Cover Designs! #29: The Other Side of Midnight

 

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 suitable spooky read for the fall season -- and one by a favourite author of mine -- The Other Side of Midnight, by Simone St. James.

Summary from the publisher: 

London, 1925. Glamorous medium Gloria Sutter made her fortune helping the bereaved contact loved ones killed during the Great War. Now she's been murdered at one of her own séances, after leaving a message requesting the help of her former friend and sole rival, Ellie Winter.
 
Ellie doesn't contact the dead—at least, not anymore. She specializes in miraculously finding lost items. Still, she can't refuse the final request of the only other true psychic she has known. Now Ellie must delve into Gloria's secrets and plunge back into the world of hucksters, lowlifes, and fakes. Worse, she cannot shake the attentions of handsome James Hawley, a damaged war veteran who has dedicated himself to debunking psychics.
 
As Ellie and James uncover the sinister mysteries of Gloria's life and death, Ellie is tormented by nightmarish visions that herald the grisly murders of those in Gloria's circle. And as Ellie’s uneasy partnership with James turns dangerously intimate, an insidious evil force begins to undermine their quest for clues, a force determined to bury the truth, and whoever seeks to expose it...

This outfit can be replicated, and modernized, by using some quick and easy patterns! First off, to get that skirt, the Everyday Skirt by Liesl & Co would be a quick copy. Just add a bit of length so that it's below the knee, and this simple skirt with elastic back waistband and pockets is a match.

Liesl & Co Everyday Skirt

Then add a top to copy the lines of the cover image -- the Drop Sleeve Top by the Avid Seamstress is a great match, and it's free! Just sign up to her newsletter and you can download this quick woven top to make this outfit a close copy of the cover.

Avid Seamstress Drop Sleeve Top

And of course, to top off the look you'll need a lovely 20s style hat -- you can find a few at Elsewhen Millinery on Etsy, or try this multiple view pattern by VintagePatternGirl to give yourself some choices. 

VintagePatternGirl's 1920's Cloche with Ribbon Trim

You can enjoy a spooky seasonal read and dress like the woman on the cover while you do it! 

Lettered Mandy Boat Tee, for the Literary Sewing Circle

 

I finished my project for the Literary Sewing Circle, the Sun Down Motel round! I nearly didn't, because I was waffling between inspirations for this book's project -- I wasn't sure if I wanted to make something more 80s inspired from the 80s storyline (my fave), but this fabric was on my mind from the beginning. So I decided to use it! My first plan of making a Burda swing top didn't work, as I had just too little fabric, so I went for another oversized tee pattern, the free Mandy Boat Tee from Tessuti, which I've made before. It's quite a boxy shape, as you can tell here, but in a light stretchy knit like this one it falls nicely.

The sewing inspo for this one comes from the description of Carly in the contemporary storyline, always dressed like a student in jeans, a tee and a 'stretched out hoodie'. However, my style only extends to the tee part ;) I also thought that this fabric was a great reflection of all the time that Carly spends in the newspaper archives at the Fell Public Library, getting photocopies of all the old clippings mentioning anything about her Aunt Viv or other missing girls. I bought this fabric in Toronto a few years ago now, and am pleased to finally have it off my stash shelf and into my wardrobe :) It also goes well with my recently finished magenta Burda skirt.

This is an easy top, and I find that it works best in lighter knits. It is a bit limited in size, and I add about 1/2" to the arm circumference. You can download this free top pattern at the Tessuti website if you want to give it a go, too. 

I didn't go for an 80s inspiration specifically, but I was able to style this today with the 80s shoes and necklace I thrifted last summer ;) I enjoyed reading this book together with other Literary Sewing Circle participants, and am very comfy in my new literary tee! One of the great features of this top is the neckline darts, a technique I've now used in other knit tops as well. It makes the neckline lie nice and smoothly; download the pattern just to get a look at that if nothing else. I love this print and am happy to  finally be wearing it. 

Check out the Literary Sewing Circle project post for others' makes. And keep your eye on this space for our next Literary Sewing Circle round, coming in Spring 2022. 

Literary Sewing Circle: Finale & Project Round Up

Today is already our final day of the Literary Sewing Circle focusing on Simone St James' The Sun Down Motel!

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. 

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!

As I noted when this round began, I have read all of Simone St James' books. I like the gothic woman in jeopardy kind of read, and a bit of a supernatural element thrown in always makes it fun. I find that there has been quite a progression from her first book (ghostly historical romance) to this one -- each one has become a little sharper and more contemporary in feel, and in The Sun Down Motel it has really become a true crime thriller. Her forthcoming novel is all true crime again -- The Book of Cold Cases features a true crime blogger and a suspected murderer. I'm not sure I'm following this trajectory though; I'm not a true crime fan and prefer a more gothic tale, so we'll see how I mesh with the next one! 

I enjoyed this novel though. I was really drawn to the 80s timeline, and Viv's dark and lonely character. She seemed so driven but also increasingly obsessed with the murders of the three women in Fell. I found it an intriguing character study. And of course the discussion of violence against women and the way it is perceived and treated by media and law enforcement was thought-provoking. Carly's interest in finding out what had happened to her aunt just highlighted how little things have changed. 

I did prefer the nostalgic gloss on the 80s chapters though. It felt a bit Stranger Things in a loose way, that evocation of an era where people could truly disappear and safety was less of a public concern. The set up -- isolation, hauntings, obsession -- really drove the story and I thought the ghostly visitations were creepy but not terrifying - that's the level I can take. 

I also found the focus on women in this book was a strength. Viv, Carly, but also their varied roommates and Viv's compatriots Alma and Marnie, as well as the backstories of Viv's mother and sister, all deepened their story for me. The centre of the book was women's lives and experiences, and I found it compelling reading. The style was readable and overall I enjoyed the narrative arc, though I did find the ending fell a little flat. The big showdown was great, so frenetic and scary, but then it kind of petered out a bit. 

Questions for you all: What did you think of the ending? Did you agree with or understand Viv's decision at the end? What do you think is going to happen to Carly and Viv next? If there were to be another novel set in Fell, NY, what do you think it might focus on? 

(my quick thoughts: I didn't like the outcome for Viv at the end, I didn't think that was necessary to the story. I would hope she and Carly would be able to live together and develop a proper relationship, to give this storyline the closure it needs. As to another book, that weird little classics college is a perfect setting for another academic gothic!)

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 The Sun Down Motel? Share a link to your project on this post as soon as you're done! The linkup will be live until November 19 --  you have another 3 weeks of sewing time to finish and share.

Literary Sewing Circle: Author Feature

Today's the day to talk about the author of our pick for this round of the #LiterarySewingCircle! Simone St James has written 7 books, and has another (The Book of Cold Cases) releasing early in 2022. Her debut novel The Haunting of Maddy Clare won 2 RITAs and a best first novel award from Crime Writers of Canada.

Most of her stories focus on women in spooky situations -- lots of supernatural elements in all of the books in some way, and usually a romantic thread, although in The Sun Down Motel, there's not much romance, but much more focus on the women in the book themselves. But if you like spooky reads, any of her books are definitely in the genre. 

St. James is very interested in ghost stories and true crime, which shows in this book. You can sense this trend in her social media accounts, and also through this list of 5 suggested reads that she shared with the blog SheReads! 

If you're interested in learning a bit more about this book and the author's thoughts on it, check out this interview with Hank Garner on Youtube.

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While none of the characters in her books are full-time seamstresses, there are a lot of mentions of clothing and, in her historical settings, references to sewing and mending in places. 

Here are a couple of quotes about those things - the first seems particularly suitable for a sewing readalong ;)

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To find out more about Simone St. James, check her out online: 

Website

Twitter 

Facebook

Instagram

GoodReads

Literary Sewing Circle: Sun Down Motel Inspiration!

 

It's time for some more sewing inspiration for our Sun Down Motel readalong! Today we're looking at Carly's contemporary timeline. I'll start with characters and see what we might want to make. 

Carly is our main character in this timeline, and one of the first times we see her she describes herself for us:

"I looked down at myself: worn jeans, old boots that laced up the ankles, black t-shirt that said BOOKS ARE MY LIFE beneath a stretched out hoodie, messenger bag. Add my dark-rimmed glasses and ponytail and I was pretty much a cliché."

We'll start with the Carly Cardigan by Treasurie. It's not quite a stretched out hoodie, but it is a knit sweater, so pretty close! 

To really catch Carly's student look here we could also make the Carly Bag by IThinkSew, a very messenger bag influenced shape, although a little more compact. Enlarge it a smidge and add a zip-covering flap and you'd have a classic messenger bag. 

A little later on, Carly heads to the public library to investigate some newspaper articles, and thinks she might be mistaken for one of the local students as she was wearing "jeans, my lace-up boots, and a sweater under a waist length jacket, my hair in its usual ponytail". Perhaps that waist-length jacket was something cool like the Carly Aviator Jacket by Style Arc (which is a little more hip length, but close!)

Carly's roommate Heather is also intrigued by the mystery of Viv's disappearance, and agrees to help Carly out. On first meeting, Heather is wearing a big poncho, and when they go to the Sun Down Motel for the first time together, she changes to a black puffer coat. Carly notes that she thinks Heather is always cold. 

Maybe she'd be comfortable in a cozy knit Heather Dress by Sew Over It. Made up in a sweatshirt fabric and worn with leggings, it would keep her toasty.

Or if she made it in a lighter weight knit and needed an extra layer, she might toss on the Heather Blazer by Friday Pattern Company, made in a cozy wool blend.

If you're a knitter, you might also want to try creating the Heather Poncho by Deborah Cowell, for a really direct influence! 

When Carly meets Nick Harkness at the Sun Down Motel, she finds an ally, one who she is also interested in in other ways. Nick fixes the vending machine and while doing so, Carly talks to him about the events at the motel. However she can't help but be distracted a bit by the way his arms look in his t-shirt. The obvious choice here is to make the Nico Raglan Tee by Jalie, a classic for men & boys! 

Or you might just want to take a hint from the whole storyline and make up this Drama Dress by George & Ginger! 

And now, moving on to some of the settings in Carly's timeline, and how they might inspire us. First off, of course, is the Sun Down Motel itself. The retro vibe of it might appear in fabric choices or silhouettes. 

You might try a novelty print dress in something like this On the Road vintage cotton:

Or a summer dress called the Summer Sundown, a free pattern by So Sew Easy. The photo is even taken by a pool, yikes! 

Or perhaps some home decor inspired by Motel Keys, like this pillow by Lucky Spool.

If you want to recreate something in direct homage, check out this vintage motel dimensional embroidery project found at Sew Daily! Just change that "Starlite" to "Sun Down" and you'll have a reminder of this creepy locale whenever you want it ;) 

Then there is the diner in which Carly, Heather, and Nick meet to discuss what's going on, and where Carly meets people from Viv's timeline in their later years. This could be reflected in fabrics or pattern choices as well. 

Another novelty print, this Route 66 fabric found on Etsy covers motels and diners alike

This slightly more sedate "Arnold's Diner" novelty print found on EBay might be a little more to your taste

Or maybe you'll just take a Diner influence and make the Muse Melissa Dress, which has a hint of retro waitress uniform to it. In the right fabrics you could serve up a soda, no problem!

Carly also spends a lot of time at the Fell Central Library, researching newspaper articles from the 80s in their archive room. As she says: 

Libraries were my places. I was that girl who maxed out her library card every week, starting with The Hobbit and The Witch of Blackbird Pond and moving up from there. I could kill an hour by wandering into an unfamiliar part of the Dewey Decimal System and checking it out. Computers, card catalogs, microfiches -- I could navigate them all.

Perhaps some newspapery/library influences can be found here. You might use the new Bookish collection by Sharon Holland to whip up a cute cotton dress or top. I like the Passport design, but many of these are fabulous! Page Turner is a more sedate colourway that could be used for a nice blouse, I think.

Bookish - Passport

Bookish - Page Turner

Or maybe you want to go more on theme with this newsprint clippings cotton, that looks kind of like a pile of printouts that Carly might have stacked up on a table. 

If you're more into home decor, there are tons of bookish quilts and wall hanging patterns designed by Heather Givans, also quite famous for her library related fabric prints. This Book Club quilt is a great idea for our sewing book club, don't you think? 

To finish it off, you could whip up this easy Academie Cardigan by The Eli Montster, as a nod to Carly's studying in the library. 

Or if you're more inclined toward something in crochet for the fall, check out this Reading Room Sweater at AllFreeCrochet. 

Whichever you choose, and whatever your project may turn out to be, I hope this has inspired you in some way! If you have further ideas, feel free to share them in the comments to inspire other readers, too. 

Next week, we'll learn a little more about our author. 

Literary Sewing Circle: Sun Down Motel Book Talk!

We have jumped right into the Literary Sewing Circle round for this fall! Today's the day for some beginning 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. 

If you decided to pick up this book and read it for this round, why? Do you usually like spooky books like this or is this a new genre for you? 

I don't usually like books that are TOO scary. This one was just right for me, gave me shivers (especially when reading at night) but didn't freak me out or have too graphic or gory bits in it. I have a low tolerance for horror so this is about as scary as I get ;)

What do you think of the dual timeline? Does it work for you? Do you prefer one over the other? 

I liked the dual timeline and the way that they interact. Of course, I enjoyed the 80s a lot as that one of my favourite decades, and also because I found Viv slightly more interesting than Carly. One effect of the timeline shifts is that there is a fair bit of repetition of some of the content, which is unavoidable. But overall I liked the way the two stories interact and come together in the end. 

Why do you think Vivian and Carly might both have made the decision to stay employed on the night shift at a haunted, creepy motel? Would you have done the same? Would you have made a different choice?

Yeah, this was funny to me -- if I was the main character in this book, the story would have been over in the second chapter. One night like Viv's first ghostly encounter and I'd have been out of there and on a bus to NY City. I can understand, with their character development and their fascination with true crime, why they would stay...but I would not have done the same!

Most of the characters in this story are women, and their stories are the primary focus here. Do you feel a stronger draw to a specific character, and if so, do you feel more intrigued by them as they appear in the 80s or in the present day?

I loved how women's experiences were primary here. Viv's relationship with her mother and sister, Carly's own family experience and fascination with the story of her aunt, all the women who were killed and their stories -- everything showed many sides of women's lives and how women are always the ones expected to "be careful" and take precautions - men are never expected to take a role in managing their own actions or those of other men. I feel that this theme is very timely right now, and hope that someday this dynamic will change. 

Both Viv and Carly are compelled to investigate missing women and their stories. What did you think of their actions as amateurs/true crime aficionados? 

I would have called in the police long before either of these two would have even thought of it. However, the police didn't seem too interested in what happened to the women that Viv was investigating so I can see why she got obsessed and couldn't just ignore it, especially when she felt that she was hot on the trail. Carly, on the other hand, could have gotten some help or at least information on the guy she felt creeped out by before he started stalking her.

The women who were murdered are described differently by the media. How does this reflect the way that victims are described even today? What part do you think that plays in Viv's determination to discover the truth?

As noted, the police in Viv's timeline seemed perfunctory about the murder investigation, especially for the women who weren't "beloved wife and mother". This says a lot about the value placed on women's lives, which feels like it hasn't changed very much, in many ways. Viv's sense of justice for the women involved drove her to continue investigating, and with Betty's constant presence spooking up the joint, Viv can't forget her mission. I could appreciate how she took the investigation - and justice - into her own hands, since nobody else was doing anything about it.

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

It's still early days so I only have some vague ideas, maybe based on some of the 80s inspiration I've already shared -- or maybe on something in Carly's timeline, and the places she hangs out. I'll be sharing a bit of Carly-based inspo next week so maybe you'll get more ideas then as well. If you've thought of a project idea so far, feel free to share in the comments - along with your thoughts on these questions, or other elements of the book.

Photo by Jaredd Craig on Unsplash

Literary Sewing Circle: Sun Down Motel Inspiration

 

It's the first week of our Literary Sewing Circle featuring The Sun Down Motel. 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 one of the storyline eras to inspire a project. This story is partly set in 1982 and partly in 2017 -- today we'll be looking at the 80s. 

While the action doesn't move around much, mostly taking place right at the Sun Down Motel or in and around small Fell, NY, there is still scope for some 80s fashion there. 

Take a look at this retrospective of 80s fashion in America to get a sense of what was happening, and what might be rescuable! Or take a browse through this lengthy overview of 80s clothing, accessories and makeup for some fun reading (just ignore the 'buy here' links). This is, of course, if you enjoy looking through old 80s style as much as I do. 

You might be inspired by some of the colours of the 80s. Viv's new roommate Jenny "never spent her days off at home... Instead she spent her days off at the mall, spending her small paycheck on records or makeup or new shoes -- loafers or low, pointy heels in rainbow colors like bright red or bright yellow, shoes she couldn't wear to work at the nursing home but wanted to have for 'going to a party'."

Remember this primary colour palette?

And when Viv arranges to meet Alma at the Turnabout diner, she "was wearing a floral blouse...and she'd put on a yellow sweater over it. She'd considered wearing darker colors to make herself look more serious, but she liked the yellow better." 

There are mentions of a woman arriving at the Sun Down Motel in high-waisted jeans and a white blouse with red polka dots, or Viv modelling briefly as a teen, wearing acid wash jeans and a bright purple button down blouse. If you're intrigued and inspired by the colours of the 80s, you can watch this 1980s episode of History in Color. It's about a half hour long, but it's so fascinating it zips by. 

Another approach is to look at the potential of patterns sharing a name with some of our characters. The Vivian Vest by Style Arc is not only called by our main character's name, it's also a very 80s silhouette! Imagine wearing this outfit in contrasting primary colours or stark black and white, and you'll fit right in to an 80s office. 

Viv's roommate Jenny is less edgy than Viv is - she's a young woman working the night shift at a nursing home. She might wear something like this Jenny Wrap Dress by Designer Stitch to a weekend do, maybe in a pastel print with some jelly shoes ;) You could make this classic silhouette look retro or completely modern depending on your own fabric choices. 

When Viv meets photographer Marnie, she finds an ally, however reluctant. The no-nonsense photographer would probably have pulled on a casual jacket like this Marni ponte jacket from Style Arc (though the 80s version probably would have had large shoulder pads too!) 

Policewoman Alma Trent is also no-nonsense. But maybe in her off hours she might have dressed up a little? In any case, you could try out this Alma Blouse by Sewaholic in a neon or graphic print to bring out the 80s tone & cut the sweetness. 

When Viv first meets her new boss, Janice McNamara, the owner of the Sun Down Motel, she's described like this:

"She was about thirty, lean and vital, with brown hair in a ponytail and a face that had hard lines. She was wearing a baggy gray sweatshirt, loose-fit jeans, and heavy brown boots, which Viv could see because she had them propped right upon the desk."

I think that this Janice Hoodie by Pattydoo is exactly the kind of thing that Janice would wear! 

And Janice might also feel comfy in this sweatshirt style tunic/dress, a design by Tie Dye Diva -- which also echoes the setting of this book. It's called the New York Minute Knit Dress & Tunic. Quick and comfy for when those pesky ghosts are giving you shivers... ;) 

I hope that this roundup was inspirational to you, and that you enjoyed our journey through the 80s. In our next inspiration post we'll be looking at the contemporary timeline and seeing what we might find there. Happy reading!