Wearable Muslin MADNESS: My Davy Crockett Shirt in Microsuede!

Readers, every once in a while the test version of a new (to me) pattern exceeds my expectations.

New Sewing Project, New Pattern, New Sewing Machine!

Well, more like a new-to-me sewing machine.

When Patterns Look (Exactly) Alike

I think I mentioned that we are creating a lot of cowl neck variations in my current draping class at FIT.

The Tent Dress -- YEA or NAY?

Call me crazy, readers, but I came this close to buying the above pattern on eBay a few days ago.

Are You a Pucci Person?

I am not a Pucci person, readers.

Like Peter Max or Lily Pulitzer, Florentine designer Emilio Pucci was endlessly knocked-off in the 60's and 70's.  My hunch is that most people my age have seen too many cheap imitations over the decades to appreciate the originals.

What to Sew Next?

At the flea market this morning, a suitcase full of vintage sewing stuff.

Peter in Mustard and Audrey in Rome

Damn those paparazzi, always on my tail!

Hey, do you remember these mustard jeans I made last October?

Things I Don't Get, Vol. 13 -- The Mod-Sixties Pantdress

Readers, WHAT were they thinking?  (Emilio Pucci in particular)

Peter's Paris Original + More Knit Project Planning

Readers, have you ever seen Charade (1963) starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant?

Restored to Vertical + The Death of the Panel Print

Good news, friends: I awoke this morning feeling only slightly damp (no, my pillow hadn't leaked!), I walked the dogs, and I haven't been back in bed all day.  Even better, I am now nearly 100% caffeine free as I completely lost my taste for coffee (or dairy) during my illness.  I'm calmer with less gas.

Mad Men, Audrey-Style Vintage Pattern GIVEAWAY!

Readers, where have I seen this dress and jacket combo before?  Did Audrey Hepburn wear it in Two For the Road?  Or was it Faye Dunaway in The Thomas Crown Affair?  

Things I Don't Get, Vol 4: The Empire Wedding Gown

Friends, you often hear it said that a woman is never more beautiful than on her wedding day.  You also hear it said that a woman is at her most radiant when she is expecting.

Matchy-matchy style -- YEA OR NAY?

Readers, today I challenge you to dig a little deeper than usual.  In fact, you might want to lie down on your couch, close your eyes, and free associate.  I want to know how you feel about matchy-matchy dressing.

Whatever Happened to...The Gap?

Readers of a certain age, do you remember the Gap?  I don't mean Gap, Inc., the once popular, now stuggling clothing chain, though there is a connection (keep reading).  I'm talking about The Generation Gap, and its impact on style.

Mad Men and the early Sixties

Friends, I started watching Mad Men yesterday.  With three episodes of Season 1 under by belt, I am sorry to say that I think I've had enough.

It's a lot easier to criticize others' creative output than to be creative yourself and it's obvious that Mad Men is a collective labor of love.  The achievements of Mad Men stylist Janie Bryant in recreating the look of the period deserve praise.  But the writers' take on Sixties attitudes and relationships is one big politically-incorrect cliché.

Mid-Sixties Style or "Glamour's Last Gasp"

Fun find at the flea market this morning, friends!  Three mid-Sixties pattern magazines, all dating from 1964-65.

This was a fascinating time in fashion.  Styles were about to change in a big way, but on the surface we were still in the late Fifties "Populuxe" era of shantung cocktail ensembles and white gloves.  It was glamour's last hurrah, but who knew it at the time?  Let's take a look!

Photo Album 2...and the Featherweight arrives!

More pics from the magical mystery photo album -- and so much more, my friends.  But first...

The Photo Album

I don't know what came over me, readers.  At the flea market on Sunday I did something unprecedented and wholly in conflict with my new decluttering rules.  I purchased somebody's lost/discarded photo album.  And what an album it is!

Liz Style

Like many people around the world, I was shocked and saddened by the death of Elizabeth Taylor yesterday.  It just seemed like that Dame was going to live forever -- she'd been through so many health emergencies and always pulled through.  Alas, this time it was not to be.

Vintage Vogue Pattern GIVEAWAY -- Audrey Hepburn style!

Friends, the joy of living is in the giving.   I haven't given away any patterns lately and, frankly, having spent yesterday at a funeral (the husband of an old and dear friend), I could use the joy.