Sewing Pattern by Alexandra Cussons

Sewing Pattern, the only book in this series which, at first glance, is not noticeably constructed of fabric, is based on a poem of the same name by Alexandra Cussons, a 2011 Foyle Young Poets of the Year award-winner. Printed on Canson Infinity Rag paper and rag vellum, with a sewn stab binding, Sewing Pattern is presented as a pattern book, featuring templates of pattern pieces, and hand-illustrated sewing instructions to create a woman. Rag paper and rag vellum (a term used to describe high-quality rag paper with a smooth surface imitating traditional vellum) are made using cotton linter or cotton derived from used cloth rags. Before the popularization of the sewing machine and ready-to-wear clothing, the pace of fashion relied on the manual creation of garments; magazines marketed to women in the 19th and 20th centuries frequently featured sewing patterns, with the aim of giving women direction in making their own clothes.