The book’s main character, Truly, is a human giant, a difficult character to depict. An oversize mannequin seemed like a solution that addressed Truly’s size, was feminine and spoke to the hand-tailoring needed. The seamstresses’ mannequin, especially a large one, is also reminiscent of other archetypal female forms, like the Greek goddess’ bust.

The feminine crafts of sewing and embroidery are integral parts of the book. An embroidered quilt was a family heirloom and used secretly as a book of spells left by a green witch, generations before it was discovered by Truly. The floral embroidery also spoke to the book’s other themes of herbal healing and gardening.

I hired photographer Scott Nobles to execute this vision. Scott’s technique for creating the giant-size mannequin involved photographing muslin over an oversize model and superimposing this onto an extra-large mannequin. Embroidery from my personal collection was later added as a border.

Striking image with carefully orchestrated type.

This beautiful image celebrates embroidery, sewing and other women’s crafts.