Weekend Review: Thread Me a Button

 

Thread Me a Button / Jude Aquilina & Joan Fenney
Port Adelaide: Ginninderra Press, c2012.
73 p.

I discovered this little book of poetry in a library collection online, and the adorable cover and title drew me in. It really is a collection of poems all centred on buttons! It's written by two Australian women, and it's surprising how much they can wring from a button. 

The book is set up in 6 sections, each with an average of 9 poems, ranging from haiku length to full page poems. There are some that are straightforward, some quite funny, and a few that are more serious and moving. 

There is a poem about a woman who lost her lover in the war, and for the rest of her life she wore one of his buttons stitched to a petticoat. There are some celebrating beauty, or relationships. In the section "In the Sewing Drawer" I found some of my favourite pieces, lots about the act of sewing. And this section includes what I think was the most memorable poem, for me, called "In the Light"; it's about the closing down of Mrs. Pearl Morris' haberdashery shop, and I found it evocative and bittersweet. 

This was a chance find, and a gem. I enjoyed reading through this accessible collection, which will appeal to anyone fond of buttons and the garment sewing world. Easy to read a few each night before bed to relax and enjoy some sewing related whimsy! 

Weekend Review: The Endless Garment

The Endless Garment / Marguerite Pigeon
Hamilton, ON: Wolsak & Wynn, c2021.
118 p.

Today's book is an unusual find, a collection of poetry all tied to fashion: its impact, history, past and future. I had to order this one as soon as I saw it mentioned in a library catalogue. It's told in epic style, and like the cover says, in Five Collections. 

It's an interesting concept, and the author's obsession with fashion comes through, with ghostly appearances by Alexander McQueen, the Comte D'Orsay, Coco Chanel, Gypsy Rose Lee, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, even Elizabeth Barrett Browning who leads the narrator through the last section, a Dante-like circle of hell: a sweatshop in the basement of a metaphysical department store that she's been making her way through. 

There's commentary on fast fashion, on consumerist shopping frenzies, on fashion figures, designers and models (one description of a Vogue shoot was so clear I knew exactly the image and model she was talking about). However -- this does mean that if a reader is not already quite conversant with fashion and the system from the last few decades, they might be lost while reading this. The references are plentiful but there's no explanation, you've got to catch them yourself. 

Otherwise, there is still a lot to gain from reading this. Lots of social critique and some commentary that anyone, not just a fashion nerd, will catch. And the language is great. She uses so many terms that sewists will appreciate, from techniques to fabrics, and it makes you realize how rich the language of textiles is. I enjoyed seeing those words used and shaped in these poems. 

The language and style is also formally epic. It echoes Dante's style, and also reminded me of another collection I once read that was informed by Dante, Seth Steinzor's To Join the Lost (only in tone and style). I think it's a brilliant idea, and one that shows that fashion, clothing and our desire for ornament are all part of the human experience; they don't sit apart. While I found it a little obscure in parts on first reading, I know it's one I can go back to and get more from each time. 
 

Farewell to Poetry Month!

April is Poetry Month ~I enjoy poetry and love to share it on my book blog throughout April. But as a farewell to Poetry Month 2014, I thought I'd share a few poetic links for all my sewing friends, too!

First off... here's a pattern for a Poetry Skirt I bought a few months ago, but haven't made up yet...I love the shape and the idea, but what poem should I use?

I've also found a few great poems this month that feature sewing and other handcrafts, some that were spectacularly beautiful. One of my favourites was The Water Seamstress by Nancy Willard, from her collection The Sea at Truro. It begins: 

The bride admires the pleats on the skin

of the sea. So smooth! So cool!

(read the rest here...)

And finally, there's the classic riff on Wallace Stevens' iconic 13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, written by the brilliant Erin at Dress a Day -- anyone who sews will appreciate this one, entitled Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Pattern. It is such a delight! I can only wish that Erin would make a print from this poem -- I'd love to buy one and have it hanging in my sewing room :) BTW, Erin has also written a wonderful novel for lovers of vintage clothing as well --

more info here

Hope you've enjoyed this detour through the poetry world! Do share any of your own favourites in the comments as I'd love to discover even more great sewing-related poetry.