Literary Sewing Circle: Amatka project roundup

 

This round of the Literary Sewing Circle has been a fascinating one, with lots of conversation about this thought-provoking book. Today I'm sharing the projects that were finished and shared by deadline. (If you are working on something and finish later, please share a link in the comments on this or the link up post!) 

There was a wide variety of inspiration going on for the various projects this time. They also range in technique. Here are the projects shared so far. 

A fun project - the Seamwork Graham tie! - inspired by the author's own personal style, by Alissa

A Zadie Jumpsuit by Lori, who says " I got the impression that utilitarian clothes were the mainstay of Amatka. The minimalist aesthetic of the Zadie strikes me as being appropriate inspiration."

A pair of Clyde Work Pants, made by Sarah who was also "Inspired by the minimalist and work- oriented nature of the commune called Amatka". Pants are complete with tag reading "pants" just to reinforce their nature ;)

A blouse made by Sara, inspired by Vanja's loss of language near the end of the book. She says "for me it is the fabric - the tangled web of speech, the thoughts are there but not the speech. The red buttons are my pop of colour for hope in a brighter future."

A project that used hand embroidery, rather than making a garment, complete with a deep discussion of the themes of language in Amatka, and how we shape our own worlds by how we speak about them, by Andrea. 

gorgeous photo ©Andrea McDowell

And finally my own projects. I was inspired to make two, both using green and mushrooms as themes. The first was the Factory Dress by Merchant & Mills, made into a top, using some quilting fabric from my stash. Little tiny mushrooms in that print! 

Last was the Metamorphic Dress by Sew Liberated. I thought that the idea of a dress that transforms represents this book perfectly, especially with one side of it a green mushroom print. Mushrooms are the source of form in Amatka, and this dress had better stay a dress!

I've really enjoyed hosting this round of the Literary Sewing Circle and seeing all of people's creativity and engagement with this book. Our next round will start up in the fall, keep your eye on this space!

Amatkan Metamorphic Dress

I decided to make a second project for the Literary Sewing Circle: once this idea hit me Ihad to do it! I have had this fabulous thrifted fabric for a while, but it's kind of a lining weight poly blend, so I was never sure what to do with it. 

But thanks to Amatka, I had mushrooms on my mind. Then the idea for the Metamorphic Dress by Sew Liberated came to me. What better way to show the role of mushrooms in Amatka than using them on a dress that literally metamorphoses?! I'll have to keep telling it that it's now a Dress. Dress. Dress. 

I also had a fine black linen-rayon blend that is fairly see-through, so it is a perfect combination with this reversible dress, since it has a sort of built in lining. 

I wasn't sure this pattern was for me, though. First off, it's sleeveless. And multiple layering isn't really my aesthetic, and the pinafore style kind of requires even more layering. So I made a few changes.

I made a muslin of the bodice and shortened slightly between shoulder and bust, narrowed the neckline and raised the armscye by a couple of inches. I also slightly lengthened and straightened the waistline, which has a pronounced hi-lo shape, something else I'm not really keen on. I also lengthened the skirt so that it sits at my knee, so that I can wear it as a standalone dress and not just a layering piece with other dresses/pants underneath. 

I used the black linen as the base, with side seam pockets, and the green mushroom print as the overlay, with patch pockets. The linen dress was very straightforward, even though the design does have the inside hem showing when you're wearing that side underneath. So I had to be very careful to keep that hem very straight and tidy. 

The green fabric, however, is very slippery, so took quite a lot more effort to cut and stitch. The curved hem was a bit tricky, I'm glad the wrong side of that one doesn't show ;) 

The patch pockets are also very lightweight, but I won't be using them for much beyond a key so I think they will survive. I added them anyhow since I liked the look. 

Overall I enjoyed the sewing experience. The alterations and the reversible sewing were both interesting challenges and I like the way the sewing came out. I'm still not 100% convinced that this sleeveless, layering style is for me, but I'll wear it a few times and see if it grows on me. Hopefully not literally. 

Fortunately my alterations do make it wearable as a standalone dress, so I should be able to get more use out of it in my daily wear. I'll definitely enjoy the Amatka reference when I do wear it, even if I'm the only one who knows about that part! 

(Reminder if you're reading and sewing along -- you have just under one week to post your finished projects. May 31 is the deadline to link up your project on the finale post so we can all see and enjoy it!)

Literary Sewing Circle: Finale & Project Round-Up

 

Today is already our final day of the Literary Sewing Circle focusing on Karin Tidbeck's Amatka!

I hope you've had the chance to read the book, and both the first and second inspiration posts, and are getting lots of ideas for a project of your own. If you haven't had a chance to read our interview with Karin Tidbeck, be sure to do that too, it adds a lot to the reading experience!

The project linkup will be added to the bottom of this post: as soon as you are done your project, just pop a link to your post into the linkup and we will all be able to visit your blog/instagram etc. and explore your creation -- remember, it can be sewn, or knitted, crocheted, embroidered... any textile art that you practice.

I shared a lot of my thoughts on the book in our earlier book talk post, and I reviewed this novel on my book blog when I first read it. You can explore those for some of my thoughts; today I'll share an overview of my impressions of this novel. I hope you will too!

I really enjoyed reading this for a second time. I found that my second reading allowed me to see a lot more of the subtleties in the story -- the small details that really flesh it out. And I also found the ending a bit more comprehensible this time around, since I knew what was coming! That allowed me to slow down and really look at the reactions of many of the characters, and get a feeling for what the return of Berols' Anna and her fellow rebels means for this new civilization. My own sense of the ending is a bit stronger after a second reading, although I think it is still really open to varied interpretations, depending on the reader's perspective.

I like books that leave me unsettled and a little confused -- maybe that's not to everyone's taste, but I enjoy not quite knowing what's going on as a story begins. I appreciate Andrea's comment on our last book talk about the genre of this novel, too: it falls into New Weird. I like this slightly realistic Soviet feel setting but in a new world altogether. Things are strange, unexpected, and unlike our regular lives -- the concept of having to "mark" all the things that the settlers used, with words, in order for items to maintain their reality, just has so many resonances! You'll see some of these elements in our previous discussions, but I think this is one of the most powerful themes of the book, for me -- the nature of language and reality. 

I love the atmosphere of this book, and the vaguely described elements of Amatka and the wider settlement. The mysterious ruins, and iced over lake, are evocative because they aren't really explained, they're just there. And I like Vanja and some of the side characters, like Evgen or Lars, quite a lot - they feel a bit more complex than the other inhabitants, who are more rule-followers. 

This is a book that's really stuck with me since I first read it, and I'm happy to see others taking a chance on it and finding that it's a great reading experience. This storyline makes me question some of the assumptions I have about life in general, which happens when I find a book at just the right time for me, and is always an unexpected pleasure. I hope your reading was also an engaging experience, and that spending time on a project will help you think about Amatka's themes a bit more. 

Please share your thoughts on the book, its themes, characters, or anything you noted about it -- either in the comments here or on our first Book Talk post, or on your own blog with a link to your longer thoughts in the comments so we can find it. I love to talk about the experience of reading so feel free to comment no matter when you're reading this post; if you've read this I'd love to hear your thoughts.

What project have you made, inspired by your reading of Amatka? Share a link to your project on this post as soon as you're done! The linkup will be live until May 31 --  you have another 3 weeks of sewing time to finish and share.

Literary Sewing Circle: Amatka Book Talk!

 

It's hard to believe that we are already halfway through our Literary Sewing Circle round for this fall! Today's the day for some serious book talk! How are you doing with the book? Have you started it yet? Finished it? Do you have any reactions you'd like to share? 

Here are a few questions to ponder today and for the next while -- whether you have begun reading, or you've only read blurbs & author interviews so far and still have something to say, join in! Although there might be a few spoilers in the questions and discussion below so if you haven't got too far yet you might want to come back to this post.

I'll add some of my own thoughts and you can reply to them or add your own impressions. If you want to hear other takes on a part of the book that you are curious about, leave your own questions in the comments, too. I hope you are all enjoying it so far!

Sinziana Susa on Unsplash

Is there a particular character that you found especially compelling? Any themes or symbols that really resonate with you?

I was interested in all the characters, but I don't think one stood out as my "favourite" -- except perhaps Berol's Anna, who I would have loved to learn more about. In a world where language shapes reality quite literally, the choice to be a poet seems pretty edgy! I did appreciate the way in which Vanja's viewpoint shapes the story; not only is the world grey and tenuous, so is her perspective on life, which adds to the uncertainty. 

The themes of language and how we name things and affect our world really strike me with this story. It seems quite magical, but makes us think about the ways we easily name things in everyday life shape our experience of them. On a lighter note, the fact that this whole world is based on fungi is kind of funny and intriguing. There's so much research going on right now on mushroom-based textiles and various other areas that this doesn't seem implausible!

Language and its ability to shape our worlds is such a key element of this book. How do you see this idea playing out in our current world?

Like I mentioned above, I think that we use language and naming in everyday life in ways we might not be aware of. How does slotting an experience into one specific named perception change it? How can calling something good or bad affect it? How can using a name for something that is not the appropriate cultural name for it alter it, or how can misusing a word from another culture change it or us? Or, how about the question of personal names -- if your name is hard to pronounce for someone from a different culture, so you change it, or have it changed for you, how does that affect you as an individual? So many ways to think about how language shapes us. That's not even getting into the experience of the world as a monolingual speaker rather than someone who has facility in more than one language. 

What about that ending? Good or bad? Positive development or terrifying one? Why do you think so?

The ending can seem like a triumph, or a disaster, depending on your viewpoint. What's more important, the safety and security of survivalist colonies, or freedom and independence for individuals? Another element to the ending is the question as to whether trying to sustain and reproduce an old system of society in a new world that doesn't quite work with it is wise or even achievable. Does it make more sense in this setting to abandon the need to be human in one specific way and liberate the population into becoming something new and different? The first time I read this book the ending was mind-blowing, and I wasn't sure what was going on. Was this terrible or fantastic? I couldn't tell. When I read it again for this project, I found the ending more understandable and a little bit less unsettling; it seemed more hopeful in some ways. It's tough to settle on one interpretation though!

Did you like the narrative style, with elements laid out but never over-explained? Or do you prefer a little more elaboration of ideas in your reading?

I like a writer who leaves me guessing. I suppose that's why I like Tidbeck's work. I like the feeling of not quite knowing what's happening as I start reading. The way that they describe and mention parts of Amatka, like the tunnels and the mushrooms and the lake freezing each night, but never elaborate to explain why or how or even what part those elements are playing, is kind of interesting. It's like the characters in the story know and understand these things so they wouldn't think of explaining them in detail. In some ways you can sense the beginnings of this story in the dream world, with its strong imagery of inexplicable things. 

Is there anything specific  in the book that has sparked an idea for a project yet? Are you mulling over any ideas?

I am mulling over a few different ideas, some of which may appear in next week's inspiration post! Let's just say mushrooms are a key image from this book, for me, and might appear in something I make. But I'm also intrigued by Berol's Anna so might tie her presence into a project somehow. 

Jaredd Craig on Unsplash

Literary Sewing Circle: Interview with Karin Tidbeck

This week we have a special feature: an interview with the author! Karin Tidbeck is both a writer and a sewist, and has shared some of both of those worlds with us. Read on for more!

Credit: Patrik Åkervinda 2020

1. Welcome Karin, and thank you for taking the time to do this interview for the Literary Sewing Circle! Can you tell us a bit about how you came to write Amatka? What was the genesis of this novel?

Thanks for having me! So, Amatka took a very long time to write because the process was very meandering. It started out as a series of dream notes that took place in specific environments, and I realized the notes could be organized into a continent of sorts. I found that it could best be expressed through poetry, so eventually I ended up with a poetry collection. It didn't sell. I then decided to write short prose based on some of the poems, and a story eventually took shape. I think the whole process from first dream note to final manuscript was about eight years. I didn't work on it all the time - it had a lot of shelf time between attempts - but that's about the time it took. 

2. The ending of Amatka is ambiguous, and because of that it really stayed in my mind. Did you intend this kind of unsettling conclusion, or did it arise naturally from the writing and the themes of the novel?

The ending came organically, like most other parts of the novel. In order to figure out the ending, I had to rely on the characters - everything that ever happens in the book is a direct result of who the characters are. To me, the ending isn't ambiguous at all, but then the readers don't live in my brain. I think it might seem ambiguous because by then, the story is told by an unreliable narrator. Or maybe it's because it doesn't end with tying everything up in a neat package. It was the only way it could end, though. 

 

3. You translate your own works from Swedish to English -- is the experience of writing/rewriting in each language different for you? Does it change the way you create or perceive your own work?

It's not as big an issue as it was when I first started translating my work into English. These days I write almost exclusively in English. Amatka is a translation from Swedish, though, and the first major translation I made. It was difficult, because my feel for English isn't as instinctive as my Swedish is. At first it was kind of like writing with mittens on; there's a barrier between you and really feeling the language. These days I would say when writing in English, I do it with surgical gloves on. So things have definitely improved, but I don't think I will ever have the same primal connection to English. As for how it changes my creative process, I'm not sure. I'm standing in the middle of it, and it's hard to take a step outside since I live in my own brain. Maybe someday some linguist will come along and explain it to me.  

4. I know that you are also a sewist. Can you tell us a little more about your sewing life - how long have you sewn, and what are some of your favourite creations? 

I made my first dress out of an old sheet when I was about 13. I come from a family of sewists; my maternal grandmother made the clothes for the entire family, and she usually didn't use patterns. She was some kind of sewing savant: she would spread out the fabric on the floor, look at it for a while, then start cutting. I don't know how she did it. My mother is a sewist and a knitter. She has made two folk costumes from scratch, and knitted countless sweaters, mittens and socks. She also does embroidery in a way that I have never learned - flat stitching and stuff. So, it was natural for me to get into crafts. I got my first sewing machine when I was 15, a Husqvarna that I still own and use. We work very well together. On it, I have made gothic dresses (in my teens), an enormous amount of LARP costumes, and everyday wear. Some of my favorite garments are a pencil skirt that looks fabulous but was hell to sew (stretchy wool mix!), a crane-patterned kimono that I finished recently, and a pair of absolutely enormous balloon pants in bright orange chiffon that I made for a futuristic LARP. Maybe also the jacket that went with it, which had a pink fur bodice and sleeves cut from a yellow raincoat. 

photo © Karin Tidbeck

5. You've shared some of your cross-stitch projects on your blog as well. What drew you to cross-stitch? It can be so subversive in the ways that it's used now, and I feel like your projects really capitalize on this ability.

Cross-stitching requires so little effort and the results are great. It's meditative and all I have to think about is counting stitches. So I do that for relaxation, while listening to audiobooks or podcasts. I learned cross-stitch in crafts class when I was about 10, but I only returned to it maybe five years ago. It's just a nice kind of art to do with your hands. I'm currently working on a small linen doily that I got from a friend. I'm filling it with creative insults in Swedish, embroidered in all directions, so that everyone around the table can feel offended.

photo © Karin Tidbeck

6. Do you see a connection between the way that the world needs continuous remaking through language in Amatka, and your own habits of making, both as a writer and a sewist?

This is a great question! I haven't thought about things in quite that way. But it's true that I'm obsessed with the processes of making and unmaking, be it words or music or things. My basic idea for Amatka came from dreams, as I've previously said - and that's where the idea mainly came from. That the world of Amatka is at its core mutable and ephemeral, and what it would do to a society that tried to survive in such a world. 

7. Your new book has just been released in North America - do you want to tell us a little bit about The Memory Theater? Are you working on anything else that you'd like to share right now? 

The Memory Theater starts out in a place called The Gardens, where time has no meaning and a group of nobles throw endless parties, served by stolen children. One of these nobles will leave, and two children will chase her through the multiverse. There are witches and librarians and a theater troupe; there's love, chosen family and grief. And some cows. More than I intended to put in there, I think. 

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Thank you for sharing some of your writing and sewing journeys with us, Karin! We hope you'll enjoy seeing the projects we make inspired by your writing. 

You can find more about Karin here:

Website 

Instagram

Literary Sewing Circle: Amatka Inspiration!

 

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

This week we'll be looking at some of the characters to inspire a project. This story has a wide cast of characters to draw from, and luckily for us, some of their names even match right up with patterns.

We'll start with our main character, Brilars' Vanja Essre Two -- or more simply, Vanja. There's a Vanja Hoodie/Sweatshirt Dress pattern on Makerist, and the cozy warmth of it is just what Vanja might have appreciated when she first arrived in the chilly environs of Amatka. Note: the pattern is in German but looks pretty straightforward. 

Next we'll look at Vanja's new housemate Nina. Being more adjusted to the weather in Amatka, Nina might have already been prepared with this Women's Nina Coat from Shwin Designs. It's a stylish but warm option!

Upstairs in Nina's house we find their older tenant, Ulla. She's a bit of an iconoclast, and very interested in what happened to Berol's Anna and the other residents of Amatka who are said to have died in a fire... She might have worn something unexpected by Amatka's residents, just as she's willing to think unexpected things too. This fluid Ulla Dress by Fibremood could reflect the fluidity of reality in Amatka. 

And speaking of Berol's Anna, how about making this classic Anna dress from By Hand London in honour of this great poet and author of the book Vanja discovers in the library, PlantHouse Seven? 

If you're thinking of something a little smaller to work on, you might consider making something for a child. Nina's daughter Ida could inspire this cute little Ida blouse & dress from Atelier Brunette. 

Or maybe you'll just let Ida inspire you to make a dress for yourself -- like this comfy t-shirt Ida Dress from DG Patterns. 

Looking outside Vanja's household to some of her coworkers gives us a couple more options. These are especially handy if you prefer to knit rather than sew. First, Vanja works with Anders once she gets a job in the administrative offices in Amatka. The Anders Gilet might be the perfect project, using Swedish yarn as found at LoveCraft! 

And finally, Vanja heads to Amatka on her work assignment in the first place, all because of her supervisor Oydis, who thinks she needs a change. If you're a knitter, you could make this Oydis Sweater by Lina Marveng, and top it off with the Oydis cowl. Both beautiful! 

If you tried, I'm sure you could find more patterns inspired by the names of people or places in this novel. I hope some of these are catching your fancy, but if not, stay tuned for another inspiration post in a few weeks that will be looking at the book from a different angle. 

Happy reading!

Literary Sewing Circle: Amatka

 

Our Spring session of the Literary Sewing Circle is starting a little later than usual this year, but it's worth the wait. It's a genre that we haven't read together yet; dystopian speculative fiction, originally written in Swedish and translated by the author. I hope you'll take a chance on this unusual title and read along.

 I'm pleased to announce that our group read for this round is:

Amatka by Karin Tidbeck

Summary:

Vanja, an information assistant, is sent from her home city of Essre to the austere, wintry colony of Amatka with an assignment to collect intelligence for the government. Immediately she feels that something strange is going on: people act oddly in Amatka, and citizens are monitored for signs of subversion.

Intending to stay just a short while, Vanja falls in love with her housemate, Nina, and prolongs her visit. But when she stumbles on evidence of a growing threat to the colony, and a cover-up by its administration, she embarks on an investigation that puts her at tremendous risk.

In Karin Tidbeck’s world, everyone is suspect, no one is safe, and nothing—not even language, nor the very fabric of reality—can be taken for granted. Amatka is a beguiling and wholly original novel about freedom, love, and artistic creation by a captivating new voice.

(from Publisher website)

(you can read an excerpt or listen to an extract at the publisher's website as well)

Credit: Patrik Åkervinda 2020

About The Author:

Karin Tidbeck lives and works in Malmö as a freelance writer and translator, and writes speculative fiction in Swedish and English. They debuted in 2010 with the Swedish collection Vem är Arvid Pekon? Their English debut, the 2012 collection Jagannath, received the Crawford Award and was shortlisted for the World Fantasy Award. The novel Amatka was shortlisted for the Locus Award in 2018. Their second novel, The Memory Theater, came out in February 2021. Tidbeck’s short fiction is published at Tor.com, Uncanny Magazine, Lightspeed and more. They dedicate their free time to games, swordfighting and forteana. Find them online at karintidbeck.com and Instagram as @ktidbeck. 

This book is available for purchase in both hard copy and ebook formats.

You can find many formats at all of these locations:

IndieBound

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com.au

Book Depository

Chapters Indigo

Powell's

Barnes and Noble

ABE Books

Biblio.com

Or, of course, check your local library!

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How does the Literary Sewing Circle work? We read a book together, discuss it, and then make something inspired by our reading. As long as you can point out what inspired you from your reading, even if just a sentence, you can share your makes in our final roundup!

Anyone can join, and you can sew, knit, quilt or embroider - any textile art that you like doing - to participate. This is a reading/sewing circle, very low-key; no competitions here, just reading and sewing for fun. 

There is no official sign-up to worry about; just start reading along if you wish, and leave your thoughts on the book or your project on any of the Literary Sewing Circle posts. We do have a dedicated book discussion post halfway through and again at the end, but leave your thoughts anytime. And you can follow along on Instagram too if you like: look for #LiterarySewingCircle and you'll find us.

And when the final post goes up, so does the project linkup -- you can leave a link to your finished project there, whether it is on your blog, a pattern site, or even Instagram. It's easy :)

So, join in, and share!

Literary Sewing Circle Schedule

April 2 - Announcement & Introduction
April 9 - Inspiration post 
April 16 - Author feature
April 23  - Halfway mark: book talk
April 30 - Inspiration post
May 7 - Final Post: book discussion wrap up & posting of project linkup

(you will then have just over 3 weeks to finish your project and post it; we'll close the link-up on May 31)