Sometimes I fool myself into thinking that I am decluttering, stash busting, and overcoming the hoarder in me. In actuality, I am usually doing quite the opposite - only making things worse by enabling the same terrible behavior in Mary. The overwhelming "need" to rescue things from trash barrels, thrift stores, estate/garage sales is a monkey on our collective back. And if we can't get rid of the monkey, at the very least, I would like to train him to recognize awesome vintage scores and to haggle like he's in a Baghdad bazaar. I will admit that I am improving (the first step is admitting that I have a problem, right?) but when, on a road trip through Albuquerque, NM, I saw chenille sailboats peeking out from a rack full of unremarkable thrift store clothing, it was immediately obvious that this piece was not going to be abandoned to whatever fates the scorching desert sun offers to pink and purple, chenille sailboats.
This vintage, chenille beach cape languished in a closet for the
last couple of years waiting for me to figure out an appropriate
ensemble; purple/salmon/lavender is a difficult color story to replicate.
Our recent adventures on Catalina Island didn't begin and end with our friends' wedding; we made a long weekend out of it and that, of course, proved the perfect opportunity to bring the sailboats out of dry dock.
As we took the photo of Mary with the statue,
this baby sea lion was perched on the rocks immediately
across from us. He was not about to be outdone by some
crummy, old statue!
Using a pattern that Mary created, I made a gathered,
halter-style bra top with a keyhole cutout. The shorts
were altered from a contemporary pattern and then
given the Mr. Tiny treatment with a sailboat based on
the cape's design.
Using a satin stitch in varying widths, I machine-appliqued a
sunset and sailboat on the shorts of Mary's sun suit in colors
coordinating with those on the beach cape.
I call it a "sun suit" because, while it was technically safe to submerge in
water, the two-piece set doesn't really have all of the desirable wicking
qualities and ultra-snug fit of a proper swimsuit. Wanting to dive in,
Mary was a little wistful at the water's edge.
Looking not unlike the bathing beauties for which Catalina Island
was so famous in its heyday, Mary strikes a pose for the fine folks
of Avalon, CA.
(photo by Amber Foxx)
Mr. Tiny, Mary, and our pals Damien & Allison.
I like the fact that we ran the gamut of styles and levels of dress/undress.
White pants? Don't mind if I do!
(photo by Amber Foxx)
Having done more than my fair share of sewing, planning, packing, performing, and preparation, I was ready to use our Catalina weekend as an excuse to relax and enjoy our sunny, Southern California weather. While Mary sauntered around the tiny town of Avalon, Mr. Tiny was sitting...er, swinging...pretty.
Hiya! Our recent radio silence was due to an exciting, overseas, wacky tacky voyage. Alright, "overseas voyage" might be a bit of an overstatement, but we did have to pack our suitcases and board a boat. Our pals Benny & Jenn decided to make it official, and we celebrated their nuptials on sunny, scenic Santa Catalina Island! Catalina Island is one of my favorite places in California. Slightly lost in time, it reminds me to slow down and realize that the sun is shining and the ocean breeze is blowing for me to enjoy. Seriously folks, if you ever get a chance to go, I highly recommend it. It's so choice...
The wedding reception was held in the world-famous Avalon Casino Ballroom.
I love this picture of the Casino; I took it on the way home as the
fog was rolling in and the lights were still shimmering on the water.
Finished in 1929, the Casino Ballroom has been host to the biggest jazz and big band legends the world has ever known. Thankfully, Mary and I were included on the bill with an all-star line up of musicians for the evening's entertainment. I am still trying to process that I played the same room as Benny Goodman (not nearly as well, as long, or to as much ovation, but it was a thrill!).
Every detail of the Art Deco, island wedding was pitch perfect...especially these awesome fish-shaped cream puffs.
A gratuitous shot of one of my favorite foods on Earth!!!
The ballroom's, amazing, Tiffany-glass light fixture and vented, Art Deco ceiling.
I have been to the ballroom many times but have successfully fought the urge
to lie in the middle of the dance floor and just stare at the ceiling.
Of course, a vintage wedding called for a new dress for Mary, so I got to work! Most of my sewing decisions come from a near-lethal combination of economy, procrastination, and foolishness - this dress being no exception. I have never sewn chiffon before. In general I am too lazy to match plaids perfectly. And I have never made a floor-length, bias-cut gown. So what did I do one week before the wedding? I decided to dive right into a bias-cut, plaid/check, chiffon gown - figuratively speaking, of course.
This dress makes me believe that everything should be cut on the bias.
Okay, maybe not chiffon (particularly plaid chiffon) ever again...but everything else.
I am pretty pleased with the way that the dress turned out; it even had
a few expert eyes fooled into thinking that it was "real."
The scarf at the neckline was looped into a draped bow through
a vintage, rhinestone belt buckle from our grandmother.
Who knew how frustratingly fiddly chiffon can be? I guess everyone before me who has ever sewn with chiffon. In all honesty, I think it took me longer to cut it out and match the plaid than it did to sew the whole darned thing! The beauty of this bias-cut gown is that I had to put in absolutely no closures whatsoever. The gauzy chiffon (bought on discount at JoAnn of all places) had enough give to slip right over Mary's head and cascade to the floor. Glory, Hallelujah!
I am, however, going to give it to you straight (the warts and all version).
Finances have been better in the past and, wanting to be frugal, the best
I could do for the belt buckle (having used the real one for the bow) was this
ring/clip gizmo that somehow made it into the wacky tacky sewing stash.
It looked a little odd in just the bare metal...so I bedazzled it.
Is it a stunning reproduction of an Art Deco-era belt buckle? No.
Did it fool anyone into believing that it was a piece of priceless, heirloom
jewelry? Also no. Did it work in a pinch, reflect/refract light,
and get mostly covered by the bow at the neckline? Yes, indeedy!
Given the black/orange/yellow/white color scheme, I was surprised that the gown did not read too Halloween-y (if it did, don't tell me).
It was actually an ideal color scheme and Mary ended up
coordinating perfectly with the wedding favors; the
couple's last name is Reese and each guest was treated
to an organza bag filled with Reese's Pieces!
It was a beautiful wedding and an fun chance to get dressed up, spend a relaxing weekend with good friends, meet new friends, and listen to some incredible music. Mary's new gown had plenty of fun fluttering around the floor too!
Emily, Mary, and Jesse
We got to spend the whole weekend with our pals but they
looked way too good to have Mr. Tiny muddle up the picture.
Mes amis - Laurence, Mary, et Sylvain
These fine folks flew in from France for the wedding!
My vote for "Best Dressed" of the weekend definitely goes to them.
You can see more of their incredible wardrobes and follow their
adventures at Laurence's blog, Lost in the 50's.
Meine freunde - Katharina, Mary, und Eva
This wedding was practically a UN Summit with Germany well represented.
I guess they're afraid of giants...
The food, fun, and friends were great, but the entertainment was unparalleled. The amount of talent in the rooms was unbelievable and I only wish I hadn't been too busy dancing to capture all of the amazing performers as directed by our pal, and saxophone all-star, Marco.
They even let Mr. Tiny get up and embarrass himself.
(photo by Kat of GoForKat)
The real stars of the show were the bride and groom, Jennifer and Benny. We are so honored to have been a small part of their big day. I couldn't be happier for them and even though they don't need it, I wish them all the luck and happiness that life can afford them. I am grateful to have had such a wonderful excuse to visit one of my favorite places and, yes, even to make a new dress for Mary.
The happy couple.
Congratulations you two!
You really did make Santa Catalina the "Island of Romance."
I always find it slightly amusing when bloggers apologize to their readers for an extended absence from the "blogosphere." I wonder if readers are actually disappointed when a blog that they follow has not offered a new post in timely manner. Don't get me wrong, I am surprised and delighted that anyone would take time to read about the mostly-ridiculous things that I find interesting. I truly appreciate all 34 of you loyal denizens of wacky tacky-ness. I can just imagine you with sunken eyes and tear-stained cheeks sitting for hours - nay, days - in a dark room lit only by the radiant glow of your computer monitor, the onset of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome imminent and finger tips raw from the incessant clicking of the refresh button just praying that another episode of wacky tacky splendor will suddenly appear. Wait no longer dear friends. Splash some water on your face and rejoice! Oh, who am I kidding? Be honest, you didn't even know I was gone. I wish I could explain away the absence with the fact that Blogger went haywire for a time, but truth be told, I barely noticed. I was just busy, busy, busy.
A 40's-era picture of the world-famous Avalon Ballroom in the Casino on Catalina Island.
Thankfully, the ballroom has changed very little since its opening in the late 1920's.
Every year we attend The Avalon Ball, a 1930's-themed event held in the breathtakingly-beautiful Casino Ballroom on Catalina Island. It is an event for which I wait with proverbial, bated breath all year. It is kind of the art deco answer to Viva Las Vegas - a trekkie convention for the "vintage" set. It is also an event for which I make a regular goal of creating a whole "weekend wardrobe" for Mary. This year I did it by the skin of my teeth and that is the real reason I have not been blogging. Not only have I been sewing non-stop, but I have been sewing NON-STOP!!!!, leaving precious little time for blog-worthy adventures. Maybe one day, I will make some friends my own age, but until then, Mary will have to suffice.
Shorts, peasant blouse, basket purse and daisy topper handmade by Mr. Tiny.
Bangles - vintage
Sunglasses, belt, espadrilles - new
30's-style, two-piece, cotton beach pyjamas with peplum and self sash handmade by Mr. Tiny.
Sunglasses and bangle - vintage
Beret and espadrilles - new
30's style evening gown in green, moire taffeta with self belt handmade by Mr. Tiny
Rhinestone belt buckle, Persian Lamb capelet - vintage
Rhinestone jewelry - vintage/new
3-piece cotton playsuit consisting of top, skirt and shorts handmade by Mr. Tiny
Straw sun hat, sunglasses, bangles - vintage
Platform shoes - reproduction
My Great-Aunt Billie was a renaissance woman of the highest order. Growing up in the 20's and 30's she took an interest in nature, fashion, photography, cooking, athletics, sewing, animals, fishing, dancing and every other endeavor that tickled her fancy. Until the time of her death, she continued to win gold medals for swimming at the Senior Olympics - in nearly every single event she entered. Everyone in my family feels a personal connection to her because she invested her time in creating a relationship with each of us. Unlike some seniors, she didn't constantly rattle off recollections of her youth because she was still so actively engaged in the present. When asked, however, she would share stories of her great adventures. My favorites, of course, were the ones that included her treks to Catalina Island. She remembered driving from San Bernardino to the shore and catching the barge that would carry huge numbers of people over to the island for dances at the Casino Ballroom. For the two-to-three-hour voyage they would dance. Once docked in Avalon Harbor, they would dance to the ballroom. After dancing all night to the likes of Bob Crosby and Benny Goodman, they would dance on the barge all the way back home.
Billie by the shore in the early 1940's
I love Avalon! I love it because for the most part it is stuck in time. Many of the hotels date from the early 20th Century. The town is small and wherever you find yourself, you are really just a ten-minute walk from everywhere else. There is little to do so I end up doing very little. It is a wonderful place to unwind. Our activities are limited to lolling around, attending the silent film at the amazing, art deco gem The Avalon Theatre, going to the dance and enjoying the weather.
The iconic Casino building - home of the theater and the ballroom
This is one of our favorite places in Southern California
The entry to the theater is lined with exquisite tile murals of marine life
and beautiful hanging chandeliers.
A deco Venus watches over the interior of this incredible movie palace.
Stunning murals surround theater goers as gold-leafed stars
twinkle in the domed ceiling.
We attended a screening of The Sea Hawk (1924) as part of The Catalina Island Museum's annual Silent Film Benefit.
The film was accompanied by renowned theater organist Bob Salisbury, who let Mary play the original Page theater organ.
At the ball we saw many friends and ended up meeting some great new friends too. We always make a point of sneaking around the Casino building and we ended up finding some crazy areas that we had never seen before. We found the projection room for the theater, hidden stairways, storage areas, and spooky switchback hallways.
Kazumi, Nicole and Mary
Kazumi, Charlotte, John and Mary
Would I trade Mary for that rattan sofa we found in the dressing room? YES!
Who knew that pointing at oversized birds was such a problem in Avalon?
Mary always makes time for an anatomy lesson.
The following day we enjoyed a beach party at The Descanso Beach Club and the management turned on music for our dancing pleasure. What a blast!
Mr. Muscles Damian and Mary by the sea
Dancing in paradise
photo by Chantal Filson
Ukulele Lady
Last but not least, a film of Catalina in the 30's. This video is a long one but totally worth the buffering!
It was a great weekend that flew by much too quickly. Long story short, if you have the opportunity to go to Catalina Island, go!
