Manic Pop

I found this vintage 70s dress today right after work (!)  Our backyard is sort of atrocious. But when I moved in here almost 4 years ago we had weeds that were about 3 feet tall. It's been a battle to say the least but at least we have some flowers popping up in the flower bed along with some rhubarb near the corner of the yard. I typically harvest it and make a delicious strawberry rhubarb crisp with it! I usually have extra, so I do give to friends as well.  So flowy!  It's finally nice out in Chicago and I think this would be a fun addition to my Connecticut/New York trip coming up. It's a bit unlike my mod garb I like to wear, but different is good! Nice to change it up a bit. Normally, this is a sort of a dress that I would hem, but I love it as a maxi in all of its 70s glory. I tried it on, not thinking too much of it initially and it fit perfectly. The only thing missing really is a wide-brim sunhat. I don't really wear hats though -...

Time for an edition of: What's in My Sketchbook!   People do a thing like, "What's in my bag?" and display all the items neatly but my bag is such a mess. It's like, wadded up receipts (at least one from Walgreens), about 3 broken pencils, Micron pens, and my sketchbook. My sketchbook is perhaps the most interesting. I'll be on the bus or train and suddenly scrawl in it and that's how the Sunrise Panel Top came to be - it was a doodle on the train one morning! Next project: Contrast maxi skirt, potential colorways Admittedly, I have a "schtick". Some might say a "voice". One of those things is apparently putting these 3 colors together, but I can't decide which colorway I like best just yet, but it's definitely between the 1st 2. This was a quick Photoshop rendering tonight of my next project which I just bought the fabric for today - a stretch lycra. I might make my pattern for 2 stripes only inste...

So Max's mom found for me some McCall's pattern catalogs from the late 60s. She knows I collect them and I was nearly hyperventilating over the fashions in these things. There are a couple from this catalog that I am planning on plain knocking off, but I didn't include those because they were sort of background photos. Here are some of the best ones! From 2 McCall's catalogs: Spring 1968 and Summer 1968 and you could buy them for 60 cents apiece. I wanted to share the most interesting photos. It's true - I am obsessed with orange. Dress silhouette look familiar? See previous blog post!   I actually almost thought this chick was me... in my shorter hair days of course.  At this point in time, there was apparently a switch over in pattern sizing in the fashion/sewing industry. This catalog had had a big announcement about it. By these measurements, I am a size 12. Keep in mind sewing sizes are usually not equivalent to sizes of t...

It's finished, it's finished!     And it's the most beautiful thing I have made so far!  Max's mom gave me this fabric for Christmas along with the little yellow buttons. I struggled for a bit what to do with it. I wanted to do this amazing vintage fabric justice so it took me nearly 4 months to decide on a design, but I finally did! The pattern work was relatively easy and I actually made all my patterns perfectly, including a placket with facing which I don't ever recall doing before. If I have, it was in college and I don't remember much from college. Sewing patterns all laid out with my pattern making book.             I did have a bit to overcome with sewing on this one though - sewing a placket (which wasn't too hard but I had difficulties getting it to line up perfectly), and putting in near-perfect buttonholes which I had to rip out about 4 times. Note that I only had 4 buttonholes to create! Cutting ...

I don't think I ever formally explained Manic Pop's namesake here on the blog.  I suppose it's not absolutely necessary but it's also interesting background/lore. Way back when Pandora was relatively new back in 2005/06 I plugged in my favorite band, Sloan and got a whole slew of bands with great music that I had never heard before and I was someone who was quite used to digging for the "gems". I fell in love with a song called "It's a Good Thing" by That Petrol Emotion, on an album titled Manic Pop Thrill. That album became so elusive to me. I had been wanting it, wanting it, but any time I came across it on Amazon it was $30. Granted, it was an import and yes, imports can be expensive but I just didn't have the money. I'd discuss the name with my boyfriend at the time about exactly what a "manic pop thrill" meant. We arrived at the interpretation that when you hear an awesome new song that you completely an...