinking of the sewing world classic, the Anna Dress by By Hand London 

If you want to go a little more casual, you could give the Anna Shirt by Wardrobe by Me a try. It's a good one to roll up your sleeves in and get to work! 

Next is our historical main character, Margaret Stuart.  You might want to make a Margaret Dress by La Petite Mercerie for a day dress style, maybe in pink like Margaret's fancy frock she wore to Madame Albani's concert. 

Or you could put together a more everyday outfit by combining the Margaret Stretch Pants by Style Arc with a pretty summer Margaret Cowl Neck Cami by AnnaTheTailor on Etsy

Now looking at Margaret's mother Jenny, we might consider a useful outfit for rustic work, with the Jenny Overalls by Closet Core. Make them in denim for sturdy usage or a lighter fabric for a more city wear kind of style. 

Or put together a streamlined outfit with the Jenny Skirt by Homer & Howells alongside the Jenny Essential Tee by In-House Patterns

Jenny's mother, Grandmother Jackson, is an important part of Margaret's life. You could make something in honour of the Jackson family, like the Jackson Tee by our sponsor Helen's Closet. Or make something casual, like these Jackson Joggers by Peek-a-Boo patterns.

You might want to take your inspiration from another character, Nicholas Byrne, who appears later in the book. You could try the Nicholas Shirt by CreativeFabrica for a relaxed camp shirt silhouette, tthat might reflect the more laid back atmosphere of his work in BC.

Maybe you're thinking that you are more taken with the horses in the book! You could find your inspiration in Margaret's horse Daisy, and make the cozy Daisy top from Misusu Patterns. 

Or maybe a cottagecore Daisy Dress from Rosery Appeal! 

Could be that you are more intrigued by their new horse, Thistle, who Margaret rides home from their city visit. You could make a Thistle Kilt, a free pattern from Mood Sewciety, in honour of both Thistle and the Stuart family's Scottish heritage. 

Or maybe you'll rustle up a quick Thistle Necktie by Sunflower Seams for a menswear inspired project.

Or you could look more at the place names in this book for your inspiration. The Nicola Valley is a big part of the story, and there are many Nicola inspired ideas. You could go with the classic Sewaholic Nicola Dress  -- a pattern named for geographic places in BC by a BC company!

Or you may want to try another style of dress by another Canadian company, the  Victory Patterns Nicola Dress. 

If you were thinking more about having a handy bag to gather wild plants in, for example, you could grab the pattern for the Liberty Crossroads Nicola Pouch. This is a hands-free purse/bag that could be really useful! 

William Stuart comes to the Nicola Valley from his childhood home of Astoria, Oregon. The opening pages of the book evoke that place strongly. You could take Astoria as your inspo with the fog-friendly Seamwork Astoria Sweater, or the even cozier Peek-A-Boo Patterns Astoria. 

There is also the Astoria Knit Dress by StyleArc or McCalls Astoria Coat to keep you cozy too! 

Whatever you decide, I hope you'll enjoy the read and come away with some ideas. Stay tuned for our second inspiration post in a couple of weeks. And if you're already contemplating some project ideas, feel free to share them.