Literary Sewing Circle: More Inspiration!

 

 

It's time for more inspiration for our sewing projects drawn from Banyan Moon! This week I'll be looking at some of the settings and the outfits mentioned in the book to spark some ideas for our own sewing. 

Florida itself plays a big part in this book. The weather, the ocean, the fauna and flora, all show up here. We could be inspired by the ocean, simply with this Ocean Daze shirt by Pattern Emporium. Whether worn as a beach cover-up or in fabrics inspired by the title, it might be a great choice. 

There are a number of scenes on the beach in this novel. The novel opens when Minh, Huong and Ann are on the deserted beach in Ann's childhood - there is mention of the young Ann's wish for a new swimsuit as well as a description of Minh's outfit (as noted by reader Sara in our last post!)

'...She wore wide legged trousers in eggplant and a button down shirt that covered her arms entirely, except for a sliver of wrist, shaded exactly like sun-warmed hay. '

You could copy Minh in pieces by Liesl & Co, such as the Gallery Tunic along with the Cannes Trousers. 

Or you might want to try this Linnet Tunic by Patternerie on Etsy. 

Maybe it's the swimsuits that interest you. Huong teaches herself to swim during the action of the novel, facing her fears and tackling the ocean. You could make a swimsuit inspired by these mentions. 

You might try the Jalie Diane one-piece - practical and also a nod to Huong's sister-in-law Diane. 

Or maybe the Waverider Suit by Ellie & Mac for Huong's ocean swims. 

Perhaps it's the Seabright Swimmer from Friday Pattern Company that will catch your interest! 

In one of Huong's ocean swims, she gets caught in a riptide but survives with some quick thinking. Before she realizes what was happening she had stopped swimming to rest on a sandbar: 

I get on my knees and dig through the sand until I find what I'm looking for: the tiniest most perfect sand dollar. ... I can't wait to show Ann.

The most obvious make for this quote is the cheerful Sand Dollar Dress by designer Ann Treacy of Pattern Division! 

Or maybe the description of Ann's feeling when she's settled into the Banyan House will inspire you:

I want to be something feral and self-sufficient, like those panthers in the Everglades with their silky bodies, jumping from branch to branch.

You might choose to create the Panthere cocktail dress by I AM Patterns! 

Or even just use a thematic fabric for another project, like this Black Panthers rayon found at Simplifii Fabrics

Or take Ann's comment on her mother, near the end of the book: 

Her love is not flawless, a solitaire sparkling from a smooth hand. Rather, it reminds me of a geode -- rough and worn by time yet cracked, occasionally, to reveal a vibrant cluster of crystals. 

You could make the Geo Dress by Sew Different, maybe in one of the many gorgeous Geode prints from Spoonflower -- or you could tie-dye your own!

You might look at some of the colours and items described in the book, like the red silk shot through with gold peonies that Ann finds when she opens the old trunk in the attic -- or the milky-white glow of the moon in the story of Chu Cuoi -- or the jade bracelets that Minh talks about ("their deep green like the bottom of a pool, a color that felt taken from a painting") -- or Ann's description of the 'blooming purple azaleas and starry milkweed' surrounding the Banyan House -- or the way the "light filters through the trees in planked yellow streaks on the grass". 

Or maybe you'll be inspired by actual descriptions of clothing in the novel, like Minh's outfit mentioned at the beginning of this post. Or Huong's effortless style:

Now Mom greets me at the door in jeans and one of those clingy polyester shirts printed in a mandala design, somehow making it look fashionable

There are so many jeans patterns you could try, from the Mountain View Pull On Jeans from Itch to Stitch to the Heroine Jeans by Merchant and Mills or the Everyday Jeans by New Craft House, to name just a few! 

And you could make one of a multitude of swingy, clingy top patterns but of course in a nicer fabric than poly - maybe a bamboo jersey or modal. Lots of great mandala prints out there too! The Laundry Day Tee by Love Notions or the (free) Mallory asymmetrical tee by Tiana's Closet might be a great pick. 

Or one day after swimming lessons, Huong returns home: " I shower quickly, then put on a cornflower-blue sundress". 

Maybe you'll make a Cornflower summer dress from Wissew! 

When Crystal first comes to the Banyan House to see Ann after all their years apart, she comments that Ann looks different from what she expected - like, that Ann might have "a Chanel blazer or those fancy shoes with red soles". Ann doesn't tell her that she does indeed have a Chanel blazer packed away. And we all know how sewists love our knock-off Chanel blazers! You might want to make a quick dupe, using one of many patterns. If you're on PatternReview, there is a Chanel Style jacket sewalong you can follow for many tips and ideas. And you can also find a list of great choices at this blog by Sewing Chanel Style!

pic by SewingChanelStyle.com

Perhaps you'll accent something with lace, like the one Ann finds in the linen closet and they use for Minh's altar -- "Ann spreads out a piece of white Chantilly lace from the Lady's linen closet. Maybe it was meant to be sewn into a dress once, or a veil." For tips on how to sew with Chantilly lace, you can find a lot of great info in this blog post at Gertie's original blog! And there are more tips on lace in general at the Charm website. Or maybe you'll just give a nod to this image by using the Chantilly dress by Seamwork. 

When Ann is in the hospital, Huong talks about their outfits on a chilly October day - hers a cardigan the color of an olive leaf, and Ann's a rust-red one with big gold buttons, while Ann later mentions Huong wearing one of Minh's old sweaters, the "Big Bird yellow one with the huge buttons she got at a church rummage sale". 

You could choose any of a number of wonderful sweater or cardigan patterns to copy these outfits. Maybe the Misusu Cuddle Cardigan in green would copy Huong, while Ann's rust red one sounds like a Marlo by True Bias  The Citrine Cardi by Made by Rae in big bird yellow might replicate Minh's rummage sale find. 

Misusu Cuddle Cardigan & Sweater

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Marlo Sweater by True Bias

Citrine by Made by Rae

Of course, you might also be thinking of Ann's previous life, in which she dresses up for parties like the one that opens this book. At that pivotal gathering she has on a fancy gown:

...he runs his hand over my hip, across the ocean-blue silk  of my one-shouldered gown, modest yet bold

Meanwhile, Noah's mother is wearing "an unusual dress for her: pink chiffon in a swingy pattern, the color of a shell's pearlescent interior, a direct affront to the white-and-blue theme". 

Both of these fancy dresses make me think of Burda patterns! Ann's dress could be copied - in blue of course - using this gown from Burda 07/2011.

Or for a more modern look, you could make this knit version by using the Bond Dress by Sewing & The City. 

Meanwhile, Alice might have been wearing something in a slightly lighter pink chiffon, similar to this Burda 127 from April 2024

Or it could be that this final image might stick with you, from when Ann is rummaging through her inheritance, Minh's jewelry box: "I sift through the precious metal, the gleam of rubies and deep, woodsy emeralds. Pearls that seem almost indecent in their luster, their perfect roundness. It's Aladdin's cave in there." 

This book feels a bit like a treasure box to me, and I love this image. You could take the jewels literally and make the Ruby Dress by Simple Sew, the Emerald Dress by Made by Rae or the Pearl Dress by Galia Couture, 

Or simply choose a fabric to represent this idea, like this Obsidian Baroque print by Raveneve on Spoonflower.

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I hope that you have both been inspired by this post, and are enjoying the reading. Please share any inspiration you might be thinking of for your project! 

And also, please share any quotes from the book that have jumped out at you so far, and thoughts about which parts have really caught you. I'd love to hear what you think of the story!