The Ultimate Fashion History, a YouTube channel hosted by Amanda Hallay, has recently published a delightful half-hour video on the series Agatha Christie’s Poirot. It’s a fascinating look at the fashion and style choices of the series, and how individual characters are made unique through the distinctives of their aesthetic. Definitely check it out!!! (Screen shots below from the YouTube episode.)
I’ve made another Poirot-themed quilt top, because what better theme for a cozy lap quilt than a cozy mystery to read or watch while cuddled up on the sofa? 🙂
My Poirot projects all seem to share similar color schemes: black, white, red, neutrals. The “square” motif is, of course, a given when it comes to Poirot-themed quilting. 🙂 Most of the fabrics you see here are custom designs made at Spoonflower, which is a brilliant company for those who like to make highly-specialized theme projects. My own Spoonflower design– the “Poirot words” fabrics in the four corners– is a personal favorite and is ubiquitous in my Poirot sewing projects.
At this point, I have three miniature rooms of Poirot’s flat in various stages of completion. Since the bedroom is almost finished now, I’ll put the photos up here. 🙂 First, a couple of “in progress” shots as construction was happening…
The (almost) finished product…
Still needs a couple of lights on the back of the side walls. I’d bought a couple for this purpose, but they’re too amber and I don’t think they’ll work. I was also planning on adding a couple of rugs, but not too sure now– it might overwhelm the space. Slippers, however, are going to happen. 🙂
This little tailoring form was super tricky to execute. Among other things, I didn’t have a sewing needle fine enough for that super-fine brass chain, so I had to constantly alternate between sewing needle and beading needle! As you can see, Poirot has plenty of clothes brushes. 🙂
On the shelf is a statue of St. Michael, a small pistol and dagger, a set of brass “justice” scales, and a glass bottle. I love that little prie-dieu– it came as a kit. It turns out that the archangel Michael is considered the patron saint of law enforcement officers as well as patron saint of the city of Brussels. So it seemed logical to me that there might be some reference to him in Poirot’s rooms (as he is a good Catholic). The image of Michael defeating the devil also serves as an apt picture for Poirot’s own sense of his vocation.
Miniature Agatha Christie books! Because of course, Poirot would read about himself. 😉 The Poirot books are Blue Train, Murder on the Links, and Murder on the Orient Express (which is really micro-printed and cloth-bound, a little masterpiece).
His vanity. I had SOOO much fun with this. There’s a shaving set, moustache wax and pomade, tiny cotton swabs (handmade), a silver vanity kit with brushes and comb, tiny scissors (a bit of manipulated wire), hair tint, hair tonic, scented talc, fig-sulpher-senna tablets, Flu-Nips, cologne, and on the top shelf…
…Ammonia, morphine, arsenic, strychnine, generic poison, unknown pills, a syringe, and another mysterious bottle. Just so we don’t forget whose room this is!!! 🙂
The blanket chest contains personal keepsakes– WWI-era newspapers.
The pictures on the back wall are solid stone, inlaid intarsia pendants. They look almost like photographs or abstract art. I replaced the round, wide shades on the original miniature lamps with these squarish ones so they would fit better.
In the little box on the bedside table is this bitty rosary, which I strung myself with garnet beads smaller than 2mm.
Here’s a Poirot-themed pillow cover I sewed for a 14″ pillow. These were GREAT fabrics to work with. And how often do you get to work with quilting fabric with a blood-spattered appearance, I ask you? 🙂
Because you can never have enough Poirot-themed quilts… 🙂
This black-and-white fabric below was so Poirot, I just had to get it. The phrases above the symbols read: “A gentleman is always well-groomed,” “A gentleman is always well-dressed,” “A gentleman is always well-prepared,” and “A gentleman is always well-mannered.” That’s Poirot to a tee, is it not?? 🙂
The fabrics of red and charcoal squares repeat “A B C” and feature lots of typewriters, one of which features importantly in the book. And the black “French phrases” fabric was my own custom design.
Seven Storeys High 