Literary Sewing Circle: Inspiration!

 

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

Today's inspiration is going to look at some of the characters in this story; we'll find ideas based on their names. Here are a few suggestions for projects you could make based on character names of all sorts. 

Let's start with our main characters - the Williamson sisters Penny and Josephine, and their great-nephew Archie. 

Penny's personality really takes over a lot of the story. So starting with her, you could look at a few different projects inspired by her name. 

The Penny Dress by Sew Over It is a classic easy wearing shirtdress, reflecting an earlier decade as well as Penny's name. 

Or maybe the Penny Pinafore by Sew Liberated is more your style. It might be more suited to Penny's practical work during wartime as well. 

The clean lines of the Penny Jacket by FibreMood might be the one to catch you. This can look casual, or formal enough to receive a French war medal in, depending on what you make it with! 

Or in a nod to her nonagenarian love of burgundy pantsuits, you could try out the Penny Pants by Kelsey White Patterns

Now Josephine was slightly more feminine and demure, at least when they were young. The romantic Josephine Dress by P&M Patterns  might be a good fit for a Josephine inspiration! 

But it could be that Josephine's streamlined style in her later years inspires you, and you might want to try the Josephine Tunic by Made by Rae, which has some nice details but is still neat and tidy. 

Penny has a nickname for her sister, and it could be that it's where you find some inspo! Penny calls her Josie Jo -- maybe you'll make the Josie Dress by McCalls  and/or the Jo Dress & Top by Seamwork! 

Josie McCalls

Jo Dress

Or maybe it's just the name that you are inspired by, and some frills and furbelows are more to your liking. If so, the Joséphine Dress & Top by Atelier Bernie  has separates options that will give you lots of choices. 

Moving on to Archie, you could make the Archie Woven Shirt by Style Arc I think that a man or woman could get away with wearing this, depending on personal style. 

Or mayble something straightforward, the fairly simple Archie Oversized Tee by Winslet Patterns 

Perhaps you'll think of little Archie and all the things he carried as a boy & make the Archie Backpack by Knot & Thread Designs This is a good size for lots of things - probably even enough room there to tuck in a copy of Fairbairn's guide to Defendu. 

Or how about Arlene, the dedicated home care assistant to Penny and Josephine - who also has an interest in fashion design? You could try the Arlene Knit Top by Tiana's Closet  as something she might wear for everyday work. It's sweatshirt-like, but elevated with fashion details. 

Or maybe you'll want to make the Arlene Totebag by Sirena Elite It's big enough for a weekend trip to Paris! 

Penny and Josephine's frenemies, the fellow war workers Davina and Sister Eugenia, could inspire a project, too. You might want to doll yourself up a little with the Davina Dress by Itch to Stitch 

For something with a little more of a dressy/casual feel, perhaps the Davina Sweater/Skirt Set by Made By Oranges  will catch your interest. 

And just because our characters are older women doesn't mean they aren't interested in pretty underthings -- the Davina Lingerie Set by Carla Renee Couture  is a choice if you also like making undergarments. It has a bit of a retro feel, maybe a throwback to our characters' younger days. 

Sister Eugenia likes room to be comfortable and might have enjoyed the Eugenia Sportswear Set by DG Patterns if her younger, pre-nun days had been in contemporary years.

But for a French twist on her name, you could also try the Eugenie Blouse by Atelier Scammit 

Josephine's solid, reliable friend of her childhood and youth, Connie Shearer, might be the one to inspire you. You could try the Connie Casual Shacket by Ellie & Mac, something they might have worn walking in the Scottish countryside as teens. You could even use shearling in a double nod to her name! 

Or you could go a bit fancier with the Connie Top by Tiana's Closet  - a free pattern to try out! 

Looking at some of the minor characters might also give you some ideas. Hazel is Davina's care help in Paris, where she is overcome by the heat (and maybe also Davina) so only appears briefly. But she might be reflected in the Hazel Dress by Victory Patterns  (one of our sponsors!) - maybe even made in a French print. 

Or Sister Margaret Ann, who accompanies Sister Eugenia, might inspire quite a nun-like and period appropriate nightie with this Margaret 1940s Nightgown by Atelier Serena 

Later in the book we meet a Canadian character, Madeleine. Maybe that's where you'll start, with something like the Madeleine Dress at TAUKO magazine 

Another minor character is someone who appears in the sisters' midlife: Penny meets the wife of an old flame, named Veronique -- try the Veronica Blouse by Mood, a free pattern that's as youthful and free-spirited as she was. 

We could look at the French family connections for ideas too - when the sisters are young they spend time with their Aunt Claudine and Uncle Godfrey in Paris and meet a whole cast of characters. You could choose the Claudine Dress by Paulinessence Patterns

Or try something quite unusual with the Godfrey Chainmail shirt by Official Hambly 

There are many men in the story, from early boyfriends to husbands and lovers in later years. Any of these could be used as inspiration for a project! 

You might start with the August Top by Alissah Threads - a women's blouse but still referencing his name. 

Or maybe you knit... you could try this August Sweater by Ozetta, on Ravelry for a more masculine nod. 

The classic Gilbert Top by Helen's Closet could refer to another Paris friend in the sisters' youth. maybe in a more manly or French print fabric? 

Gerald, Josephine's wartime friend who stays in her life could potentially inspire something made for someone in your life  -- perhaps using the Gerald Underwear Set by Jalie This can be made into undies, swimwear or even leggings. 

The Frank Jeans by Closet Core  might jump to mind when you're thinking about wartime encounters

And you could make something to go alongside the jeans, with the Connor Messenger Bag, a free tutorial from Love to Sew 

Briefly mentioned later in the book, the name Ralph could be reflected by the Ralph Backpack by IThinkSew 

Or anything by Ralph Pink, of course! 

Equally briefly mentioned, the name Edgar closes out our inspo, with this unexpected unisex pattern, the Edgar Harem pants,  by Tiana's Closet. I dare someone to try this! 

So many names in this book - I didn't even get to all the Williamson relatives. Remember that your project only needs to point to whatever element in the book inspired it, no matter how small. If you're already getting ideas, I would love to hear about them in the comments (although do try to avoid spoilers if you can). Hope you're digging into the story and having fun so far!

Adding Squares for a Better Fit

Not much sewing going on around here this week, but I did finally get around to a fix I have wanted to do for the last few weeks -- ever since I finished my Trio Top. 

I had lowered the neckline of the top from the original, but realized that the back was too low with the same number of blocks as the front. Not for modesty or anything like that, it was that the gathered elastic sat at an odd place on my back and the feeling of it really bothered me!

To fix it I had to unpick topstitching on black & also the panel so I had been putting it off. But I finally got around to it & fortunately I also had a handful of precut blocks left over to choose from. I sewed an extra line of blocks, added them to the back panel & sewed it all back up again. Once I got started on it, it really didn't take long. And now it's much more comfortable to wear and it sits better on my shoulders as well! 

Weekend Review: Backstitch

 

Backstitch / Marian Mitchell Donahue
Boston, MA: Galiot Press, c2026.
314 p.

This is a novel I have been wanting to read since I saw it mentioned in pre-publication! Fortunately I found it in one of my online library resources -- I had to read it right away. 

It's the story of two girls growing up in a household in which their mother Alice is a focused and somewhat notable artist, with all the distracted, moody , self-centred artist stereotypes going on. Her work always takes first place, and the sisters are often used as models, woken up in the middle of the night and dragged down to the studio to pose in the cold - or arranged into a tableau in the wet garden as needed - until finally one day their father Arthur comes home in the midst of one set piece and puts an end to it. 

The two girls, Violet and Marigold, see themselves as inseparable but as they grow older, Violet, the eldest, follows Arthur's footsteps into academia, while Marigold becomes a working artist - but careful not to turn into her mother. 

As the book opens, Violet is heading into a large retrospective show honouring their mother, put together by Marigold. Violet is uncomfortable with the huge show promos featuring a painting of her as a child - her own eyes follow her as she arrives. From this moment, we move backward through their lives, and their parents' lives, getting the more complete story bit by bit. The story is mapped out against the rooms of the exhibit, and the structure adds a really interesting element to this novel. The story is told backward, stitching the perspectives of all four family members together. 

The title and theme also come from Alice's breakthrough in her work - the inclusion of stitching into her wild canvases. This stitching reflects the past, her fractured relationship with her family of origin, the way she engages with the symbols of domesticity, and the secrets she keeps about and from her daughters. Her stitching plays a role in the resolution of some of these plot threads as well. 

It's a complex study of art, artistic temperament and emotional neglect -- both in Alice's past and the way she relates to her daughters. It can be hard reading, but it is also beautifully written, with both art (Alice) and astronomy (Arthur) creating visual impact. You'll wish you could see an Alice Snyder piece in real life after this. If you enjoy thoughtful reads with difficult family dynamics, women's struggles to find their authentic path, discussions of art, ethics, and long-held secrets, I think you'll like this one too. 

Literary Sewing Circle: Fall 2026!

 

Our Fall 2026 session of the Literary Sewing Circle begins today! 

I'm pleased to announce that our group read this time around is:

The Excitements by CJ Wray

Summary: 

A brilliant and witty drama about two elderly female World War II veterans with a secret past who embark on one last adventure to right some historic wrongs.

Meet the Williamson sisters, Britain’s most beloved World War II veterans. Now in their late nineties, Josephine and Penny are in huge demand, beloved of journalists and producers, popping up on red carpets and at fundraisers and festivals all over the country. Despite their age, they’re still in great form—perfectly put together, sprightly and sparky, and always in search of their next “excitement.”

This time it’s a trip to Paris to receive the Légion d’Honneur for their part in liberating France. As always, they will be accompanied by their devoted gay nephew, Archie, who moved in with his aunts right after he came out. The press has always reported that these lady heroes worked for the Royal Navy and the nursing corps, but that’s their official cover. In reality, Josephine was an intelligence operative who drew maps used for the D-Day invasion while Penny was a spy and specialist at hand-to-combat, risking her teenage life in France. And this trip to Paris is not what it seems either. Scandal and crime have always quietly trailed the Williamson sisters, even in the decades after the war.

Now armed with new information about an old adversary, these much decorated (but admittedly ancient) veterans intend to settle scores, avenge lost friends, and pull off one last, daring heist before the curtain finally comes down on their illustrious careers.

A deliciously fast-paced and witty drama, The Excitements is the tale of two remarkably clever and brave women who helped save the world and survived the unthinkable, without ever losing their killer instinct... or their joie de vivre.

[from publisher]

About the Author: 

CJ Wray is the pseudonym of Christine Manby, a Sunday Times bestselling author with more than forty books to her name. Raised in the west of England, she studied psychology before embarking on an entertaining and wide-ranging career that has seen her selling kitchens, editing erotica, interviewing an armed robber, and impersonating a princess.

[from publisher]

This round we also have some sponsors! Two lovely pattern makers with a vintage vibe reflecting some of this book's themes have offerings for our readers. 

Victory Patterns from Toronto, Canada is offering a discount code to all participants (for this one, please 'officially' sign up in the comments here or on IG to let me know you are sewing along) and also a free pattern of choice to one winner in our final draw. 

How To Do Fashion from Denmark is offering a paper pattern of choice shipped to the winner in our final draw, worldwide. She also notes that if you sign up for her newsletter, you will have access to a free pattern and a discount code. 

This book is available for purchase in multiple formats.

You can find this title at all of these locations:

Indie Bookstores Canada

IndieBound

Chapters Indigo

Blackwell's Books 

Barnes and Noble

ABE Books

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com.au

Or, of course, check your local library!

*************************************************************

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, crochet, quilt or embroider - any textile art that you like doing - to participate. This is a reading/sewing circle, very low-key. This round we are lucky to have some sponsors too! 

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. And you can follow along on Instagram too if you like: look for @sewmelwyk and the hashtag #LiterarySewingCircle (which may work intermittently!) and you'll find us.

And when the final post goes up on week 6, so does the project linkup -- you can leave a link to your finished project in the comments, whether it is on your blog, a pattern site, or even Instagram. It's easy :)

So, join in, and share!

Literary Sewing Circle Schedule

Sept 25 - Announcement & Introduction

Oct 2 - Inspiration post 1

Oct 9 -Book thoughts

Oct 16 - Author feature

Oct 23 -  Inspiration post 2

Oct 30 - Final Post: book discussion wrap up & project linkup

We will have our project linkup live for two weeks after the final post to allow you to finish up and post your projects, which takes us to Nov 13, when the window to share your projects will close if you want to enter for one of the prizes. 

PomPom practice!

Something else I found at the thrift store! There was a set of pompom making tools looking so new and shiny that even though I had no intention to try out pompoms before I saw this, I wanted to try it right away. Good thing that the thrift store also sells yarn because I really don't have any -- I picked up a ball of colourful acrylic yarn just to give this a go. 

This set has 3 sizes to choose from, and when I first looked at the tool I was a bit confused - there are a lot of moving parts. But a quick read-over of the very basic instructions reassured me. 

You wrap yarn around each arch -- 

carefully close it --

 cut the yarn between the arch pieces and then trim it up to a tidy finish. Basically. 

These are really cute. Not sure where or how I'd use them but it was a fun nostalgic thing to try. I used to make pompoms as a kid using two cardboard circles cut from old cereal boxes - remember that? These tools are a bit fancier but the end result is the same. 

Here's one of mine in use as a purse charm!