I
Among twenty boxes of patterns
The only desired thing
Is that pattern, over there, on the Internet.
II
I had three ideas
Like a table
On which ten patterns are hopelessly jumbled.
III
The pattern lies wrinkled on the floor.
It was a small part of the shambles.
IV
An idea and a pattern
Are one.
An idea and a pattern and two yards of Tana Lawn
Are one.
V
I do not know which to prefer,
The beauty of the line
Or the beauty of the fold,
The girl in the illustration,
Or the dress made flesh.
VI
Pins scatter themselves
With ill intent.
The lines of the pattern
Break and clash.
The plaid
Underneath it all
A matchless question.
VII
O thin women of Vogue
Why do you imagine harem pants?
Do you not see how the full skirts
Swirl around the knees
Of the women about you?
VIII
I know welt pockets
And gently rolling collars;
But I know, too,
That the pattern doesn't know
What I don't know.
IX
When the facing piece disappeared
It marked the end
Of following instructions.
X
At the sight of the name
"Ceil Chapman"
Even those who draft for themselves
Hit the "Buy It Now" button.
XI
She floored the pedal
Of the machine.
Once, a fear pierced her
In that she mistook
The back bodice of 4788
For that of 8744.
XII
The pattern is motionless.
The scissors must be snipping.
XIII
It was almost finished all day.
It was done and almost done.
The pattern did not
Fit back in the envelope.
Awesome. Just. Awesome.
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It’s just a facing.
One piece missing.
Is this pattern is worth saving?
Judgement call.
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Oh, well done! I have loved Stevens’ blackbirds for years, and admit I grinned hugely at “O thin women of Vogue…”
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Erin, wonderful! Thanks for the creative burst I received when reading this!
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Delightful.
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Wow. Erin, I have been reading your blog for years and years and years. Your writing always inspires me, and I find I print off your posts sometimes and give them to my sewing students. (Plaid = Joy changed my whole concept of dressing and personal style.)
This is wonderful. This goes on my wall. Thank you.
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Brilliant!
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Oh my goodness – I have to say I can relate to that first one. I certainly do not NEED to buy any more patterns, and yet the one just out of reach always seems to be absolute perfection! And once I have it, something else comes along . . .
Thank you for sharing this – and letting us know we are not alone in our obsession with Ceil Chapman!
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O.M.G. LOVE THIS.
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yep, Awesome is the word.
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Bravo.
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Oh my goodness, this made me so happy this morning!
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dressmaking-poetics, Thanks!
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deep sigh of satisfaction – your art has percolated all through your being – this is a full expression of you.
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With hopes you’ll tackle Gerard Manley Hopkins and William Carlos Williams next. This is so wonderful!
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that Stevens poem is one of my favorites. well done.
also, i seem to recall a poem in our high school literary magazine written by one Erin McKean called “With apologies to William Carlos Williams”. i remember only that it was funny (i can’t find my copy these days).
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Wonderful! I’ll share this with my husband, the poet. Maybe it will help him understand my obsession a little better.
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I love it!
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Wonderful. What fun.
The blackbirds are all jealous of this!
Becky
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This is brilliant!
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Kevin, I forgot all about that! I’m sure I have a copy somewhere, I’ll have to dig it up …
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*LOVE*
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I love this, and am putting it on the wall of my sewing room ASAP! Thank you for sharing!
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You, my dear, win the interwebs! That is just awesome and I am sharing.
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Sigh—this combination of two of my favorite things, poetry and sewing, is so satisfying. I’m sticking this in my inspiration binder that’s already full of pictures of dresses. Thanks to you.
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There are actually 14 ways of looking at a pattern if you include the poem itself. This is fantastic – I’ve never thought of patterns or sewing as being particularly poetic.
Though I do manage to come up with some very creative swear words, and combinations thereof, from time to time.
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wonderful – thank you!
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Could you redraft it all in lowercase, please, ee mckeen?
Wow! Hand will be permanently tugging my forelock all day now in veneration of your immense talent…
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I LOVE this! The last two lines in particular made me laugh out loud!
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This makes me unreasonably happy. š
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The one who dies with most patterns – WINS! Thanks for putting some of their charm into poetry!
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I love it! Thanks for sharing it!
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Fantastic. I’ve been lurking for ages, but this one forced me out of hiding.
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First thing to cheer me up today. Thank you!
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I have been reading and lurking for years but this could not pass without a comment. You win at LIFE for doing this.
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Perfect! I can especially relate to the first one. I have so many untouched patterns and I keep seeing more that I want. Thank goodness they make them multi-size now.
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Brilliant
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Erin, wonderful! Thanks for the creative burst I received when reading this!
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Love this.
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I’m tickled that there are so many other folks out there who are A. sewing fans and B. get this reference! I wish we all lived near each other (or you all lived in St. Louis)!
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Love love love, every single line. (Good poetry always is about truth!)
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So true! Only just discovered your blog, really looking forward to reading some older posts.
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OMG! Just discovered you blog. I LOVE that you did this with Stevens!!!!!
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OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG! This is AWESOME! Thank you for the Wallace Stevens parody–this writer and English professor thanks you. š
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I loved your almost-haiku’s – so creative, humorous and true!
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SMilinG. Still….wait…still smiling.
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Done
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If you made a print of this poem I would buy it š
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