"Carefree Patterns From McCall's" Catalog - April 1973

I just nabbed a lot of 35 McCall's, Simplicity, Butterick and Vogue mini catalogs / pamphlets on eBay, all from my favorite decade - the 1970s!  I just love these little pieces of vintage sewing ephemera and, since this particular decade seems to be more reviled than revered for its fashion legacy, it appears that I might be able to continue amassing a collection that won't break the bank (I got all 35 for only $5.00!).  

Are there any fellow 1970s fashion enthusiasts out there?  If so, then this is for you!  I've scanned the "Carefree Pattern From McCall's" issue from April 1973 for you to feast your eyes upon!  This seems to be a special cute couples-themed issue and, unlike most of these free mini catalogs, this particular issue contains no text of write ups about the fashions.

"Te Amo" - Look of the Day

My first post in about 3 months!  I hope to be able to do more of these "look of the day" posts.  You see, I work as a cook during the day and I kind of live for shedding my kitchen scrubs and dressing up every afternoon when I arrive home.  Plus, I suppose this will be the last time I will be able to wear a plaid wool skirt and grey over-the-knee socks and get away with it before the slight winter chill is gone and Spring is here for good.

None of my look is handmade, but the bias plaid skirt is definitely vintage 1970s.  Scored with an entire armful of similar skirts all at once during a lucky pitstop at the Goodwill in Black Mountain, NC last fall (and they all fit, too)!  The awesome "Te Amo" Han and Leia shirt was definitely love at first sight and is from We Love Fine which has nerdy t-shirts at decent prices and awesomesauce customer service too!  The skinny belt is from Banana Republic from, like, 13 years ago.  The combat boots by Espirit are just about as old.  You see, when you're poor you tend to make your things last....

Screen Caps from Cabaret - 1972

Cabaret - 1972 - Directed by Bob Fosse.  My favorite movie musical because it has such style, because it exudes a seedy, sinister, and decadent vibe and because the characters don't just break out into song and interrupt the flow of the story (all of the musical numbers are performed in the Kit Kat Klub).  As a teenager, I had a minor obsession with Joel Grey as the Emcee and with Liza Minnelli's eyelashes.  Here a few favorite stills that I've screen captured:

And on a minor sewing side note, I've managed to finish Vogue 8837 and I'm rather happy with the outcome.  The most difficult part for me is finding the time to take photos of my projects.  Hopefully I'll be able to snap a few tomorrow.  Next up is this BurdaStyle tie-front blouse!

"Painter Man" - The Strange and Brief Intersection of 1960s Mod Culture & 1970s Disco Culture

The original 1966 picture sleeve single of The Creation's "Painter Man" next to the Atlantic 45 label from Boney M.'s unusually rocking disco 1979 cover of the same song.

I have been a fan of 1960s music group The Creation ever since their song "Makin' Time" was featured prominently in Wes Anderson's 1998 film Rushmore.  They are one of the many "lost" and overlooked bands that emerged during the Beatles-influenced music explosion of the mid-1960s and are most notable for Eddie Phillips playing his guitar with a violin bow (years before Jimmy Page gave it a whirl).  

I have a weakness for 1960s Mod-era British music and an extreme fondness for late 1970s disco-era music.  So when I discovered 1970s European disco group Boney M. while searching for 1970s line dance clips from Soul Train on You Tube, I was seriously intrigued.  This is the first video I watched, an amazing (though lip-synced) performance of "Rasputin."  It must be watched to be believed:

     

 The futuristic space age-meets disco-meets new wave look of Boney M., circa 1979.


From "Rasputin" I quickly went to Spotify to find anything that I could by Boney M. and there I discovered their 1979 album Night Flight to Venus, an insanely fun disco trip into outer space and beyond.  And when I saw that the third track on the album was a cover of The Creation's "Painter Man" and that it's actually a tasteful and surprisingly kick-ass cover....I had it on rotation all day long.





So it is here, in Boney M.'s cover of "Painter Man" that the brief, strange and wonderful intersection of 1960s Mod culture and 1970s disco culture takes place!  Unusual since Boney M. was probably the epitome of manufactured disco groups of the 1970s, and ironic since The Creation was one of the most original and provocative forgotten music groups of the 1960s.

Completed Project: 1970s Betsey Johnson High Waist Pants

When I moved back to North Carolina almost 9 months ago, I unintentionally lost a lot of weight due to stress and other factors. I found that all of the pants and trousers that I'd put so much time into making no longer fit, which left me without a few essential wardrobe basics. So now, along with looking for thrifted vintage pieces, I'm trying to sew and build up my wardrobe again (with a 1970s slant, of course)! I used Butterick #3846 (a "Young Designer" pattern by Betsey Johnson) to make this pair of simple high waist pants:

Do forgive the dark and pixelated photos! I am well in need of a new camera (and some natural sunlight)!

I omitted quite a few details from the original design and opted to keep these pants extremely basic. I thought the extreme high waist fit and wide legs made enough of a statement. The original pattern design included huge patch pockets over the hips, round applique patches at the knees and a detachable bib.

I wore these out to lunch today and received a few nice compliments. The fabric that I used is a lightly slubbed medium weight denim-look cotton that I purchased with a huge lot of patterns at a local sale. I thought this type of fabric would be perfect for the transition from winter to spring - not too heavy or too light. The pants have a front zipper, wider than usual waistband and button closure.

I will definitely be wearing these often and I'm so glad to have a basic pair of high waist pants in my wardrobe again!

TOTAL PROJECT COST:

Fabric - approximately $1.00

Zipper - approximately $2.00

Pattern - $6.49 from Granni Gert's Attic @ Etsy

____________

$9.49

Completed Project: 1970s Wide Leg Trousers

So I've finally resigned myself to the fact that I will probably only be updating this blog whenever I complete sewing projects which, at my current sewing rate, will be about 1x per week. I'm just in love with posting on my Tumblr blog, which I actually do daily, so check me out over there if you'd like!

My latest completed project is a pair of wide leg trousers that I made from an early 1970s Butterick pattern designed by Betsey Johnson. I think the design was actually inspired by 1940s-style trousers but with a much more exaggerated silhouette for stylin' 1970s seamstresses. :) These were really simple to make: several top stitched pleats at the front, a 7" zipper at the back, and a wide waistband with a button closure. I used a slubbed black and white rayon/linen blend fabric that I scored from a local thrift store for $4.00.

I'm really happy with how they came together. I'm obsessed with high waist, wide leg trousers (just as I'm obsessed with 1970s fashion in general) so I have 3 more (different) pair in my sewing queue waiting to be made. They are so comfy and breezy and perfect to wear up until it gets really hot during the summer!

1970s Space Dyed Goodness

Nothing reminds me more of winter than vintage "space dyed" sweaters! I LOVE them! Here are a few amazing sweaters that are for sale on Etsy right now:

Hooded bell sleeve sweater - $46.00

Same hooded bell sleeve sweater as above, different color - $32.00

Zip-Up Sweater - $26.00

Striped Sweater with Orange Ribbing - $26.97

Vintage Pattern Shop Weekend Sale!

Yet another week has passed with no posts! I hate falling behind, but some things just can't be helped. To be fair, my son Brydon's 1st birthday was this week, so a lot of my time was devoted to that. :)

I wanted everyone to know that I'm having a weekend sale at my Etsy vintage pattern shop! Everything in the shop is 30% OFF ALL WEEKEND LONG, starting now through 12:00 a.m. Sunday night (well, technically that's Monday morning). Everything has already been discounted for you so purchasing and checking out is easy! By the way, this sale means that most patterns are around only $3.50 each! And I've stocked the shop with some really sweet finds! Here are a few of my favorites:

Vintage 1970s Halter Jumpsuit & Jacket - 34 Bust

Vintage 1970s Three-Piece Suit - 34 Bust

Early 1960s Dress & Jacket with a Unique Button-On Scarf - 36 Bust

Kenzo Back-Wrap Halter Dress or Top + Pants - 29 Bust

Vintage 1970s Front-Buttoned Dress or Top + Wide Leg Pants - 34 Bust

Classic Early 1960s Dress with a Fitted or Full Skirt - 34 Bust

McCall's Mod "Wrap-Arounder" Dress - 37 Bust

Interesting Late 1960s Dress with Different Bodice Trims - 36 Bust

Cute-As-Can-Be 1970s Babydoll Dress - 33.5 Bust

Vintage 1960s Space Age Stewardess-Style Dress - 34 Bust

Vintage Pattern Love

For lack of anything else to post, here are a few patterns I've found on Etsy recently that I just love!

1980s blouse with double-breasted front closure.

Chic 1970s brimmed hats.

Super-cute 1970s stretch knit cowl neck dress and leggings.

1960s Norma Tullo young designer dress with a sashed midriff.

1980s blouse for sweater knits. Love the exaggerated sleeves!

Sexy 1960s sheath dress with a shaped keyhole neckline.

Have a great weekend, everyone! I definitely plan on doing some sewing and will hopefully have some things to post next week!