In my non-sewing life, I\’m a children\’s librarian. Did you know that? Generally, if I\’m not sewing (or thinking about sewing) I\’m reading. Especially as it gets a bit colder, nothing feels quite as nice as curling up in your pajamas with a cup of mint tea and a library book. I love to peek into people\’s reading queues and so I\’m sharing a bit of mine with you today, as well as a lovely new pajama set.
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
This was my favorite book between the ages of about 8 and 12. When Natalie Babbitt died recently, I knew I wanted to reread this classic of my childhood–after all, it deals so beautifully with the concept of death. It\’s a short read at only 139 pages but it was even more perfect than I remembered, and much more \”literary\” although I\’m not a huge fan of the term. To be honest, I read this on my lunch break and had to hide in the bathroom for a few moments after finishing to recompose myself.
Couture Confessions: Fashion Legends in their Own Words by Pamela Golbin
I\’m not much of a Fashion Person myself. I\’m always aware of NYFW but I don\’t watch the runway shows obsessively like some do. However, I found this book to be very interesting–Golbin has constructed interviews with some of the most recognized designers ever (think Vionnet, Chanel, Dior) out of \”their own words\” but in a casual interview setting. I\’m not sure how to describe it exactly, but it\’s as if she\’s interviewing them herself, but of course, they\’re not really available for interview (most are dead), so she pulls their responses from other interviews, memoirs, autobiographies, etc. If you aren\’t quite ready to pull the trigger on that 400-page biography of Coco Chanel (or whoever), start here.
Undermajordomo Minor by Patrick DeWitt
My dad recommended this to me as being reminiscent of my very favorite author, Lloyd Alexander, but for adults (and I do mean adults, watch out for the random orgy scene!) and I agree–the writing style has a similar poetic straightforwardness even as it that pokes fun at the characters. I have mixed feelings about the story itself–the main character Lucy is self-important in a way that\’s a little too Guy in your MFA for me, and I know that that\’s the point but it still bugs me. I\’m also reading his other book The Sisters Brothers which I like more but I\’m not entirely convinced by that one either.
And the pajamas! My pajamas are the Carolyn in the short sleeves + boxers version, made with the organic cotton double gauze in opal from Organic Cotton Plus. I wanted to compare this double gauze to the only other double gauze I\’ve used, a Nani Iro floral which I made into a crop top and short shorts co-ord (and a little skirt which I really ought to unpick and resew as I never wear it). It\’s quite nice, a little looser than the Nani Iro, and wonderful for snuggling up in. If you like your pajamas soft soft soft this could be your new favorite!
I used a pack of ric rac from my stash instead of piping and had just enough. It\’s not perfect, but even in its imperfection I think it\’s a nice touch, and, after all, it\’s just pajamas!
My only complaint about the pajamas is that the back of my neck looks a little sloppy where you topstitch down the collar. Heather mentions (in this great tutorial) picking this collar construction expressly because she dislikes facings/yokes, so I think this is just personal preference, but is there a better way to sew this type of collar? Does anyone have suggestions? I\’d really like to make a bunch of pairs of these (and I already have my next fabric selected!) but I\’d love to know if you have any tips!
What are you reading? And do you like to wear matching pajama sets, or are you more of a boxers and tee shirt sleeper? I admit to wearing my nike shorts more frequently to sleep in than run in, what about you?
xoxo,
I love your rick rack detail, I think it looks great and really accents the fabric nicely. I love my flannel pjs myself, it's cold here in Toronto! I've been scared off sewing my own, as I've tried a couple of patterns (although not the Carolyn) and they haven't fit the way my store bought ones do, that I really like! And I just started reading the Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante – hopefully I can finish before it's due back at the library. I'm a quick reader, but find her books are so densely packed that I need to take my time. Ok, enough rambling – but books and pjs are a winning combo!
what a wonderful color on you! you are on a roll and will soon have a go to pattern for everything.
These look so sophisticated! The ric-rac turned out great. I love how many sewing librarians there are. We should have a panel at ALA! I can't decide how I feel about DeWit either – I kept picking up The Sisters Brothers but have yet to make it all the way through.
the Pyjamas are so Lovely i like the ric rac detail
Those pajamas are so sweet. I love the ric rac piping detail. Yes, I am a boxer and tee girl when it comes to pajamas. Frankly I should just toss all my actual pj's because I never wear them. But if I had a pretty set like this I'm sure I'd wear them 😉 As far as reading, I recently just finished Gone with the Wind for the first time, which I loved! It was the most enjoyable three weeks of reading ever. The other book I'm working my way through is Orange is the New Black. I love the TV show and I'm enjoying Piper's actual memoir of her time in a women's prison. I also have a lawyer book I need to work my way through, which is called Storytelling for Lawyers. I have a big trial in three months and much of trial litigation is a lot of theater, actually.
The ric-rac subbed for piping looks brilliant – what a great idea!
Yes! Then I'll just stop buying patterns forever! 😉
We so should–although in my experience (not that I've ever been to ALA, but at other libraryland events) the attendees take care of the fiber art with ALL THE KNITTING in the audience!! I'm selfishly glad to hear I'm not the only one conflicted on DeWitt.
Thank you!
Thank you! It's a bit of a feminine detail which I like!
Good luck finishing your book! I haven't read that one but I know it got wonderful reviews 🙂 I tried a couple different pajama patterns before this one and never finished any of them as I wan't 100% on fit, so you may want to try these if you haven't already! The top is a size 2 and the bottom is a size 6 but other than that these fit really nicely out of the envelope!
That's interesting about the Storytelling for Lawyers book–I took a class in grad school about storytelling and I was SO AWFUL at it. I hope you have more luck than I do! I've never read Gone With the Wind (or seen the movie!) but I've been meaning to, especially now that I live in the South!