One nice thing about flying on an airplane is that you are generally guaranteed some quality reading time. Although my flights were about an hour, I finally got to start reading Gioia Diliberto's The Collection. Even though my reading time was short, it wasn't hard to get sucked into this book - the author's details help bring 1920's Paris and Mademoiselle Coco Chanel to life right off the pages!

As you can tell by now, The Collection is not a technical sewing book, but (finally) a fictionalized account of sewing, couture, and fashion that takes place during postwar Paris. The story is told by the main character of the book, Isabelle Varlet, however, the real personality is Coco Chanel!

Although I haven't quite finished the book, I can't wait to sneek a few free moments to see what happens next in this novel. If you're looking for a book dripping in beautiful details (I could see the dresses in my mind, right down to the stitches) or a way to submerse yourself in haute couture without stepping out of your bedroom, then look no further than The Collection - finally, a book about sewing!