Sew What?! A Back-to-School & Back-to-Bavaria Dress

Are you the victim of frequently asked questions?  When meeting new people at a party, do their inquiries usually gravitate toward a particular subject beyond the usual, "What do you do?" and "How do you know the host/hostess?"  Are these unusually-direct questions pervasive no matter the social setting?  From my many observations, Mary is subject to two FAQ's.  "Gee whiz, how tall are you?" And, "Where are you from?"  

Having been born and raised in California (with any cultural or ethnic identity completely bred out of us by previous generations trying their best to be "American"), it never occurred to me that people would think that we were anything but plain, old slices of America's most-tasteless, white bread.  Upon meeting our family, even a few of our now good friends needed some convincing (in the form of government-issued documentation) that we were not of foreign extraction.  It was truly puzzling because I didn't think we looked so very different from everybody else.  We acted the same.   We spoke the same.  For gosh sakes, we had the American flag flying in our yard! 

And then I realized that we were sending mixed signals...

Made with the intention of being a back-to-school dress last year (what, college kids don't get new back-to-school clothes?), this most recently-worn frock is yet another item from Mr. Tiny's sweatshop workshop that was forced to learn to love the deepest recesses of Mary's closet as it watched other skirts, and blouses, and dresses issued reprieve and enter into regular rotation.  Just when it thought it was going to go crazy in stir, this jumper was granted pardon and allowed to leave the dark confines of Mary's wardrobe.  

In making/styling it, I thought that this little number was sort of a nostalgic nod to collegiate costumes of yesteryear.  Seeing it all put together, however, I half expected Mary to be selling schnitzel in the Schwarzwald.

A little corny, a little costume-y, but ideally suited to a night of accordion
music at our local German social club (a lot like the Buena Vista Social Club,
only much oom pah pah-ier), this is simply a dirndl-style skirt with suspenders
 attached to the waistband with buttons.

Corny? Costume-y?  In a way, that is wacky tacky - pushing the boundaries of everyday design ever so slightly for the sake of silliness.

The fabric came from the discount section of one of my favorite local fabric
 stores where the only rotation in stock occurs when someone finally buys
 the remnants.  I'm convinced that some of the material is older than I am.

Our accordion nights are always progressive in nature; we make our way from bierstube to banquet hall, invariably ending up at the Thursday night ballroom dance.  There is a cover charge that we always seem to avoid by being the youngest people in the room by at least fifty years.  Last time, a woman, whom I later found out was the onsite ballroom instructor, credited me with being "a natural."  You'd better believe that "Old Twinkle Toes" over here has been lording that over people's heads ever since!

Barefoot on the ballroom floor
Always a class act!

As it turns out, we do have German ancestry so it is no wonder that we get on so well at the German Club; Mary practically blends right in.  And at least, for one night, her FAQ's varied from the typical height/nationality variety.  In fact, in her back-to-school/Bavaria get-up, she learned pretty quickly how to answer, "Can we get another round of beers over here?" and "May I please have a pretzel?" in her most elementary German.  "Nein!"


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Sew What?! What's Black and White and WILD All Over?

There are two kinds of people in this world, Wanda Jackson fans and Janis Martin fans.  Although, perhaps it is too strong to characterize it as an issue of mutually-exclusive preferences.  Speaking in generalities, however, most folks familiar with the music of both artists fall firmly into one category or the other.

Wanda vs. Janis

Whose side are you on?

(clink on images for a link to the source)

In all honesty, I happen to enjoy the music of both performers but if I had to choose, without question, the choice would easily be Janis Martin, "The Female Elvis."   I just prefer her mellow, smooth, country-tinged voice to Ms. "Queen of Rockabilly" Jackson's well-known, raw, box-grater-in-a-blender vocal stylings.  

The disappointment I experience over never having seen Janis Martin perform while she was alive is only assuaged by the fact that musicians, like Mary, are carrying on her musical tradition.  In keeping with the style and tone of Janis Martin, I made Mary a dress that is, to coin a new phrase, a little bit country and a little bit rock 'n roll. 

To call this the "latest" from Mr. Tiny's workshop would be an out-and-out lie.
This dress has been in the back of Mary's closet for nearly a year waiting to
make its debut.  Luckily, the opportunity arose last weekend in the form
of Wild Records' Young & Wild Weekender.

Very much channeling the young Janis Martin

Don't you think?

More often than not, I stay away from a black and white color scheme.  For one thing, it becomes a trite and hackneyed story amongst a sub-culture dominated by an obsession with the pre-color-television world.  For another, I just prefer sewing in interesting and vivid colors and, in general, Mary prefers wearing them.  Though when we found this fabric, we new it had major possibilities.

Made from a screen-printed, brushstroke, border print cotton that I picked up
for only $0.99 per yard, Mary said the dress was a hit!  I turned the black border
 to the top of the skirt and the bottom of the bodice so that the brushstrokes
radiated from the waistline.

Wearing black, baby doll pumps and black & white bangles,
Mary added the black, cowhide belt for western flair.

The Fujiyama Mama & Mary
Wait a cotton-pickin' minute...

Okay, okay, so as usual, I may have overstated my case just a tad.  Maybe it isn't such a black & white issue; there might be room in this world for folks who truly are fans of both of these legendary performers...even though legend has it that Wanda and Janis were pretty bitter rivals.

Putting rivalries aside, this dress is a kind of hybrid of the sweet, rockabilly darling (demure, tea-length full skirt) and the raging, rock 'n roll wild child (stark color story and brushstrokes printed with apparent abandon).  It bridges the gap between the "Female Elvis" and the female Elvis took out on the town.  

The very same guitar with which Mary is pictured above (one on
 which she played a couple of Janis Martin covers) is signed by
none other than Wanda Jackson.

Well, what do you say?  Between Wanda and Janis do you have a favorite?  Is there another female, roots rock 'n roller that strikes your fancy?  Do you create such elaborate and/or polarizing interpretations of the clothes you make and/or wear?

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Sew What?! A 1950's Starlet Ensemble

Do you ever crash parties?  Do you ever plan to crash a party and then realize the day prior to the event that you were actually invited to the party and now you have to plan something to wear because the pressure increase in the paradigm shift between party crasher and party guest is like that of being thrust from the crest of wave to the very depths of the ocean floor?  Why, when it comes to the same exact party, is it so refreshingly simple to be a party crasher and so stressful being formally included?  For Mr. Tiny, the answer to that question can best be answered by his sponsor at Neurotics Anonymous - for which he has yet to find a regular group due to the problematic design schemes/chair arrangements and snack options at the meetings.

The above situation, as described in question number two, happened during our recent seasonal celebrations and left me scrambling for something to wear that was appropriate for a formal, adult, cocktail party.  It easy easy to see why we would have missed the invitation; we never drink cocktails, we rarely act like adults, and our usual concerns lean most definitely toward the informal.  If you're Mr. Tiny, options are decidedly limited.

Amber & Mr. Tiny
You can see that left with little time and precious few options, Mr. Tiny was forced
 down the Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous route - silk ascot and navy blazer.
Formal? Not really - unless it's for shipboard drinks on Thurston Howell's yacht.

If you're Mary, on the other hand, you will no doubt have an ideal ensemble (handcrafted by Mr. Tiny several years ago that you have NEVER worn before).  I guess it's true; what's old is new again - for the sartorially spoiled!

Mary & Amber
I like to think of this as an All About Eve moment...hahahaha!
It seemed to me that Mary's outfit was fitting of a young starlet
with aspirations.

Mary's party ensemble consists of a pencil skirt with
asymmetrical peplum and matching, lined bolero.
The vintage material for the skirt and bolero was inherited from
our centenarian neighbor; it has an ivory ground with slubs of
metallic threads.  Her blouse was purchased at the 99 Cents
Only Store - no joke!  Her matching brooch and earrings are
heirloom jewelry that belonged to our great-grandmother

While I was a little disappointed that Mary waited years to wear this outfit, I am glad that she remembered to bring it out of moth balls for the occasion (she actually got a chance to wear it again when she played a few songs in an opening set for Wanda Jackson!!!).  To be perfectly honest, even I had forgotten that I had ever made the darned thing.  The party was lovely, the host and hostess were gracious, and the guests were quite clever and extremely talented.  Now that I think about it, I am still not entirely sure that we were invited to a party of that caliber...

Now that we have begun a new year, it might seem regressive to reflect on the festivities of last year.  Nevertheless, we ask, did you crash any awesome parties?  More importantly, does a formal invitation change your attitude of dress?  However you party, we hope you did it in haute wacky tacky style!

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Crazy Crafty: One More Holiday Craft for a Special Birthday

I love handmade gifts - both given and received.  When contemplating gift options for the "person who has everything," a homemade present is really the only way to ensure that the gift will be unique.  I have been the recipient of some truly spectacular handmade gifts from beautiful paintings to printed t-shirts to one-of-a-kind ceramics.  These are gifts that I truly treasure both for their aesthetic and sentimental value.

Last night we attended the birthday party of our pal, Charles - here is a guy for whom it is impossible to shop (not because he isn't incredibly gracious).  I had a few ideas rolling around in the vast wasteland that is my brain but I was intimidated because my skills can be so easily outclassed.

One dare not bake anything for Charles because he is a gourmand and somehow
manages to elevate the art of mile-high cakes to even new heights!  Here he is with
his (I forgot to take notes on the name) peppermint, mint-chip, junior mint, 5-layer cake!

Obviously a bespoke jacket of woven, brightly-colored, South American fabric would
have been a wardrobe redundancy - so that was out. 

Cookies are clearly out of the question because he, of course, has a friend
who bakes/designs/decorates incredible portrait cookies. 

A pinata seemed ideally wacky tacky and fun, but we were beat to the punch on that one too.

I finally realized that this "King of Kodachrome" needed something related to vintage slides that didn't involve a projector, carousel, or advance button.

A Kodachrome Kabin

The love-child resulting from of the clandestine affair between a shimmering putz house (who could resist her glittering charms?) and a cozy gingerbread house - the kind we made in elementary school out of empty milk cartons and graham crackers - was the best I could do.

I'm not sure if it qualifies as a wacky tacky craft unless tinsel
or glitter is involved, preferably both - obviously. 

I'm sure people who have birthdays close to or, heaven forbid, on Christmas must eventually resign themselves to receiving the dreaded "combo gift" or, at the very least, holiday themed presents for their birthdays; I say that there are certainly worse things in life but I for one am glad I have a little distance between my big day and the big day!

I included a couple of electric tealights that illuminate the slide house from within.
The slides I used were of changing leaves and poinsettias - apropos but not too
precious.

Nevertheless, Charles seemed to like his little Kodachrome Kabin set in the winter woods.  I had a lot of fun making it and we had a blast at his birthday bash.  As socially awkward as I am prone to be, I met a lot of amazing, interesting, talented people and I don't think I embarrassed myself too much.

Mary & Charles
Find it in your heart to forgive her for the dress repeat.
There are so few opportunities to wear a Christmas-
themed squaw dress throughout the year, that I
 made her wear it again!

Well, tell me, are you ready for the big day?  Are you making any homemade gifts this year?  If you are on the "nice list" what would be your ideal present under the tree?  Ponder these things as you enjoy the true meaning of the holiday - COOKIES!  It is cookies, right?!  Merry Christmas!!!

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Sew What?! Christmas on the Patio: A Holiday Squaw Dress

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Living in Southern California leaves us fairly immune to "weather" (boasting? why, yes, I am).  Here we must rely on the traditional colors of Christmas as the only major indicators that the season is upon us.  You know, the classic palette of gold, orange, brown, and yellow...GOLD, ORANGE, BROWN, and YELLOW?!?!?!  Okay, question my orthodoxy if you must, but wouldn't you take a second look if whilst browsing the second-hand store you came across 9.5 yards of this crazy, Christmas-themed trim?

There are times in life when even $1.91 is too dear to waste on something frivolous - good thing I don't consider 9.5 yards of woven, lamé, Christmas trim a frivolity.  I'm sure people much smarter and more clever than I could have figured out myriad ways to employ the trim.  To me, however, there was only one option - a Christmas squaw/patio dress.  What better way to celebrate both the holiday and our temperate winter weather than Christmas on the patio?

Even a tree going up in blaze isn't enough to faze Mary.  What a trouper.
p.s. My camera stinks.  Any suggestions on a good, moderately priced replacement?

If you have never made a squaw dress, I recommend against it.  It takes an unholy amount of ric rac to achieve the desired look which translates to hours spent in front of the trusty, old Bernina (which actually gave out halfway through) applying the dang blasted stuff!  And then there are the gathers!  $1.91 for the trim may not have been too dear but $100 for a proper gathering foot for the sewing machine was.

I'm still having PTSD-induced nightmares about miles of gathers and ric rac!

And then there is the fully-lined bodice in which one must sew a total of twenty darts - twelve of them at the elbows!  The ELBOWS!  Never able to leave well enough alone, I also made a matching belt with covered buckle.

It was a good excuse to use this vintage Jiffy Buckle.
Warning: 50+ year-old adhesive from an iron-on
 "Magic Pattern" is best left "un-ironed-on."

Again, I leave it to much smarter/more clever people to just go out and buy ready-made clothing - especially when said clothing is for your crummy kid sister!!!

The living room of our pals, Bobby and Amber, was the perfect backdrop for a photo of Mary in the new dress.

It may not be red, green, and white -  or even blue and silver - but it was fun to turn the traditional, tri-color, Christmas color story on its elfin ear.  I honestly thought that Mary would receive a bit of good-natured ribbing at the unexpected color combination but everyone seemed to really like it!  Did you make or assemble a cool holiday outfit?

I only left myself enough time to clip on my vintage "Merry
Xmas" colonel tie.  Fortunately, I was in great company with
 our pal, Dave, and his "Season's Greetings" neckwear.

Boy, oh boy, I have a lot of holiday themed posts that I wanted to do but I'm running out of time.  Christmas is very much just around the corner.  Here's wishing you and yours a very joy-filled holiday!


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Sew What?! A Gratuitous Outfit Post

I'm afraid that there is an epidemic of deafness in our neighborhood and it's ALL OUR FAULT!  Day after day, we stumble out the front door deafening our neighbors with the loudness of whatever crazy get-up we happen to be wearing.  Either that, or they think we're totally insane...

I really don't think of our clothes as "costumes," but I'm almost positive that we have sent at least one neighbor running to the calendar to see if they have missed Halloween.  I'll admit, sometimes it can get a bit theatrical.  After all, who wears western wear on a regular basis?  Who isn't a farmer or a five-year-old child, yet insists on wearing bib overalls?  Who goes on a weekend getaway and takes square dance appropriate garb should the occasion arise?  Who can leave the house in the morning in a 30's-style frock, come home, and after a flurry of teasing combs and a heavy cloud of hairspray, can dash back out the door in a 60's minidress?  (not all of these apply exclusively to Mr. Tiny...hahahaha)

(Photo by P. Oeser III)

Oh yeah, and then there's this...

But this actually WAS Halloween!

Last weekend our friends held their awesome, annual "It's Roughly The 4th of July" barbecue.  It is a huge gathering of folks for some old-fashioned, eating, dancing, and merry making; I thought it would be a good idea for Mary to debut the new, neighbor-confusing, ensemble that I made for her - a 3-piece playsuit.

My newest mania is to purge myself of all the extraneous stuff that I have amassed over the years.
This includes the ungodly fabric pile that, like a creature from a 50's science fiction movie,
continues to grow no matter what I do.  Oh, I'm not supposed to be feeding it more fabric?  Huh.

The blue floral, of indeterminate vintage, was used to make the shorts and the blouse;
 it was something I picked up very inexpensively at a thrift store.  The white overskirt was
 made of fabric that I had to go out and purchase...so much for stash busting! 

In my first attempt at applique (beyond ric rac, trims, etc.), I took portions
 of the fabric used for the shorts and top and "traced" them with a machine,
embroidery stitch onto the oversized pockets of the skirt and then trimmed away
the excess fabric...or something.
Sometimes I just jump into this stuff without any kind of instruction
 or appropriate terminology; I just cross my fingers and hope it all works out.

Side Note: Don't sew with your fingers crossed unless you want them to stay that way.

I kind of used the same technique to make the patches that I added
to the straps of her top.  I had recently seen a similar treatment on a
vintage dress and wanted to give it a go.

I've heard from several people that wearing vintage/vintage inspired clothing results in unwanted attention or worse, derision.  Oddly enough, whenever we go anywhere, I would say that 99.736% of the response we receive from people (friends, neighbors, strangers), as it relates to our clothing, is extremely positive.  As a matter of fact, our style choices often result in compliments, nostalgic remembrances, freebies/discounts, invitations, etc.  Furthermore, while they might still be under the impression that we are insane, most of those neighbors that I'm so worried about believe that we are on one never-ending circuit of dances, photo shoots, elegant soirees, and fancy dress balls.  Since it's a myth the absolute truth, I'll just let them go on believing.


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Sew What?! St. Paddy's Day Special: My Pretty Irish Girl

June Haver wishes you Good Luck!

Happy St. Patrick's Day everybody!  Mr. Tiny is currently laid up, so no Irish escapades on the docket for today.  The little sis, on the other hand, was invited to a very special wedding shower for our friend Dollie DeVille.  Since the shower was booked for March 17, Mary needed a frock suitable for both a daytime shower and St. Patrick's Day.

My obsession with classic films once again came to the rescue when I pulled from the fabric stash a fabric envelope full of curtain panels.  

The Von Trapp children in their curtain clothing

The Scarletts in their finest drapery duds.

Inspiration via The Sound of Music, Gone With the Wind, and even The Carol Burnett Show coupled with a single, discounted, curtain panel from Anthropologie gave me enough of a head start to create a new dress for Mary.

Mary has it styled as a late 40's-early 50's day dress with
matching basket purse!

As with all of my best-laid plans, the idea to take some nice photos of the dress in a more verdant atmosphere was foiled by the rain we're experiencing today.  So all we got were a couple of snapshots in the kitchen!

A close-up view of the green, rose print

Beyond the color of the print, I felt like I was a bit of a "greeny" after making this dress and purse.  Firstly, I recycled; the dress is made out of just one reused curtain panel.  Secondly, I used every part of the animal - you know, like the Indians.  The curtain had an attached valance piece with pom-pom trim that I used for the purse.  As I mentioned, the curtain panel came in a fabric sleeve/envelope with buttons which I used to make rosettes with button centers to further adorn the basket purse.  

Mary was not taking her modeling job very seriously.
I think she was upset when I told her that there was no
way she was going to get pinched with that much green!

We are not Irish, but there was no telling that to my Swiss & Yugoslavian grandparents.  They gave all of their children good, strong, Irish names like Jeffrey Logan and Patrick Joseph.  They also raised us on films like The Quiet Man and Darby O'Gill and the Little People.  Therefore, no St. Patrick's Day is complete without hearing Sean Connery sing to Janet Munro.

"My Pretty Irish Girl" - Darby O'Gill and the Little People

The prettiest Irish girl that ever was or ever will be is Maureen O'Hara.  For me, she tops the list of the most gorgeous and fiercely feminine women to have ever walked the planet.  After working together on the movie, Dance Girl, Dance, Lucille Ball was quoted as saying that she thought O'Hara was the most beautiful woman in the world.  I like her because she is beautiful, yes, but also because she is strong and full of character.

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“Being an Irishwoman means many things to me. An Irishwoman is strong and feisty. She has guts and stands up for what she believes in. She believes she is the best at whatever she does and proceeds through life with that knowledge. She can face any hazard that life throws her way and stay with it until she wins. She is loyal to her kinsmen and accepting of others. She's not above a sock in the jaw if you have it coming.”
― Maureen O'Hara, Tis Herself

The feisty, Irish temper could be the most attractive piece of the puzzle!
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Cheers & Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Mr. Tiny