The Sewing Room Girl

Born into service, sixteen-year-old Juliet Harper has always idolised her mother, Agnes. But Agnes is haunted by what could have been, and the glamorous life she might have lived if she stayed in Manchester rather than settling down in the Lancashire moorland with her husband. Life takes another unexpected turn when Juliet's father suddenly dies. Agnes's reputation as a seamstress leads to her being taken on by local landowners the Drysdales, where she is proud to work. But it will be a bumpy road for both of them as they settle in to their new lives. Will Juliet ever be able to choose her own path? And what will become of them when Agnes falls ill?

New York Times Editors’ Choice Winner of the Bancroft Prize Winner of the Francis Parkman Prize Winner of the Gotham Book Prize Winner of the New York Society Library's New York City Book Award Journal of the American Revolution Book of the Year Winner of the David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Legal History A riveting Revolutionary Era drama of the first published rape trial in American history and its long, shattering aftermath, revealing how much has changed over two centuries—and how much has not On a moonless night in the summer of 1793 a crime was committed in the back room of a New York brothel—the kind of crime that even victims usually kept secret. Instead, seventeen-year-old seamstress Lanah Sawyer did what virtually no one in US history had done before: she charged a gentleman with rape. Her accusation sparked a raw courtroom drama and a relentless struggle for vindication that threatened both Lanah’s and her assailant’s lives. The trial exposed a predatory sexual underworld, sparked riots in the streets, and ignited a vigorous debate about class privilege and sexual double standards. The ongoing conflict attracted the nation’s top lawyers, including Alexander Hamilton, and shaped the development of American law. The crime and its consequences became a kind of parable about the power of seduction and the limits of justice. Eventually, Lanah Sawyer did succeed in holding her assailant accountable—but at a terrible cost to herself. Based on rigorous historical detective work, this book takes us from a chance encounter in the street into the sanctuaries of the city’s elite, the shadows of its brothels, and the despair of its debtors’ prison. The Sewing Girl's Tale shows that if our laws and our culture were changed by a persistent young woman and the power of words two hundred years ago, they can be changed again. Includes photographs

Over 100,000 copies sold 'A tapestry of strong characters and accomplished writing' Herald Scotland It is 1911, and Jean is about to join the mass strike at the Singer factory. For her, nothing will be the same again. Decades later, in Edinburgh, Connie sews coded moments of her life into a notebook, as her mother did before her. More than a hundred years after his grandmother’s sewing machine was made, Fred discovers a treasure trove of documents. His family history is laid out before him in a patchwork of unfamiliar handwriting and colourful seams. He starts to unpick the secrets of four generations, one stitch at a time.

Sew cute and original clothes for your little angel with this easy-to-follow DIY sewing book. Yoshiko Tsukiori's Japanese sewing books provide elegant casual designs for women and children and have made her one of the most popular names in the Japanese sew–it–yourself craze. In Sewing for Your Girls, Tsukiori has done it again, creating eight adorable and endlessly versatile new patterns for clothes that will delight every mother's budget—and suit every little girl's personal style and body type. Tsukiori provides easy–to–follow instructions (in English) and shares the basic techniques for creating all the classic elements of little girls' clothes. Today's emerging legions of DIY mothers will discover how to make: A round collared shirt or tunic A classic smocked sundress Overalls with plenty of pocket room Draw-string pants that fit beautifully A shawl-collared dress or top A gathered neckline shirt, tunic, or dress A pretty dress with shoulder ruffles A raglan top or dress Add ruffles or bows, add tiers or pockets, add sleeves or go sleeveless—each of these garments can be embellished in endless variations to create literally hundreds of different styles. Tsukiori also guides readers on how to select carefree, pretty, and inexpensive fabrics that girls will love to wear every day! Imagination and creativity are the keys to dressing girls stylishly on a budget, and Sewing for Your Girls makes it easy to mix and match the basic components so that each piece is as unique as it is beautiful.

In these insightful essays, Barbara Cawthorne Crafton reflects on a broad range of experiences ministering among merchant seafarers, the homeless, the bereaved, AIDS patients, and others in need of personal and spiritual help. She shares honestly her own emotions as she grapples with the harsh realities of the world, while delighting in the humor and joy found in everyday living. Crafton compassionately recounts the unique stories of the men, women, and children she worked with during her service as a port chaplain in New York and New Jersey and as a minister at Trinity Church on Wall Street. In doing so, she weaves together threads of the mundane and the traumatic, the lovely and the ugly, and the down to earth and the holy, creating an original tapestry of the richness of life.

Supplement to 3d ed. called Selected characteristics of occupations (physical demands, working conditions, training time) issued by Bureau of Employment Security.

Includes music.