Cover Designs! #39: In a New York Minute

 

Cover Designs is a feature in which I try to match up the outfit on a book cover with a dress pattern and sometimes even potential fabric matches as well. Today's pick is In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer. 

Summary from Publisher: 

Franny Doyle is having the worst day. She’s been laid off from her (admittedly mediocre) job, the subway doors ripped her favorite silk dress to ruins, and now she’s flashed her unmentionables to half of lower Manhattan. On the plus side, a dashing stranger came to her rescue with his (Gucci) suit jacket. On the not-so-plus side, he can’t get away from her fast enough.

Worse yet? Someone posted their (entirely not) meet-cute online. Suddenly Franny and her knight-in-couture, Hayes Montgomery III, are the newest social media sensation, and all of New York is shipping #SubwayQTs.

Only Franny and Hayes couldn’t be a more disastrous match. She’s fanciful, talkative, and creative. He’s serious, shy, and all about numbers. Luckily, in a city of eight million people, they never have to meet again. Yet somehow, Hayes and Franny keep running into each other—and much to their surprise, they enjoy each other’s company. A lot. But when Franny’s whole world is turned upside down (again!), can she find the courage to trust in herself and finally have the life—and love—she’s always wanted?

The cute summer outfit that Franny is wearing on the cover would be easy to replicate as a two piece set. The top is a perfect match for the Stitch Witch Atlas top - though of course you might want to make it in red!

The skirt could be made with almost any basic A-line skirt pattern; you could even draft your own. But if you're thinking patterns, try the Liesl & Co Garibaldi skirt in the short view, or the free Libby A-Line skirt from Tessuti. Or any of the many big four patterns of course! 

Garibaldi

Libby

Look for some beautiful red silk and you'd be set. Try this luscious silk noil from Gala Fabrics in BC

Or maybe a lighter weight linen from Pure Linen Envy for a more summery feel

Whichever it is, wear it happily and watch out for subway doors! 

Cover Designs! #38: The Wonders

 

Cover Designs is a feature in which I try to match up the outfit on a book cover with a dress pattern and sometimes even potential fabric matches as well.

Today's pick is The Wonders by Elena Medel.

Summary from publisher:

The Wonders follows Maria and Alicia through the streets of Madrid, from job to job and apartment to apartment, as they search for meaning and stability in a precarious world and unknowingly trace each other’s footfalls across time.

Maria moved to the city in 1969, leaving her daughter with her family but hoping to save enough to take care of her one day. She worked as a housekeeper, then a caregiver, and later a cleaner, and somehow she was always taking care of someone else. Two generations later, in 2018, Alicia was working at the snack shop in Madrid’s Atocha train station when it overflowed with protestors and strikers. All women—and so many of them—protesting what? Alicia wasn’t entirely sure. She couldn’t have known that Maria was among them. Alicia didn’t have time for marches; she was just trying to hang on until the end of her shift, when she might meet someone to take her away for a few hours, to make her forget.

Readers will fall in love with Maria and Alicia, whose stories finally converge in the chaos of the protests, the weight of the years of silence hanging thickly in the air between them. The Wonders brings half a century of the feminist movement to life, and launches an inimitable new voice in fiction.

While we only see the cover dress from the back, this long sleeved shift dress should be pretty easy to replicate. It's the fabric that might be tricky! 

You might want to try the free Shayla shift dress from Tiana's Closet. We don't know what the front of this cover dress looks like, so it just might be the casual V-neck of the Shayla. This pattern also has a sweet button detail on the sleeve for that something extra.

Or you might prefer the Ultimate Shift Dress by Sew Over It, even if there is a bit of a difference -- the SOI shift has a back opening at the neckline, unlike our cover image. But it's close! 

Or if you wanted to try copying this in a knit, the Jalie Nicole might be just the one! The centre line drawing has just the same silhouette. 

Of course, to really get the look of this, a cityscape panel print would be the best fit. I couldn't find any quite like this one, but there are a number of city prints on Spoonflower that would be fun to try out, and the good thing about that is that you could go with woven or knit, whichever you preferred. Here are a few ideas! 

Urban Tapestry Abstract Cityscape by Paula Bagy

City Blocks by boldtvillemayor

City Big by j9design

Shades of Blue City by SweetCoolVibes

While none of these fabrics are exactly like the cover image, the city imagery could carry the theme over into a potential real life make! And if you're fortunate enough to find a panel print, a shift dress is always a great choice to make the most of it, no matter what the design. 

Cover Designs! #37: Dear Mrs. Bird

 

Cover Designs is a feature in which I try to match up the outfit on a book cover with a dress pattern and sometimes even potential fabric matches as well.

Today's pick is Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce.

Summary from the Publisher

London 1940, bombs are falling. Emmy Lake is Doing Her Bit for the war effort, volunteering as a telephone operator with the Auxiliary Fire Services. When Emmy sees an advertisement for a job at the London Evening Chronicle, her dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent seem suddenly achievable. But the job turns out to be typist to the fierce and renowned advice columnist, Henrietta Bird. Emmy is disappointed, but gamely bucks up and buckles down.

Mrs Bird is very clear: Any letters containing Unpleasantness—must go straight in the bin. But when Emmy reads poignant letters from women who are lonely, may have Gone Too Far with the wrong men and found themselves in trouble, or who can’t bear to let their children be evacuated, she is unable to resist responding. As the German planes make their nightly raids, and London picks up the smoldering pieces each morning, Emmy secretly begins to write letters back to the women of all ages who have spilled out their troubles.

This retro inspired outfit could be put together fairly quickly - you could use the Astoria Sweater pattern by Seamwork to sew up a knit top; you'd just have to shorten the sleeve to get this look! It even has a nice ribbing at the bottom to copy this cover image really closely. 

The skirt is a crisp A-line and could be replicated with the Liesl & Co. Garibaldi Skirt, in the mid-length view. This is an easy sew and a great fit for big prints like the cover image, since there are no front or back seams to worry about! 

Finish up your look with a nice pair of pumps and some fun upcycled typewriter themed jewellery!  

Enjoy this charming story with its vintage flair and make yourself a bright vintage inspired outfit to wear while reading! 

Cover Designs! #36: No one is Coming to Save Us

 

Cover Designs is a feature in which I try to match up the outfit on a book cover with a dress pattern and sometimes even potential fabric matches as well.

Today's pick is No One Is Coming to Save Us by Stephanie Powell Watts. 

Summary from the Publisher: 

JJ Ferguson has returned home to Pinewood, North Carolina to build his dream home and to woo his high school sweetheart, Ava. But he finds that the people he once knew and loved have changed, just as he has. Ava is now married, and wants a baby more than anything. The decline of the town’s once-thriving furniture industry has made Ava’s husband Henry grow distant and frustrated. Ava’s mother Sylvia has put her own life on hold as she caters to and meddles with those around her, trying to fill the void left by her absent son. And Don, Sylvia’s undeserving but charming husband, just won’t stop hanging around.

JJ’s newfound wealth forces everyone to consider what more they want and deserve from life than what they already have—and how they might go about getting it. Can they shape their lives to align with their wishes rather than their realities? Or are they resigned to the rhythms of the particular lives they lead? No One Is Coming to Save Us is a revelatory debut from an insightful voice that combines a universally resonant story with an intimate glimpse into the hearts of one family.

This beautiful summer outfit on the cover of this dress could be reproduced with a few pattern ideas. The first one I thought of was the Know Me 2040 by Brittany J. Jones. It has slightly wider straps and a skirt that's a bit fuller, but it's close. 

Or the Claudia dress by Tessuti might work -- it has the lower, angled bodice of the cover image and skinny straps too. It has a straight skirt, and even has pockets!

You might even choose a similar fabric, like this black and white floral from Fabrics & Fabrics

If you want to accessorize like the lovely woman on the cover, you can use the new Closet Core Sunhat pattern -- it's free, has a sewalong video, and looks very similar to our cover image! 

You could even make a bag to match, the Classic Handbag by Mrs H is similar though not quite so square. Still, make it in black and it would be close.

Any of these ideas combined could get you close to the elegant summer outfit on the cover of this book. Perfect for summer reading. 

Cover Designs!: #35 Look At Me

 

Cover Designs is a feature in which I try to match up the outfit on a book cover with a dress pattern and sometimes even potential fabric matches as well.

Today's pick is Look At Me, a book by an English author, Sarah Duguid.

Summary from the publisher:

Lizzy lives with her father, Julian, and her brother, Ig, in North London. Two years ago her mother died, leaving in a trail a family bereft by her absence and a house still filled with her things: for Margaret was lively, beautiful, fun, loving; she kept the family together. So Lizzy thinks. Then, one day, Lizzy finds a letter from a stranger to her father, and discovers he has another child. Lizzy invites her into their world in an act of outraged defiance. Almost immediately, she realises her mistake.

Look at Me is a deft exploration of family, grief, and the delicate balance between moving forward and not quite being able to leave someone behind. It is an acute portrayal of how familial upheaval can cause misunderstanding and madness, damaging those you love most.

There are quite a few lookalike patterns for this dual cover dress. First up is Butterick 5181. View A looks perfect, even with a waistband, but I think it may be OOP now. 

If you can't find this one, you could try the more recent Butterick 6759, which also has a similar waist yoke to the cover design, although this pattern has buttons down the front of the skirt. You could adapt that though! 

If neither of these Big 4 patterns floats your boat, there are a few Indies that might work as well! You could try the V-Neck Dress from DG Patterns which is quite similar -- but it offers a knit option while the cover design really says woven to me. 

Or you could use the V-Neck Dress woven pattern from Tailorpatterns on Etsy. It might also capture the shape of our cover design dresses. It's one of many classic designs from this pattern shop. 

As to the fabric choice, well, it's going to be a surface design assignment for you, or an opportunity for some creative piecing! Fabric paint, applique, scrap piecing or a lucky Spoonflower find might suit you if you want an exact copy of either one. I see some pattern hacking in the cards if you want to make your own version, in either colourway. Have fun if you do give this a try! 

Cover Designs!: #34 Last Christmas in Paris

 

Cover Designs is a feature in which I try to match up the outfit on a book cover with a dress pattern and sometimes even potential fabric matches as well. Today's pick is a seasonal one: Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb. 

Summary from the publisher: 

August 1914. England is at war. As Evie Elliott watches her brother, Will, and his best friend, Thomas Harding, depart for the front, she believes—as everyone does—that it will be over by Christmas, when the trio plan to celebrate the holiday among the romantic cafes of Paris.

But as history tells us, it all happened so differently…

Evie and Thomas experience a very different war. Frustrated by life as a privileged young lady, Evie longs to play a greater part in the conflict—but how?—and as Thomas struggles with the unimaginable realities of war he also faces personal battles back home where War Office regulations on press reporting cause trouble at his father’s newspaper business. Through their letters, Evie and Thomas share their greatest hopes and fears—and grow ever fonder from afar. Can love flourish amid the horror of the First World War, or will fate intervene?

Christmas 1968. With failing health, Thomas returns to Paris—a cherished packet of letters in hand—determined to lay to rest the ghosts of his past. But one final letter is waiting for him…

The startling red of the coat on the cover of this book calls out for a copy! There are a few options to make a classic coat like this. You might start with Vogue 9367. Even though you can't see the front of the cover image, you might want a coat with some interesting detail on the front, like this Vogue pattern has. The back looks nearly identical to the cover image, if you use View C for length.

You might also try the Closet Core Siena Maker Jacket. It would just need to be lengthened a bit from its above-knee option to replicate the look of this coat quite well. 

Or, you could try the free Hydrus coat from Mood Sewciety. While this pattern was created with cosplay in mind, it's quite a nice coat, with the perfect silhouette to copy this cover design. 

While you're at Mood you could check out their red wool blends, like this cashmere/wool coating

Or for something a little more fiery red, you could use this mohair wool coating from King Textiles. 

Whichever pattern or fabric you might choose, coat making could be a fun winter project accompanied by listening to this book in audio format. 

Cover Designs!: #33 When We Were Young

 

Cover Designs is a feature in which I try to match up the outfit on a book cover with a dress pattern and sometimes even potential fabric matches as well. Today's book, When We Were Young by Jaclyn Goldis, gives us that last glimpse of summer!

Summary from the publisher:

Three generations of women come together in this page-turning debut full of family secrets, heart-wrenching drama, and the promise of second chances.

Corfu, 1942 : To sixteen-year-old Sarah Batis, the Nazis are a distant danger—of far greater threat is the opposing needs of her heart and her people. Tradition demands that Sarah marry a Jewish man. Only Sarah has fallen in love with a fisherman outside their community. And when the Nazis invade, Sarah must watch from afar as her family is taken away. . .

Corfu, 2004 : Sarah's daughter, Bea, has built a happy life with a steadfast husband and two independent daughters. Their summers on the Greek island with the Winn family appear idyllic, especially the love that blossoms between Bea's daughter Joey and Leo Winn. But there is a secret threatening their beach paradise.

Florida, 2019 : Joey is only days away from marrying the nice Jewish man her family adores. The arrival of Leo, Joey's first love, sends her reeling. Even after fifteen years, the attraction between them burns bright—but Leo isn't looking for a happy reunion. He's there to reveal why he really broke up with her during their last summer together.

Weddings have a way of bringing out the best—and worst—in those you love the most. And as the revelations of her family flood to the surface, what Joey learns will either bring them closer together . . . or tear them apart forever.

This simple sundress has a couple of notable features. First, those straps look like they are made with ribbon rather than self fabric - easily adapted in this pattern suggestions. Also, there is perhaps a waistband, or maybe it's a belt. You pick!  

The first suggestion to copy this cover design is the Avid Seamstress Sun Dress. It has the silhouette and a back similar to the cover dress, although the skirt is slightly fuller here. If you changed the straps to a ribbon, you could get a close match!

For another option that is similar, although with the small difference of an elastic back waistband, try the Wide Strap Maxi Dress created by Elbe Textiles for Peppermint Magazine. It's slightly lower in the back and longer as well, but has that light summery vibe. 

And to top it off you can make yourself a Cote D'Azure sun hat by ShannonMac Designs. Just add a black ribbon and you're set. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Cover Designs!: #32 Fatal Inheritance

 

Cover Designs is a feature in which I try to match up the outfit on a book cover with a dress pattern and sometimes even potential fabric matches as well. Today's pick -- Fatal Inheritance by Rachel Rhys -- is set in the late 40s, moving from gloomy England to the sparkling French Riviera. 

Summary from the Publisher:

London 1948: Eve Forrester is stuck in a loveless marriage, isolated in her gray and gloomy house when out of the blue, she receives a letter. A wealthy stranger has left her a mysterious inheritance but in order to find out more, she must travel to the glittering French Riviera.

There, Eve discovers she has been bequeathed an enchanting villa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and suddenly, life could not be more glamorous. But while she rubs shoulders with the rich and famous, challengers to her unexplained fortune begin to emerge—challengers who would love to see Eve gone forever.

Alone in paradise, Eve must unlock the story behind her surprise bequest—before her unexpected twist of fate turns deadly…

The cover dress is one I'd love to wear myself -- especially in the same location! I love the colour and the fabric looks like a nice sturdy cotton of some kind. 

The FibreMood Ivory Dress would be perfect if you just changed the sleeve to a cap sleeve! It has that pointed back yoke (and front ones too) and a nice full skirt. 

Another option would be KwikSew 4133. This one is a little more Western wear style, but all in yellow, again with the sleeves changed to a cap sleeve, it would be very similar, even down to the princess seam lines. Just add a sash and you'll be set. 

Then you could crochet yourself this little hat pattern by LilyHandmade Studio, in some raffia yarn, and you'd have the outfit down pat! 

All you'd have left to find in order to really match the cover is the location. But I'll leave that part up to you ;)