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Quote by Tracy Chevalier

“It was no surprise that her sewing was so uneven, for to make even stiches the seamstress herself had to be steady. Abigail tended to hunch over her patchwork, her fingers and thread a snarl, and sew a few stiches before abandoning it to look down the road towards the houses near the general store, or to get up for a drink of water.”

Quote by Tracy Chevalier

Book:The Last Runaway
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The Last Runaway

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Author

Tracy Chevalier
Tracy Chevalier

Tracy Chevalier is a renowned British novelist known for her delicate narrative and profound historical insight. Her works often focus on characters and events from specific historical periods, using fictional stories to depict real historical backgrounds. more

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“I followed his gaze on my pillow, upon which rested a thing I did not recognize, woolen and oddly shaped. I seized it abruptly, indignant. It was my jumper! "How---what have you---" "I'm sorry," he said, not looking up from the flicker and flash of the needle. "But you cannot expect me to live in close proximity to clothing that barely deserves the word. It is inhumane." I shook out the jumper, gaping. I could hardly tell it was the same garment. Yes, it was the same color, but the wool itself seemed altered, becoming softer, finer, without losing any of its warmth. And it was not a baggy square anymore; it would hang only a little loose on me now, while clearly communicating the lines of my figure. "From now on, you will keep your damned hands off my clothes!" I snapped, then flushed, realizing how that sounded. Bambleby took no notice of any of it. "Do you know that there are men and women who would hand over their firstborns to have their wardrobes tended by a king of Faerie?" he said, calmly snipping a thread. "Back home, every courtier wanted a few moments of my time." "King?" I repeated, staring at him. And yet I was not hugely surprised---it would explain his magic. A king or queen of Faerie, the stories say, can tap into the power of their realm. Yet that power, while vast, is not thought to be limitless, there are tales of kings and queens falling for human trickery. And Bambleby's exile is of course additional testimony.”

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Book:Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
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“Fill your life with wisdom. Find someone to walk beside you, not behind you. Build a real life together with the near future in mind. Two synchronised souls are stronger than one that stands alone. Make good choices. Seek out what truly matters. Don’t waste yourself on the wrong people, and don’t let others bend your will. Take your life into your own hands. Don’t listen to what the world says about you. Take care of yourself. No one ̶ not even a god ̶ is more important than your well-being. Be strong. And even if everything collapses around you, hold your head up high. Do this, and you will live a fuller, happier life.”

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Book:Sanctuary of the Undead: The Chronicle of a Forbidden History
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“Lib had been working all day at the sewing machine, running up new house-dresses for the womenfolk. When Lib launched into a long seam, she pushed the treadle so fast the whole machine rocked like a boat. The needle ate up the goods like a prairie fire eating up grass. Lib hated sewing and she didn't propose to spend any more of her life than needed to be turning out house-dresses for the female inmates of the Rock County Poor Farm. When she hit a long seam the poor Singer hummed and whined. The seams Lib sewed were saw-toothed, but they were in to stay. She sewed a firm stitch and she put the stitches far from the edge. . .when she held up one of her uneven seams for inspection, she consoled herself by saying, "It'll never be seen on a galloping horse.”

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