Keeping My Hands Busy while waiting for the Release of my Novel.
I can’t pinpoint the exact moment when I decided to sew bookmarks for the launch of my debut novel, Outbound Train, I only know it felt right to honor the women in my life, those who molded me and set before me an incredible work ethic to follow. Not so long ago women across this country worked in manufacturing plants. This blue collar work wasn’t shameful; having a job in a manufacturing plant was actually something to be proud of. Truth-be-told most of us don’t have to trace our roots very far to find a link to manufacturing.
After creating a Facebook Group for readers who volunteered to help spread the word about my novel, I wanted to offer a gift, a token of my appreciation because I know the success of Outbound Train depends on readers telling other readers, who in turn tell other readers about the book. A personal book recommendation is always best. I depend on you (yes YOU) telling someone about my book. Otherwise, I will have wasted my time.
Caveat: I am no seamstress. There’s no way I could support myself, or a family, sewing articles of clothing all day every day. My home economics teacher, Ms. Bradley, could testify to this fact. Renea is NO seamstress.
But bookmarks are easy . . . . right?
One simply cuts two same-shaped pieces of fabric, zips the pieces under the sewing machine foot, turns the fabric pretty-side out and viola’, a handmade bookmark. Or, even better, keep the sewing machine in the craft room and just glue fabric strips to pieces of cardboard for instant bookmarks.
Not so fast.
To truly honor the women of my novel I needed to sew as they would have. I needed to piece together cast-aside items. With the bookmarks, I used remnants and old blue jeans. For you see, “make-do” women waste nothing. As my friend Bren McClain once told me, “The women before us could make a whole lot of something out of nothing.”
Want to read a bit more about my debut novel? Visit Goodreads
Rifling through Mom’s sewing room, I found suitable fabric which I paired with donated blue jeans from friends. Then a reader mailed more fabric and I was in business. My thread supply came courtesy of my precious “other mother,” Katherine Nordling, whose daughter gifted me with enough thread to sew bookmarks right up until the rapture.
[image error]The Concept
The design concept came from Pinterest. That time-sucking website creative types use for inspiration and while my finished product was in no way similar to the concept, as I pieced together the remnants a feeling of contentment took hold.
The machine, however, refused to cooperate. It is my granny’s machine (yes, we called her Granny), an Appalachian title for a woman whose hands were never idle. The machine hates me. It senses I’m an impostor, clueless about appropriate tension setting and the correct thread to pair with fabric.
Many times, and I do mean, many-MANY times, the thread “gonged up” in the area between bobbin and needle.
[image error]Granny’s sewing machine hates me !
The machine seemed to sense the exact moment when I had established a rhythm and then BAM . . . with a groan, it seized up tight.
Friends, I wanted to give up. Wanted to upload an image to Vista Print. I wanted to take the easy road, the fast track and print a couple hundred bookmarks for $39.99 all with ZERO effort on my part.
But Bryson City women, especially those in Outbound Train, don’t quit when things get hard. No my friends, they level a steely gaze. They do not flinch. They press on. They overcome.
And so I shall keep sewing, keep praying the machine cooperates, and hope I have what it takes to finish strong, and that my fantastic readers (readers like you) will help spread the word about my debut novel. I am also busy working on PR. Reaching out to bloggers, freelance writers, book clubs, readers and influencers. Please send love, well-wishes, and referrals of anyone who can help spread the word about Outbound Train.
[image error]Bookmarks waiting for tags, and ribbon
This is what I have sewn so far. They are imperfect with crooked lines and frayed edges, but I think my people are proud.
Firefly Southern Fiction will release Outbound Train April 1, 2020, but you can PRE-ORDER directly from them now by clicking this link. If you order from them, and send me an email with a snapshot of the receipt I will mail a bookmark to you. (Don’t forget to include your mailing address). This offer is only while supplies last, as I mentioned, I’m no production seamstress.
Stay Tuned for Part Two of Making the Bookmark which I will post in February. Thank you for your support, and for reading.
Renea Winchester is an award-winning non-fiction author. Outbound Train is her first novel.
