Peter's best (and worst) of 2010!

Friends, as 2010 draws to a close, let's take a few minutes to recall some of the high -- and low -- points of this, our very first year together.

Worst Garment of 2010 

Readers, this was a tough one.  While I have no doubt created some winning garments for myself, Michael, Cathy, and others, there have been some clunkers along the way.





This bathing suit/matching tank top combination is best suited for a member of the Romanian women's gymnastics team circa 1972.  (Olga Korbut anybody?) Though made from an honest-to-goodness vintage men's underwear pattern (McCall's 3438), something is very wrong here -- primarily the cut and the fabric.  The execution...is scheduled for any day now.   

Little known fact -- That tank top went straight to the Salvation Army; let's hope it doesn't turn up in the neighborhood this summer.

First Runner Up:



Belch.

Second Runner Up:

 

Why did I ever?

Best Men's Garment of 2010

Let's face it, like every sewist, I make a lot of things that end up sitting (or hanging) more often than not.  But there are always a few favorites that become wardrobe staples.



I wear these Kwik Sew jeans nearly every day.  To the wise guy who asked about the bathing cap, that's a Wigwam Headliner cap I wear when I run or when I'm cold.  My bathing caps have flowers on them.



I love my toggle coat and the timing of the construction couldn't have been better.   Could it possibly win the Pattern Review Winter Wear contest?  We'll see.



My banded collar shirt turned out so very nicely.  If only it were warm -- and opaque -- enough to wear in December.

Best Cathy Outfit of 2010

This is a very controversial category, friends.  We all have our image of Cathy and what suits her best and I would hate to alienate any of her fans.  But my favorite is...



Maybe it's because I was at my physical peak in the Eighties or just because I like Joan Collins, but this Dynasty dress, McCall's 9037, made from a Ralph Lauren bedsheet, is my favorite.  Cathy modeled it on the first day of Spring, and the weather that March day was glorious.

Has Cathy ever looked so fetching?



First Runner Up





Cathy's a natural flapper.

Did you know?  Cathy has a 16-inch waist hidden under 14-inches of adipose tissue.

Worst Cathy Outfit of 2010



Never. Again.  (Vogue 9128)

Best Garment Made for Somebody Else in 2010



Michael's Liberty of London print shirt (McCall's 6890).  Gets a lot of wear, too!

Best New (to me) Book of 2010

This one just arrived on Wednesday, friends.  I saw the legendary Hollywood costume exhibit, curated by Diana Vreeland in the Seventies at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, when I was a kid.  I finally tracked down the accompanying book, Hollywood Costume: Glamour, Glitter, Romance, published by Abrams in 1976, on Amazon.

My favorite coffee table book and I don't even have a coffee table.  Gorgeous!















Great photos and text.  A lot more pics here.

***

Friends, that's it.  Thank you all for helping to make 2010 such a fulfilling, fun-tastic year and I look forward to even more fun in 2011.  I wish all of you a happy and healthy new year.

Have I missed any MPB highlights -- your favorite pics, posts, outfits?  Don't be shy, make your argument!

See you in the new year, friends --  Hugs!

In memoriam...