$35.00
8 in stock
8 in stock
In a new home, relationships shift, and ties fray. Bound: A Memoir of Making and Remaking is a collection of essays about sewing and knowing who you are.
Each chapter in this sewist’s diary charts the crafting of a different garment. From a lining embroidered with the Cantonese names of her female ancestors to a dressing gown holding the body of a beloved friend, Maddie Ballard navigates love, personal connections, and self-care, drafting her own patterns for ways of living.
Lyrical, probing, soothing and wise, Bound is a strikingly original debut and a quiet celebration of the remarkable, everyday process of making and re-making: of cloth, of clothing, and of ourselves.
Format: Paperback
Imprint: UK Small Publisher
Publication date: 10/10/2024
Illustrator: Wright, Emma Dai’an
Series: The Emma Press Prose Pamphlets
Bound
By Maddie Ballard
Review by Rosa
I love scavenging for craft supplies!
I love making things with my hands!
I love this little book!
As I write this my fingertips are callused from bearing the brunt of the embroidery needle and I have fabric confetti scattered around my room; each piece acting as a reminder of the almost two-and-a-half year long love-hate relationship I've trapped myself in with my hand-sewn hexie quilt.
In a series of short essays based around garments she has sewn, Maddie Ballard epitomizes the experiences of those who have an affinity with making. She writes of her family history, identity as a woman of mixed Chinese heritage, and folds in themes of sustainability, self-discovery and acceptance, and experiences any maker will be familiar with: craft sessions with friends that oscillate between serious and silly, the perils of patterns, and the slightly satisfying humble-brag of being able to say "aw thanks I made it! :)" when you're out and about and someone says they like one of your projects. These vignettes are deeply personal and tightly woven in their specificity to the life that Ballard is sewing for herself, yet exude a gentleness that is much-needed for anyone making their way in our messy world.
In 152 beautiful pages stippled with doodle-y illustrations, Maddie Ballard succeeds in reminding me that — despite the annoyance of broken sewing machine needles, wonky seams, and the sleepless nights that come with saying "I'll just do the next step..." — there are many layers of meaning, connection, and reflection that can be unraveled from creative pursuits. We should all do more making, in whatever forms means something to us.
For those that enjoyed the form and sentimentality of Bluets by Maggie Nelson, the subject matter of Threads of Life by Clare Hunter, and anyone who is guilty of taking over communal living spaces with their projects (sorry! <3).
