Cathy Wants Clothes

Friends, it should come as no surprise that I hear from my identical cousin Cathy about as often as I hear from Elaine (The Selfish Seamstress), which is to say, not very often.

My cousin doesn't read Male Pattern Boldness and why should she?  She doesn't sew and, frankly, she's not much of a reader beyond the latest self-help snooze-fest or diet-of-the-month drivel purchased impulsively at the airport.

But occasionally Cathy will pop in to let me know how she's doing and give me a brief summary of her activities.  Her latest email was brief to the point of rudeness:  I need clothes.  Have you ever?

Relatives can certainly work your nerves, cousins in particular.  Remember Samantha's cousin Serena?

And Jeannie's cousin, whats-her-name?

And wasn't bendable leg Francie cousin to old stiff-kneed Barbie -- or merely a close friend?  I forget.

Then there was that other Cathy Lane.  Or is that Patty?  What was the difference between those two anyway besides a headband and a bad British accent? 

But enough TV trivia.

Readers, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, blood is thicker than water, long story short, the time has come for me to stitch up something for my cousin once again.  I know some of you will be delighted, others disappointed, but I can't please everybody. 

The other day I discovered that Pattern Review is holding a new challenge contest starting November 1.  It's called One Pattern Wardrobe and you have two weeks to create two complete outfits out of at least three items you sew yourself, all from the same pattern.  You can read more about it here.

I thought this sounded perfect for Cathy, who has been begging me all year for some separates, as opposed to those gorgeous vintage frocks she claims she can't wear anywhere.

I spent many an hour digging through dozens of Hate-y Eighties atrocities on eBay and Etsy before stumbling upon this 1969 gem:

Granted, it's a little, shall we say, suburban as illustrated, but I think with the right fabrics and accessories we can dress it up.  I love the top with shorts (2nd from the right) and of course, the full pantsuit ensemble is very Catherine Deneuve in early Seventies Yves Saint Laurent.  The whole pattern actually.

And Cathy can wear her hair long or short! 

In closing, I can't wait to go fabric shopping and start burrowing myself among the $2/yd bolts.  No velveteen.

If you have strong opinions about colors, fabrics, hair treatments, turbans and veils, etc., please let me know before I've already completed the photoshoot. 

It's nice to sew a mens Western jacket from time to time, but let's face it: girl's clothes are a lot more fun, don't you agree?

Are you entering the contest?  Do you have a cousin you believe has evil powers or at least, doesn't have your best interests at heart?  Or maybe a MIL.  Unburden yourself here.

Happy Friday, everybody!