Weekend Review: Stitching Science

 

Stitching Science / Lauren Wright Vartanian & Keltie Thomas
Richmond Hill, ON: Firefly Books, c2024.
64 p.

I have something very special for you today! This is a book that is a wonderful blend of science and art. It's an alphabet book of scientific topics, all illustrated with hand-stitched images by Lauren Wright Vartanian, an artist who is fairly local to me. 

I watched this book's development on IG, as Vartanian began her stitching during lockdown. These are two of my favourite topics so I was thrilled when it was picked up as a book. The detailed embroideries are photographed very well, with large pages and clear, crisp photos that let you see the elements of each one. There is even a section at the end of closeups of some of the smaller details so you can really appreciate the handwork. 

Topics range from A to Z (haha, it is an alphabet book after all!). Vartanian got creative to find something for each letter, and while X is X-Ray as it often is in alphabet books, in this one it really makes sense to include this scientific discovery. Also, the image for this one is one of my favourites in the book, with the layered organza to represent the see through hand - and it's used on the cover because it is so striking. There are many others that are also stunning and creative and help you see things a little differently. If you want to see many, many of the interior images, check out Vartanian's website with her announcement about the book - so good! 

This is marketed as a children's book but I would say it's a middle grade read at least. Each topic has a one page essay about the scientific principle under discussion. Text was written by Keltie Thomas, and it complements the images well. It's thorough but not overwhelming for a younger reader.

Adults will enjoy this as much as younger readers, and might appreciate the skill in the illustrations a little more as well! I hope that reading this will spur interest among readers in both science and in embroidery. I think it's a gorgeous read that shows how well science and art work together to educate and inspire. 

If you're also in Ontario, you can see the original artwork exhibited at the Idea Exchange in Cambridge, on until March 30,. 2025. 

Weekend Review: Me & The Boss

 

Me and the Boss / Michelle Edwards; illus. by April Harrison
TO: Anne Schwartz Books, c2022.
40 p.

This was a darling discovery, a heartwarming book about the relationship between two siblings, and the sense of efficacy that comes from sewing.

Lee is a little brother who follows his big sister Zora everywhere. This includes to a sewing class at the local library, where Mrs. C. is teaching kids some handsewing. Zora makes a pretty flower on her fabric, but Lee makes a bit of a mess - he's so much younger than everyone else. But he's inspired. And later that night he gets out of bed to try again, and ends up mending the hole in his jeans pocket. And then sneaking into Zora's room to sew the ear back on to her favourite teddy.  

Lee's persistence and the way that he feels strong and successful after figuring out how to use these new skills to make life better is such a wonderful message. And the relationship between the siblings is also sweet, while realistic as well. 

This is a charming picture book that sewists (and library lovers) will enjoy. Definitely check this one out! 

Weekend Review: The Little Ghost Who Was A Quilt

 

The Little Ghost Who Was A Quilt / Riel Nason
illus. by Byron Eggenschewiler
Toronto: Tundra Books, c2020.
42 p.

This is a sweet picture book about a little ghost who just doesn't fit in with this peers - they (classic sheets) can twirl and float but our little ghost, made of a heavier patchwork quilt, likes to lay himself over clotheslines or chairs since floating is so hot and difficult. 

One Halloween he ends up on a porch railing for a better view, and is mistaken for a blanket -- he's picked up and taken on a trick-or-treating journey. He keeps a little girl warm, gets a little sticky, and escapes late at night when everyone in the house is asleep. His adventures make him the hot topic in his peer group after that! 

This is a gentle tale, and the illustrations match the tone of the story perfectly. The colours are muted, and the images feel a little bit retro. If you're looking for a book that's sweet instead of scary, and you love the idea of a patchwork ghost descended from a checked tablecloth and a lace curtain - well, you'll love this charming story. Great for any bedtime reading for quilters and textile lovers! 

Weekend Review: Bloom

 

Bloom / Kyo Maclear & Julie Morstad
Toronto: Tundra, c2018.
40 p.

I saw this intriguing picture book biography at work; Kyo Maclear and Julie Morstad are two of my favourite Canadian picture book duos so I obviously had to read this. It's an unusual book - told very simply and illustrated with the specific style I expect from Morstad. It's lovely, and features the colours and designs Schiaparelli is known for. 

It tells the life story of Elsa Schiaparelli, all the way from the beginnings when two disappointed looking parents stand above her crib, sad she isn't a boy. And as she grows, she finds that unlike her older sisters, she is "brutta" -- ugly. She becomes enamored with flowers, which represent beauty to her.

The book focuses on the 20s and 30s, when she becomes a part of the surrealist art movement, and shows how that shapes her as a designer who can't actually sew, but has a vivid, experimental imagination. Because it's a picture book format, it's of necessity brief and glosses over quite a lot, but at the end there is more info and some suggested reading to learn more. I found this both useful and a little strange; all the suggested readings are books for adults, and it left me wondering who exactly the audience for this book is. The content is more suited to older readers; the style is more suited to younger ones. It lives in our children's department so perhaps those older middle grade readers or younger teens who have a passion for fashion might want to pick it up. So far it's been mostly adult readers enjoying this one here. 

But it could be included in an art classroom for sure, and would stand up to other titles about creativity and art. I liked it, and as always, found the illustrations charming.