On a Christmas Coat Dress!

Somewhere early on in my pattern buying I purchased McCall 9130, but it ended up being one of those patterns that I've skipped over time and time again because of the amount of fabric involved and the fact that it's primarily made up of four giant pieces, which doesn't leave much room for error.

Looking at some fabric I had been given along with the fabric I used for last year's Christmas dress (apparently November and December are my months to conduct sewing experiments) and being in the mood to attempt some pattern grading and alterations I finally decided to give it a go this month and ended up being very pleased with the results. 

My primary alterations involved taking it in by about two inches to make it smaller, adding a lining and, most noticeably, shortening it to right below the bottom button.

Now, I'm guessing the reason that this was meant to be an "unlined coat" is based on the sleeves and how the underarm curves wouldn't necessarily match on both layers, but my outer fabric was so thin I fortunately didn't have any noticeable bunching and it ended up working out really well. What didn't work was that in cutting out the pieces and eliminating the facing section (which was part of the overall front piece) I left the seam allowance off.  This meant having to go through the extra step of adding bias tape to both front pieces to close it off, but I actually really like the way it looks with the bias tape, so it didn't end up being that big of a mistake.

Happy to have been able to use some of the buttons from my grandma's button box!

My other foolish mistake, due to working on this over a period of a few weeks and just not thinking, was failing to baste on the interfacing before cutting my button holes. It made things a little more complicated, since I then had to deal with cutting through the lining layer and interfacing and probably took away extra support for the bound buttonholes on the front piece. As I'll probably only wear this a few times a year, though, I'm also counting this as being a rather minor thing, since at least I did get the interfacing in and pretty much everything else went smoothly.

While I referred to it as my Christmas coat while I was working on it, I get the feeling that I'll really be wearing it more as a dress, since it pairs well with leggings, so for now I'm happy to call it my Christmas coat dress!

♥ 🎄 ♥

On A Colonial Look

As a follow-up to my last post, which may have left some of you wondering...While not my original intention to sew a colonial style dress, I came across Hollywood Pattern 1205 (1930's or 40's) near the end of September and knew it would be this year's costume and I am exceptionally pleased with how it turned out.

I really loved making this dress and felt very elegant in it! The panniers (the piece from the last post being one of them) are probably one of my favorite parts of this dress just because they're so far from what I normally sew.

Construction-wise, it was a pretty straightforward pattern to work with. The side opening was interesting as I'm not used to having an overlap between the front bodice piece and the back skirt piece and I'm still not entirely sure I interpreted the instructions correctly, but as the skirt stayed on I'm not going to question it. In relation to that, I also ran out of the right size snaps. As a result, my waist band ended up with only two snaps instead of three and the pannier which clearly couldn't be sewn on at the front if I ever hoped to get the dress on or off ended up with just one instead of two or three, leaving me with none for the bodice. Given that I was still sewing them on at around 10 at night on the 30th, I was more than happy to resort to safety pins the next morning for the bodice seam and to keep the scarf/collar in place with the belt piece happily covering them from view. 

Overall, despite the issues with the snaps, which I'll be fixing as soon, I would consider this a very successful project! ♥️

On a New Sewing Project: A Photo Post

Started a new project yesterday, which contains probably the most exciting shaped pieces I've ever worked with. Now to figure out how to get them pleated properly!

And, for those wondering, yes, I'm still planning to share Peter Pan skirt photos! Just waiting for a slightly warmer day to wear it! ♥️

On Alice in Wonderland Wall Decorations!: A Photo Post

A few weeks ago I was browsing on Etsy and was delighted to come across an almost a complete set of Dolly Toy Co. pressed cardboard Fairytale Pin-ups for Disney's Alice in Wonderland. Needless to say, I bought them right away and now they're living on my one of my walls! While I doubt I'll be able to track down the missing story placard that goes with them, I did manage to find a picture of one, so I think I might just print that out on card stock and place it next to the lantern.

♥️ ♥️ ♥️

On a Thread Search That Led to More Thread and Fabric

Long run of mostly book review posts to finally be interrupted by a sewing related post!

Way back in January, I started making a coat, a project that has dragged out considerably based on numerous factors ranging from everything to time constraints, eye strain, weather (really don't want to sit with a full coat on my lap to hand-stitching when it's hot), and most importantly lack of the right colored thread.

Initially I thought I might have just enough purple thread to get through the project and  managed to make it all the way to getting one side of the bias tape sewn to the hem before I was down to the last bit, which wouldn't have been a big deal if I didn't have more top stitching to do on the belt along with a few other minor details.

Easy enough to remedy, so I thought, requiring just a quick stop by my favorite tiny fabric store on my way home from work. The thread shelf, however, went directly from the thread number preceding my thread  to the one following it making me wonder if the thread was no longer available as I hadn't found it online either. Feeling rather disappointed, I decided to browse while I was there and bought this fabric!

Once again, being in no hurry to work on this coat because even if I finished it it'd be too warm to wear it, I waited about a month and then tried Hobby Lobby, which is where I originally bought the thread. It's been a really long time since I've been there and they switched to their own brand of thread, so I bought two that I thought looked close to what I had (stupidly, I took the original spool out of my purse that morning and didn't put it back) and that really weren't. Also, since I was there, I bought some lace that I'm going to use to replace some sleeves on a shirt. 

Finally, a few weeks later I tried Joann Fabrics. They had it! And they had a flamingo print fabric, so, of course, I bought some of that too as one can never have too much flamingo fabric! 

So, overall, I ended up with about six yards of new fabric and some lace in my quest for thread. Have I done anything with the coat? No, but I did start making a new skirt. I've used sea foam green thread for the top stitching, though, so for now I just get to happily stare at my new spool of 'light vintage purple' thread and know that it's available for future use!

Stay tuned in coming weeks for an outfit post of my almost finished skirt!

♥️ ♥️ ♥️

On "Ink & Paint": A Book Review

Title: Ink and Paint: The Women of Walt Disney's Animation
Author: Mindy Johnson
Genre: Non-Fiction, History, Art

About the Book...
Few names in animation history have had as much of an impact as that of Disney and a large part of this incredible history includes the ladies of the Ink and Paint department. Breaking it down by decade, Mindy Johnson explores the role that these woman had at the Disney Studios during each period, the shifts that occurred as the studio grew and changed with the times, and concludes each chapter with a section about other studios achievements or setbacks during that time and a section talking about Walt's family life.  

What I Think...

This book was well written and clearly well-researched. Johnson doesn't try to impose her own opinions or asides as to why something happened, but presents the information in a very factual way and that includes quotations from those who worked in Ink and Paint. I really liked that at the end of each chapter Johnson included what was going on at other studios during the time, which offered a comparative look at where the industry was as a whole. Additionally, the end of each chapter included an update as to what was going on in the Disney family and

I did feel the book slowed by the time it reached the 1960's (although, in all fairness, that's about three-quarters of the way through) and became far less interesting, primarily due to the changes that occurred in technology. 

It is coffee table size and has glossy pages, which is great for the multitude of images and photographs included, although this comes with the downside of it being too difficult to read in bed.

To Sum it All Up...
A very through look at the fascinating history of Disney's Ink and Paint Department from the start of the studio up to present. ♥️

On a Lily in Bloom: A Photo Post

Courtesy of stress and a lengthy cold, I took a mini blog vacation last month. Hopefully I'll have some sewing projects to share by the end of this month, along with a few other things. 

Meanwhile, here's a photo of my Aztec lily, which is a shy bloomer in comparison to the other two plants that dominate the space where it's planted. 

♥️ ♥️ ♥️

On "The Lady From the Black Lagoon": A Book Review

Title: The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick
Author: Mallory O'Meara
Genre: Non-Fiction
  
About the Book...
Among the most recognizable of the classic movie monsters is the Creature from 1954's The Creature from the Black Lagoon, but what most people don't realize or choose to contest is that it's creator was a woman named Milicent Patrick. With little to start with, Mallory O'Meara set out on a personal journey to learn more about Patrick and the incredible part this largely forgotten woman played in Hollywood history.   

What I Think...
This book is what I'd refer to as casual non-fiction, meaning that it's more like someone telling their friend about something with the book taking the reader on the journey of the research process and then sharing the discoveries. I tend not to care for this sort of book, though I get that in this case this style is in part due to the personal importance to O'Meara, who is a screenwriter and producer of monster movies, of Patrick's role in designing the Creature and overall the importance of Patrick being a woman in a male dominated career setting. 

With that in mind, I did thoroughly enjoy the portions that were written in a more traditional sense and especially loved reading about the making of The Creature from the Black Lagoon and the tours Patrick went on to promote it. Not knowing much about the people behind the scenes, I also liked reading about what her job entailed and found learning about her personal life to be interesting, though sad. 

While it's clear that O'Meara did her research and does present the reader with a great deal about Patrick, the primary downsides were all the personal asides. I found the tangents about present day sexism in Hollywood to be rather distracting from the overall text and along with most of the footnotes, which were almost entirely personal commentary. 

To Sum it All Up...
An interesting look at Milicent Patrick's life and the heyday of Hollywood horror movies, but with a lot of additional commentary that I felt detracted from the overall focus on Milicent Patrick and O'Meara's quest to learn about who she was. ♥️

On "Giraffes on Horseback Salad: The Strangest Movie Never Made!": A Book Review

Title: Giraffes on Horseback Salad
Authors: Salvador Dalí adapted by Josh Frank with Tim Heidecker
Illustrator: Manuella Pertega
Genre: Graphic Novel, Film History, Fiction, and Non-Fiction (bits and pieces of each)

About the Book...
In the 1930's, Surrealist Salvador Dalí and actor Harpo Marx met in Paris striking up a friendship that would ultimately inspire Dalí to write a Surrealist script staring Harpo and including his brothers. In 1937, this script was presented to Louis B. Mayer of MGM Pictures by Dalí and Harpo, but was not well revived and was left to history.  

It was this script that Josh Frank set out to track down and present in the form of a graphic novel, presenting several "Shorts" and a "Newsreel"  that trace its history, the "Feature Presentation" which is a love story between a man named Jimmy and the Woman Surreal, and an "Exhibition" that follows showing pages from Dalí's notebooks and concept art for the creation of this book. 

What I Think...
I don't generally read graphic novels, so I can't really compare this to anything and considering its basis I'm not sure I would be able to anyway because the story is so unique.  
I really loved the breakdown of the book and that the table of contents was referred to a Program with each section being, as described above, a part of a moviegoer's experience in the 1930's.  

As expected, the story is all over the place encompassing classic Marx Brothers' humor, mostly from Groucho and Chico, and then having dreamlike and sometimes near nightmarish quality as far as the rest of the story is concerned. Interestingly, Harpo who is "cast" as Jimmy has dialogue throughout the "film," which I was having a hard time imagining, since the automatic thing that comes to mind with him lack of talking and a lot of honking. 

The artwork is incredibly surreal and in some cases is overwhelming, but it really captures the nature of the story. Parts of it are in monotone, whereas other portions, usually those involving the Woman Surreal, are brightly colored adding to the zany nature of what's occurring.

To Sum it All Up...
A truly bizarre and absurd book, as expected in that Dali's script is the source for it and that it was written with the Marx Brothers in mind, that is not for everyone, but that is well worth the read if you're interested in surrealism, Dali, or the Marx Brothers. ♥️ 

On Some Newspaper Clippings from the 70's: A Photo Post

I was going through a box of old papers today that included quite a few newspaper clippings with mention of family members and found myself equally delighted by the backs of them. 

This outdoor art show included "artists in action" and the exciting "Sculpey," which think is referring to polymer clay. 

Buy some cutlery, stainless cookware, or a rocker recliner for the holidays.

Longhorn cheese anyone or sliced fresh beef liver, anyone?  

And from what can only possibly be a school newspaper (this one is dated 1978), some teen advice and requests for magazine replacements.

 

Apparently Hot Rod, Car Craft, Seventeen, and Consumer Reports were popular enough not to return to the library. 

 ♥️ ♥️ ♥️

On "Everything Alice": A Book Review

Title: Everything Alice
Authors: Hannah Read-Baldrey and Christine Leech
Genre: Arts and Crafts

About the Book...
An instructional book that presents 50 crafts inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.

What I Think...
This is a fun book that really covers a lot of ground when it comes to the variety of crafts included and the various skill sets crafters might have. Some of the things are very simple like paper doll pages to copy and then paste on cardboard and tips for egg decorating (you know, just in case you feel like making Humpty Dumpty), but it also includes things like recipes so you can have your own tea party, decorations you can make, and sewing patterns for things like  character inspired aprons, an Alice envelop pillows, a March Hare teapot cozy, and lavender dormice (the ones I made are below, though I skipped the lavender). 

In the case of each project, supplies are fully listed at the beginning including amount needed, which is helpful in comparison to just being presented with what supply you need (a major pet peeve of mine), and the instructions are presented in an easy to understand manner and when necessary lovely photos accompany them. The only thing I wish was different was that instead of being bulleted that the steps were numbered.  

The book itself is a pleasure to flip through with appealing images gracing just about every page. Most of the crafts are accompanied by the original illustrations and quotes from the Alice books that relate to the items being made or baked. There are also fun little write ups such as how to play croquet Wonderland style, a Tweedles' newspaper page, and other "ads".

To Sum it All Up...
A fun book for those who are fans of Carroll's Alice books and who love to craft! ♥️

On 'The Romance of Musical Bon Bons: Concert in Vienna': An Album Cover Story

Introducing a new series of posts to the blog that I'm referring to as "Album Cover Stories," in which I will write a brief and probably silly story inspired by record album covers in my collection! 

Jean and George were frightfully fond of going to the amusement park in Vienna. Every Saturday they would shellac and starch their hair in preparation for the gusty winds they would face on the ferris wheel and set out with joy in their hearts knowing that nary a hair would move as they rode through the sky. 

Following their ride--and with still perfect hair--they would make their way to a little cafe around the corner. Those who saw them there always commented on how in love they must be. However, little did they know that as Jean and George stared into one another's eyes they were each wishing the other would leave so there would be more room at the tiny table the waitress had deemed large enough to leave an entire tea service and dessert platter on.

♥ ♥ ♥

On "The Book of Boy": A Book Review

February is at its end and I've failed to post anything at all save this book review, which I fail to provide an image for...

Title: The Book of Boy
Author: Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Genre: Children's/YA Historical Fiction

About the Book...
Boy, though disfigured with a large hump and lacking in a past that causes him to be viewed with suspicion by others, is relatively happy working as a goat boy for a manor in 1300's France. Then one day a strange and unnerving pilgrim named Secundus comes to the manor and requests he come with him on a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Peter. As he finds out, though, Secundus isn't all he seems and is in fact intending to use him as an accomplice to steal a list of St. Peter's relics to fulfill his own needs. And once he gives in, Boy starts a journey that reveals much more about himself than he would have imagined.
  
Selected as a Newbery Honor Book.  

What I Think...
I tend to favor the Newbery Honor Books over the actual winner and this book is yet another example of that. I really thoroughly enjoyed this book from all perspectives. 

I love that it takes place in 1300's Europe, which is a time period of interest to me. It's not overly bogged down in facts, but it's apparent that attention has been given to the details. It is well written in a way that was appealing and that read quickly. Medieval dialog was applied here and there, as well, which added to the historical nature of the text, but is very subtle.

Murdock keeps you wondering through much of the book exactly where the story is headed slowly feeding the reader details that cause your perspective to shift along with the characters. She does this in a way where you know you need to be questioning some of the details, though not that draws a lot of attention to them. I also liked how she reveals the inner thoughts of Boy without focusing too much on them to the extent that you are seeing everything from his perspective instead allowing the reader to think for themselves about what's happening.

To Sum it All Up...
An interesting story with some lovely twists and turns and a lot of adventure in between!♥️

On "Dark Passage": A Book Review

Title: Dark Passage
Author: David Goodis
Genre: Fiction/ Crime Noir

About the Book...
Vincent Parry was locked up in San Quentin after being falsely accused of his wife's death. It's not long before he hatches a plan to escape, though, and with the help of a woman named Irene Jansen he begins to attempt to integrate himself back into society without being caught. Little does he know that this bring him right back into the web that got him into trouble in the first place and lead him to discover what really happened to his wife. 

This book was made into a movie in 1947 staring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Agnes Moorehead.

What I Think...
If you've seen the movie and like it, then you won't be disappointed with the book as they did a fairly decent job adapting it for screen. 

Unlike a lot of other crime novels of the time, this one is pretty low key when it comes to content, which was a nice change of pace. I like that in this one how most of the focus is on Parry trying to figure out how to resume his life without being caught rather than trying to seek revenge. There are parts of it that are predictable (though this might just be me having seen the movie three times that makes it more so--it's my favorite Bogart and Bacall film).

One thing that stands out that isn't captured in the movie is Goodis's use of color to define the characters, in particular to the two primary female characters, with Irene always being described in relation to more subtle colors and Madge, whose testimony put him behind bars, being described in more fiery colors. This touch really adds to the novel as a whole, in my opinion, and helps set the scene for certain passages. 

To Sum It All Up...
A great book that will be a pleasure to read for fans of the movie and if you're in the mood for a look at the darker side of humanity. ♥️     

On Sewing Thoughts In Progress: A Photo Post

Rainy weather brings about thoughts of warmer weather and which pattern I want to use for this flamingo fabric. Currently leaning towards the Advance pattern that just arrived in the mail today.

Also gives me something to do until I buy more of the purple fabric I need (because I bought one yard less than I needed) to continue working on what I am starting to think of an my "ice cream parlor coat". 
 

 ♥️ ♥️ ♥️