The Folkwear Book of Ethnic Clothing by Mary S. Parker (2002, Hardcover, Illustrated)

Folkwear Patterns have brought so much joy into the lives of sewists–all kinds of sewists, from the timid beginner to the august experts among us. But why?

My guess? Because we never lost the magic of sitting in a dark movie house and having our world view broaden by what we saw. There was action, sure. Some of us loved it. There were also lots of costumes that most of us had never seen, much less knew existed.

At the end of the double feature, we came away with a sense of wonder. Some of us wanted to race to the first tramp steamer headed for Tangier; others to touch, try on and come away with those incredible costumes.

That's where the lovely ladies of Folkwear came in; they crafted patterns for sewists with discerning eyes for multi-cultural glamor. They no longer own the company, but their vision continues to enchant and gain in popularity.

The FOLKWEAR Book of Ethnic Clothing, Easy Ways to Sew & Embellish Fabulous Garments From Around the World, by Mary S. Parker, would make a fairly decent small coffee table book were it not for the photos that catch the eye, then capture the imagination. Looking at the cover, a Syrian Dress covered with traditional embroidery designs rendered in simple cross-stitch, it takes a strong woman to casually flip through it and put it down. I’m not that person. I made a cup of tea, got comfortable and slowly looked at, then read, every page.

Takes a bit of getting used to initially, seeing traditional tribal designs broken down into easily understandable units. Once the reader absorbs their simplicity, the fun begins. Fabrics, threads, golds, silvers, ancient methods, classic designs–all come together to give the reader an even greater sense of mystery. Who is that person, the one who just whipped around the corner trailing a long cloak? The veiled woman in that glittery caftan? The staid soldier? The wry worker in the old-fashioned smock? The couples in their folk art vests? They’re here wearing their country’s native dress and telling their stories.

This is not merely a book for sewists and costumers. It’s a book for anyone with a sense of adventure and a touch of remembered childhood magic. It’s a book for ideas, creating and sharing, truly the best of all worlds.