Saturday, November 28, 2015

Sew What?! A 1950s Circle Cape SUIT-ed for Fall

Before we succumb to Yuletide's wintry embrace, may we please take a moment to share with you one autumnally-appropriate "Sew What?!" creation before its seasonality expires?  Pretty please...?  Living in practically-seasonless Southern California, barometric changes factor relatively low in my design process; what works in May may be easily donned in December.  This particular ensemble, however, has a style, a silhouette, and a color story just made for the fall.

Our design & photography team - Mary, Mr. Tiny, Jessie, and Fabian

In a rush to get some pictures taken before everyone's focus shifted entirely to Christmas, we hoped that one of our amazing photographer friends had some time in their schedule for an impromptu shoot.  We were thrilled when our pal, Jessie Stopnik, an incredibly-talented professional photographer, deigned to answer her phone (even when she knew it was us calling).  When we learned that Fabian Fioto was also available, we all hopped in his '55 Buick and headed to the park.

wacky tacky sew what mr. tiny
Ideally suited for suits, Autumn always has me hankering to create a chic, two-piece ensemble.
As my tailoring skills are all but non-existent, I decided to create a sort of unstructured suit (a
pencil skirt and matching cape) out of a one-dollar-per-yard plaid I have had in my stash for years. 

For one who can't be bothered matching plaids, I am like a moth drawn to tartan's heavenly flame.  There is something so decidedly traditional about the multi-colored warp and weft, something so collegiate/preppy, something so "Fall."  Trying hard to capture any kind of Fall that we could muster, I was overjoyed when the leaves started fluttering down from the trees in our backyard.  Thinking quickly, I grabbed a rake and a trash bag and gathered them up for the shoot.  Okay, the secret is out; what you can see in the photos is strategically-placed yard debris.  What you can't see in the photos is my sausage-y fingers scattering leaves like a spastic flower girl at a November wedding.  

Yes, with me on official leaf duty and Jessie masterfully manning the camera, Fabian was left to assist - learning quickly that operating the reflector (my usual position) is no easy task!!!

wacky tacky sew what mr. tiny
The big idea behind the cape is literally just a big circle with two arm holes.
The top of the circle cascades over the shoulders creating a shawl collar.

wacky tacky sew what mr. tiny
It's a kind of "convertible" collar that can be pulled up should the top on the convertible be down.
(Fabian won't forgive me if I allow this to imply that his is a convertible Buick - it is not a convertible.)

wacky tacky sew what mr. tiny
Every inch of once-raw edge on the cape is finished with self bias binding.
Thusly, the cape can be worn backwards, forwards, upside-down or inside-out should the
wearer choose.  The curved hem allows it to fall in a pretty dynamic way no matter what.

It always strikes me as funny that every time we prepare to photograph an outfit, Mary asks me for a detailed drawing of how I want her hair and make-up to be styled.  Without fail, she emerges from her toilette with something completely different (and usually better).

wacky tacky sew what mr. tiny
Wearing a vintage mock turtleneck and her own jewelry, I think she nailed it!
But let's just make sure that the only things falling from the tree are leaves...

As fortunate as I consider myself to be - surrounded by attractive people with legitimate talent - I can't help but feel a bit like an impostor in their midst.  I suppose a feeling of inadequacy is an often-universal symptom of the creative mind; Jessie, a self-described lifestyle photographer, wasn't confident in her ability to do vintage-styled fashion photography.  Having photographed some of Mary's past outfits (here and here), we knew that she was more than capable of capturing some beautiful photos.

I mean, even in our obligatory, "That's a Wrap" jump shot,
Jessie is really the only one to achieve success!

In this season of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for talented friends and family who allow me to participate in truly collaborative experiences.  An enormous THANK YOU must be issued to Jessie for taking the time to share her talents with us.  Our THANKS also go to Fabian for assisting us with his photographic knowledge of cars and camera reflectors.  And, heck, we'll even give a THANK YOU to Mary who, if nothing else, kept an errant "Leaf Boy" in check.

wacky tacky sew what mr. tiny
"Um...where are those dang 'Autumn Leaves?'"

They're right here!!!

"Autumn Leaves" - Keely Smith

Since we know that you like what you see, please feel free to view more of Jessie's work on her blog and her Instagram.  Fabian recently created a cool, online portfolio of his work that can be viewed here.


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Sunday, November 22, 2015

The TEXAS STATE FAIR is a Great STATE FAIR!!!

Tiny & Mary take Texas (or at least the State Fair of Texas)!!!

I'm not sure if it is embarrassing to admit, but State Fair (1945) is one of my favorite movies.  Furthermore, it is far and away my favorite Rogers & Hammerstein musical.  Don't get me wrong; I think Dick and Oscar wrote some of the 20th Century's greatest love songs (see: "Something Good") but somehow their works, bogged down by far too many a dreary dream ballet for my liking, are overwrought and ultimately depressing.  State Fair, unique in its purely-cinematic origins, is a masterpiece of mid-'40s optimism.  The joyful whirl of dirndl dresses and "rousing, cornfed ditties," encourages my perennial delusion that this is what all fairs will be like.  Not so much.

State Fair (1945)

Remade in 1962 with an unlikely roster including Alice Faye, Ann-Margaret, Bobby Darin, and Pat Boone, State Fair's geography changed dramatically from the corn fields of Iowa to the wide, open prairies of Texas.  Filmed on location, State Fair (1962) made the most of the enormous fairgrounds.  

"Isn't It Kinda Fun?" - Ann-Margaret in State Fair (1962)

My birthday trip to Texas resulted in a self-guided tour of those very fairgrounds that was more than "kinda fun;" it was the highlight of our day in Dallas.  The only things "kinda fun" about the 1962 movie reboot are Ann-Maragret at the height of her powers and matching the fairgrounds captured in our photos to the images presented in the film.

State Fair of Texas, 1962

State Fair of Texas, 2015

Opened in 1936 for the centennial celebration of Texas statehood, Fair Park is a marvel of Art Deco architecture.  Open to the public year-round, the sprawling fair grounds define the phrase, "They just don't make them like they used to."  To ensure that we were able to see everything, we rented bikes that we thought would allow us to cover more ground.

It was our lucky day as there were only two functioning bicycles left in the bike rack!
Mine, of course, was cursed with gear issues and left me pedaling triple duty...

The main entrance into the State Fair of Texas was appropriately large but slightly unprepossessing, with only a solitary statue honoring the dedicated men and women who designed and built the fair.

"To perpetuate the memory of the builders of the State Fair of Texas."

Just past this garden, however, an entire world of stately beauty is revealed.  Flanked by a pair of pegasus (pegasi? pegasuses?), an almost endless reflecting pool becomes the centerpiece to a grand concourse of exhibition halls and pavilions.  In front of each porticoed hall towers a powerful statue representing Texas' famous six flags (Spain, Mexico, France, The Confederacy, The Republic of Texas, and The United States).

State Fair (1962)

2015
The fountains weren't operating but that didn't diminish the majesty of Fair Park's main esplanade.

Many of the exhibition halls are adorned with larger-than-life murals.

Mary said that this is how she pictures her romantic life - a blonde angel swooping
down to rescue some poor guy from the endless miseries of bachelorhood. 

State Fair (1962)

2015
It is our understanding that the fairgrounds suffered from some questionable "make-
unders" over the years.  Thankfully, everything has been restored to full, glorious color. 

State Fair (1962)

2015
This is not the same statue as the one pictured above, but you get the idea.

Mary wondered why this particular statue wasn't included in the final cut of State Fair.
I could only think of a couple reasons...

State Fair (1962)

2015
The Hall of State is not featured prominently in the film but you can clearly make out
the golden god in front of the building...and just past him you can see that Tejas warrior statue.

One of the pavilions was left open so we took the opportunity to do some exploring.
It was quite dark inside and nothing was going on but we did get the chance to marvel 
at the Art Deco motifs that continued on inside the buildings. 

State Fair (1962)

2015
As much as we loved the State Fair of Texas, it was certainly not without its disappointments.
A chairlift/gondola ride might be fun but it is no substitution for the long-gone '50s-era monorail!

State Fair (1962)

2015
And don't get me started on Big Tex!!!  I was more than a little miffed to learn that
Big Tex is only on site when the fair is running.  But I was quickly distracted by this
shiny, gold, skyscraper (the base of which can be seen next to Big Tex in the above
still from the film). 

State Fair (1962)

As the world's largest carnival barker, Big Tex beckons fairgoers into the midway.  I
had to settle for "Big Mare" or "Midway Mary" as she's known around the fairgrounds...
Even still, I was thrilled to see the same neon-clad midway arch that is featured in the movie! 

The original star of the midway was the Triple Racing 
Roller Coaster, seen in this footage from 1936.

Fair Park extends far beyond the grandeur of the exhibition halls and the thrills of the midway.  Home to museums, an aquarium, and a manmade lake, one could happily spend an entire day roaming the grounds - even without the promise of caveman-sized turkey legs, deep-fried Oreos, and milk-chocolate bacon on a stick.

In the forecourt of the aquarium sits an incredible seahorse water feature.
I'm not sure that I've ever mentioned it here, but I am fascinated by
seahorses and love seeing them represented in art and architecture.

This fella was loitering outside the Natural History Museum.

Creating a fairyland atmosphere, one section of the lagoon features a beautiful, interactive
sculpture garden, where serpentine footpaths meander through the water and around the trees.

The joke's on you, Texas.  This troll is on top of the bridge!!!

A fair full of people might have lent some vitality and atmosphere to our visit but Mary and I agreed that that we preferred having the entire park to ourselves.  It is a treat to experience the art and architecture without shoving past hordes of hungry fair folk (oddly enough, one of the few people that we did see was someone with whom Mary is acquainted from Southern California; we met him as we entered a warehouse sale that was being held on the fairgrounds - Mary has a friends in every airline hub).

A panoramic view of the wonderfully-desolate State Fair of Texas

The State Fair of Texas did much to restore my faith in the possibility of fairs.  If you ever find yourself deep in the heart of Texas, it is a most worthwhile use of your time.  And as everyone in Texas is a Texan, even a couple of no good city slickers, we feel perfectly comfortable declaring that "Our state fair is a great state fair!"  Don't miss it!  Don't even be late!

"Our State Fair is a Great State Fair" - State Fair (1962)


State Fair of Texas
3921 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd
Dallas, TX
(214)565-9331



Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Signs of the Times: DFW in Lights!!!

On our recent jaunt to the great state of Texas, I had to remind myself that every adventure need not necessarily be a wacky tacky fact-finding mission.  It's okay, I told myself, to to put down the camera and simply enjoy my surroundings.  It's perfectly reasonable, I concluded, to abstain from researching bowling alleys, bakeries, and beauty shops.  It is good etiquette, so I'd read, to connect on a personal level with local residents (particularly if those locals happen to be your awesome extended family members).  But sometimes it is also acceptable to acknowledge that the heart wants what it wants.  And this heart of mine, enlarged by too many trayfuls of good, old-fashioned, Texas barbecue, wants signage - crackling, glowing, neon signage! 

Blue Bonnet Bakery - Fort Worth, TX

The first sign we encountered was in the historic Crescent Heights neighborhood of
Fort Worth; the 80-year-old Blue Bonnet Bakery's new-ish sign added some roadside
whimsy to the 1922 Christian Science Church from which the bakery now operates.  

With a couple of exceptions, signs in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex defy the stereotype that everything is bigger in Texas.  In fact, most of the signs are relatively modest compared to, not just the businesses they advertise, but also the vast prairie country they inhabit.  Thank goodness that we at wacky tacky are not size snobs; new or old, meek or bold, we are of the opinion that when it comes to signs, even modest can be hottest.

Messina's Shoe Repair - Grapevine, TX

It doesn't get much more simple than Messina's sheet-metal & neon shoe.  And yet, there is nothing
so quaint and old-timey as hanging your shingle in the shape of the services/wares that are offered.

Coburn's Cafeteria & Catering - Fort Worth, TX

Unfortunately, the cafeteria inside Coburn's is long gone but they
continue to offer some of North-Central Texas' best catering.

Rose - Fort Worth, TX

I'm not sure what they're advertising but whatever they're sellling, I'm buying.

Leddy's Boots & Saddlery - Fort Worth, TX

You can keep your football; this is my kind of Friday Night lights!!!

Riscky's Steakhouse - Fort Worth, TX

Cool sign - no bull.

Theo's Drive-In - Grand Prairie, TX

Theo's Drive-In - Grand Prairie, TX

Don't you all of the sudden have a serious craving for Cre-Mel Root Beer...whatever that is.

Texas Liquor - Dallas, TX

Buck & Ruck - Dallas, TX

Stop n' Save Liquors - Dallas, TX

The reverse of Stop n' Save Liquors - Dallas, TX

Standard Spring & Brakes - Dallas, TX

Deep Ellum - Dallas, TX

Rollin' deep!

Joe T. Garcia's Mexican Dishes - Grand Prairie, TX

Deep Ellum - Dallas, TX

Adam Hats - Dallas, TX

Twisted Root Burgers - Dallas, TX

Even though this is the one and only time Pee-Wee has ever led us astray (the promise that every Texan we encountered would clap along with us given the appropriate prompting was left unfulfilled after many, many attempts), we still adore Mr. Herman and the signs of DFW.  Although we didn't stick around long enough past sundown to see any of these beauties in their full glory, that didn't dim the twinkle they left in our eyes.  To coin a new phrase, "the signs at night are small but bright, deep in the heart of Texas!!!"

"Deep in the Heart of Texas" - The Ranch Party Gang (1957)
(It should be noted that Town Hall Ranch Party 
was broadcast from Compton, CA - woot woot!)


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny