The $4.6 Million Dress

Friends, by now you've all probably heard about the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood costume and memorabilia auction that happened last weekend.  The big news: Marilyn Monroe's infamous "subway dress" went for $4.6 million.

For that price it should have sleeves.

(NOTE: you can download a PDF of the auction catalog here, and I highly recommend you do.  It was an amazing collection  and beautifully documented in this catalog.)

Ten years ago I saw the soon-to-be auctioned Marilyn Monroe memorabilia collection on display at Christies and saw the famous Jean Louis "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" barely-there gown.  That one fetched $1,150,000, which seems like a bargain by comparison.  And it was beaded.

As you know, I am a huge old movie fan and melt at the sight of costumes from classic films.  I've blogged about the Diana Vreeland costume exhibit I saw in the Seventies at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a child, as well as some of my favorite movie gowns.

Debbie amassed her collection over more than forty years, with a dream of founding a Hollywood memorabilia museum that never quite happened.

The whole thing makes me sad, for Debbie and for us Americans.  What larger cultural contribution has America made than "the movies" a.k.a., Hollywood?   As I said to someone yesterday, with all the billionaires we now have in this country, couldn't somebody cough up, say, $100 million to keep Debbie's collection intact and viewable by the public?   The fact that a dress associated with a famous star could fetch millions reflects the huge, lasting interest in Hollywood history.







Wise readers, your thoughts, please.

Why is this (Marilyn) dress so valuable, other than that we've seen that image upteen times till it's embedded in our DNA?  Is it really all that?  Have you ever seen The Seven-Year Itch (the movie the dress is from)?  It has not aged well, to put it mildly.

Also, do you think these costumes belong in one place -- i.e., a museum -- or is it only fair that they go to those who have the most interest in owning them and perhaps chopping them up into quilting squares and throw pillows? 

Is it important, given that the costumes can be seen, as they were intended to be seen, in the films themselves?

I'd love to hear what you think.

I'm going to be gone the rest of this week as I'll be taking care of my mother who gets out of rehab after her hip replacement today.  My mother doesn't have a computer -- she tried to master one about five years ago and failed -- nor does she have DSL or any other type of Internet service.  Her neighborhood, moreover, though just a (long) subway ride from where I live, is a wi-fi black hole.  I will be thoroughly disconnected -- pray for me.  I hope to return to daily blogging next week.

BTW, please feel free to read other blogs during my absence. It's healthy and can only strengthen our relationship, in the long run.

Have a great week, everybody, and see you soon!

This I WILL NOT skimp on!

Readers, I know I'm not the best person to write today's blog post.

Unfortunately, my original idea for today, which I mentioned yesterday in passing, has shown up this morning on someone else's sewing blog.  All's fair in love and blogging I always say, and I do believe we are all connected to a universal brain.  Or in this case, to mine.

Lucky for me that in a safe surrounded by a deep moat inhabited by crocodiles, I keep a list of back-up blog topics.  And so it is that today we're talking about what we refuse to skimp on when it comes to sewing and all things fashion-related.

As you know, I'm beyond thrifty.  I have dug through dumpsters for designer jeans and crawled under cars for imported shoes.  I don't ask too many questions and I'm not 100% certain I haven't carried off a bag of clothes left at the curb when the owner was merely out in the street hailing a cab.  This is New York.

Even most of my underwear is second hand, or second something; I'd rather not think about it.  Rest assured everything gets washed before wearing unless it smells like Bounce dryer sheets, in which case I take my chances.  I hate to pay a lot for new things I can find used for less.  Like my recently acquired Allen Edmonds shoes, my new obsession till the next one.

There is one thing I will not skimp on, however, and that is socks.

I have learned through nearly 50 years of living (and 35 years of thrifting), that nobody throws out good socks; you will not find them in thrift stores.  And you won't find them being sold by street vendors either.

In my experience -- and if you know better please speak up -- you really have to go to a better retail establishment like Bloomingdale's or Lord & Taylor and bite the bullet to avoid Orlon Acrylic and even then you have to be careful.  In the winter I like to wear wool socks and I love the selection at Paragon Sporting Goods off Union Square.  I've been going to this store since I was a kid and it's a zoo, but they have an excellent selection of sports and hiking socks.



It breaks my heart to spend $15 or more on a pair of socks but the alternative is something that will stretch and pill and bunch up in your shoe.  Also, ix-nay on the otton-cay.  Cotton absorbs moisture (think towels) so it's not ideal for feet.

As far as sewing goes, I'll save a buck any way I can.  The fabric can't be cheap enough, the sewing machine old enough.

I wouldn't use a Brand X needle -- I like Organs -- but then again, I've never actually seen a Brand X needle.  With few exceptions I no longer buy individual spools of thread, opting instead to buy big spools at Sil Thread.  The quality seems find to me.

No, I think my refusal to skimp begins -- and ends -- with socks.

Readers, how about you?  I've known a number of women who refuse to wear drugstore make-up or wear anything but Christian Dior pantyhose.  (Fortunately, Cathy isn't one of them.)   I know many of you line up outside Jo-Ann Fabric on 50% off days, and will wrestle your peers to the floor over $1 Vogue patterns.

Others haunt the remnant bins at Walmart but sew on $3,500 Bernina's.  It's not entirely rational but who am I to question?

Friends, where are you willing to cut corners and where do you refuse to skimp -- and why?

Have you ever tried to save money on something -- against your better judgment perhaps -- and lived to regret it?  Can you wear a used bra and hold your head -- or anything else --  high? 

Savvy savers and champion cheapskates, let your voices be heard!

I'll Be Back...

I'm taking a few days off blogging while my mother recuperates from hip surgery, readers.  (The operation went fine.)

Enjoy the rest of the week!

Best Purchase, Worst Purchase?

Friends, apropos of recipes for a happy life, I think it's essential for us to be able appreciate our successes and forgive our mistakes.  We're always doing the best we can with the information we have at the time, and yet how many people continue to punish themselves for errors of judgment made in the past even though it makes them unhappy?  I know I do!

Remember when you started sewing, how many items you needed to purchase in order to get started?  Relying as I did entirely on the beginner sewing book, Sew Everything Workshop, I accumulated a number of things recommended there that turned out to be a waste of money.  But what did I know?  Fortunately, these were minor notions, like the magnetic seam guide pictured up top.  I don' t think I've ever used that thing, I mean, what's the point?  The measurements are on your throat plate, and even if they're not, you can mark your seam allowance measurements with tape.  Please don't tell me you use one!

Anyway, I've been thinking a lot about good sewing purchases and bad, my best and my worst.  There are so many of each, readers!

Here's a good purchase, my Black & Decker Digital Advantage iron.  I've used this iron regularly for two solid years and only once did I have a mishap, when it dripped water on my taffeta dress -- and even then it was entirely my fault: I hadn't let it fully warm up to the setting I'd selected; when it does, it beeps.  What a pity that the model has been discontinued and none of the new Black & Deckers are garnering positive ratings on Amazon.  If this one died I'm not sure what I'd do.

UPDATE: It looks like it's back in production -- and more expensive.



You're probably tired of hearing about my Brother 1034D serger -- another good purchase.  Readers, rest assured I do not receive any compensation for plugging this wonderful machine on my blog (though I'm not entirely closed to the idea, Brother).  This serger is easy to use, very well priced, and has a well-earned reputation as being a workhorse.  Even though I generally try to avoid buying new things, I have no regrets.



Which leads us into the topic of bad purchases -- in fact, the worst purchase ever.  That would be my vintage Huskylock 535D serger, shown here in its semi-permanent, last-stop-before-dumpster home at the back of my not very large closet.



Readers, please understand that I blame myself more than Huskylock for the endless frustrations this machine has caused me.   I bought it used on eBay knowing next to nothing about sergers, and it arrived without a manual, a presser foot or a thread stand (well, the telescoping antenna was intact but that's it).   It took me a week to track down the parts I needed and get the thing threaded, and longer to balance the tension.  Again, I was in the dark about serging.  When I finally got it working, I tried to serge over some denim flat-felled seams and....well, let's not even talk about it.  Basically, I blew $100 and countless precious hours of my life, but I learned something: don't bother with sucky old sergers missing essential parts -- ever.



The saddest part of it is, I STILL can't manage to get rid of it and this is where the happy life/forgiveness thing comes in.  I should just donate it to the Salvation Army with a taped-on sign that says As is, or For parts only, or For masochists only.  For all I know, the serging equivalent of Rain could repair the darn thing and be happy to have it.  The other option is to put it outside on the curb and run.  It's taking up precious closet space that could be used for so many other unloved, impossible-to-get-rid-of items.  I can't look at it without thinking, You idiot -- and I'm not talking about the serger. That Mickey Mouse phone was no prize either but I digress.

Getting back to the positive, here's another good purchase, my vintage Singer buttonholer.  Not all Singer buttonholers fit low-shank straight stitchers so if you're in the market for one, make sure you're getting the right model.  They make lovely buttonholes and are very easy to use -- and fun in an old-timey way.





Here's another good purchase, my Pfaff 30 sewing machine and table.



I paid $40 for this machine and I use it all the time, or I did until the plug snapped off.  I really should rewire the whole thing.

Back to bad purchases, this flat-felling foot.  Why did I bother?



Finally, there is the category of Jury's Still Out.



I am sorry to say that my Elnapress has not proven to be the life-altering ironing miracle I had been led to believe by a certain MPB reader who knows who she is and fortunately I'm not the type to hold a grudge   Kidding aside, I love the idea of the Elnapress, only I never use it.  It takes up more space than I really have, it takes a long time to heat up and even longer to cool down.  Maybe someday it will prove its worth --  like when I'm interfacing concert costumes for the entire Von Trapp Family.

Also in the JSO category...





But let's stick to sewing.

Friends, time's running out and I need to know: What is your best sewing-related purchase and (juicier fun, let's face it) what is your worst, the one that keeps you up at night and has you cursing fate every time you look at it?

Let the self-forgiveness begin!

More midriff madness!

I don't think these shorts look particularly girly but Michael assures me otherwise.  I think I've lost perspective.

Friends, I am just now putting the finishing touches on Cathy's Forties midriff outfit.  Those last little things always take longer than you expect, right?  The skirt waistband was too big; I improvised and stitched some elastic into the back center waistband.  Buttons needed to be moved, threads clipped, seams pressed.  It's always something!

Cathy should be here shortly and who knows what shape we'll find her in.  She's been hanging out with a very fast crowd lately.

I've also experienced my share of sewing machine drama today.  I sat down to sew this morning on my Pfaff and it didn't start.  I looked down on the floor and...



The plug had broken entirely off!  (This machine is 60 if it's a day.)  I quickly -- and carefully -- removed the severed plug from the socket, closed up the Pfaff and moved to my Singer treadle.  I got the whole thing threaded in the correct thread, sat down to use it, and the belt was too loose;  the heat seems to have expanded it.  I can't use it either!

So I moved the 15-91 over to the treadle table -- it now sits in a wooden base -- and placed the base on top of the open table; I needed space for the work I was doing.  It reminded me why it's good to have more than one sewing machine -- or eight.

 
Before I forget -- I picked up the Kenmore sewing machine table yesterday after all.  I love that machine.  I'd have used it today but it's extremely greasy at the moment and that blue sateen shows stains like nobody's business.

I hope to have a Cathy photo shoot to show you guys tomorrow.  We're having a real heat spell this weekend, so we'll probably wait till it cools off this evening.    It's Fleet Week here in NYC so we're going to try to lure a few sailors into the fun.  Keep your fingers crossed and hum Anchors Aweigh.

Hope you're staying calm, cool, and collected.  Especially cool!

Have a great day everybody!

Reflections on My Second Year of Sewing

Friends, this is the week that, two years ago, I bought my very first sewing machine.  Those of you who've been with me since the beginning know the story; those who don't will find a brief synopsis here.  It's an anniversary I like to acknowledge, taking a moment to reflect on where I've been before moving on. 

First years of anything are bound to be full of excitement -- everything is new, every accomplishment feels huge.  Second years are inevitably less dramatic.  You're still doing many things for the very first time, but many steps are beginning to feel familiar, especially if you're sewing constantly, as I have been, since sewing is the focus of my life right now. 

The last year doesn't break up neatly into quarters as my first year did.  It's more of a single progression, albeit with its inevitable moments of regression.  Shall we take a brief look?

Reflecting on the last twelve months, I see good things and not-so-good things.  A few projects never quite got off the ground (that suit), or fell flat -- or baggy, as the case may be.

This year I decided to leave the drop-crotch pants to others who know how to pull them off.  I think it helps to be a hunky Australian.



This year I have occasionally been accused of stunt sewing.  I won't lie: I'm a showman at heart.  Remember The Ugliest Pattern Ever?





Then there was last fall's BurdaStyle Westminster Fabrics competition tunic dress.  Guess who won the popular vote on BurdaStyle?  Sadly, this was never acknowledged by the sponsor, perhaps uncomfortable with something about my creation.  I've put it behind me.



Then there are those leopard-print velvet pants, still unworn, alas.  I've learned I'm not really a leopard person; I'm shy.



I'm proudest of my wool toggle coat -- but I love my new seersucker pajamas too!



 

Cathy certainly came into her own this last year, with a little help from Maybelline.  Hello, Fresh Face!

 





We've had sew-alongs, and and serge-alongs, and let's not forget the Ken-alongs...





The Male Pattern Boldness chug-along continues too.  Many people think it's hard to blog every day but after a while it's just another morning routine.  A cup of coffee to get things moving and then hope something comes out -- and it does!  Light a match and it's on with the day.

There is still so much to do, though honestly, I couldn't even tell you what I'll be doing tomorrow.  Not buying a new sewing machine, that's for sure...or pretty sure.



And so, my friends, please join me in welcoming Year Three of my (our) sewing adventure.  I hope you'll hang around for the next act as well as the post-curtain Ask the Cast.



Have a great day, everybody -- and thanks for being there!

Peter's movie debut!

Friends, we all have skeletons in the closet.  Today I'd like to share one of mine.

It was a student film and I was young...well, younger than I am today.   Let's turn our clocks back to the mid-Nineteen nineties.  A dear friend has asked me to play a leading role in her final film school project.  What would you do, kind readers?  Loyal to a fault, I agreed.

Many find the resulting film, The Great Manipulator, to be dark.  This is in part due to inadequate lighting.  I won't give away the film's shocking ending but rest assured things don't end well for our heroine, Esme.  The Sound of Music this is not (though I do break into song).

Sluggish pacing, stilted dialogue, and flat-footed foreshadowing don't help matters.  But don't let me influence your opinions.  Despite it all, around our house The Great Manipulator is a cult film up there with Pink Flamingos and Plan 9 From Outer Space.  Lines like "I'm sorry you didn't sleep well," "Do you really think I'm talented?" and "Everything today is so market-driven" have become part of our secret language.

With no further delay, may I present The Great Manipulator.

 
My conscience is clear.

If you care to unburden yourself of a skeleton or two, please feel free.

Are you a planner or a "bounce-arounder"?

Friends, do you like to plan things out way ahead of time or do you prefer to be more spontaneous, to bounce around and go with the flow, as it were?

I am not a planner.  In fact, I resist planning.  That's just the way I am (and always have been). 

For example, it pains me to have to make reservations for a vacation half a year ahead of time; I'd much rather decide a few weeks before when I'm feeling like I need a vacation, and then choose from among whatever options remain available.  I don't think about what might have been available if I'd planned ahead.  Whatever it was wouldn't have been worth the effort of scheduling so far in advance.  (This was challenging when I worked in an office and had to select my summer vacation time many months in advance, as you can imagine.)

I'm the same with my sewing.  I decide what I want to create with very little forethought.  I don't decide that in July I'm going to make such-and-such, in August this, and in September this.  How do I know whether or not I will still want to make such-and-such in July?  You can see why scheduling things like Sew-Alongs can be hard for someone like me. 

Of course, my life is set up to accommodate a spontaneous lifestyle more than many people's are.  I don't have a set schedule week-to-week right now; I don't have children.  And with regard to sewing, I have the Garment District just blocks away so if I need lace trim or silk thread or a new treadle belt all of a sudden, I can get it.  If I want to make a cocktail dress tomorrow, I can buy the taffeta today.

I'm the same way with this blog.  I prefer to write about what I want to write about when I want to write about it.  I've met well-known bloggers (I won't name names but you know them) who schedule their blogs out weeks in advance, and will have completed next Thursday's post seven Sundays before.  So not me.  I'm still finishing today's entry while you're reading this.  (OK, I exaggerate.)

Planning (or the lack thereof) is not to be confused with discipline and organization, of course.  You can be disciplined and organized but still not like to plan, right?

The downside to all this, if there is one, is that things here can get a little shapeless: today a "Yea or Nay" entry, tomorrow decluttering, suddenly a new sewing machine, Cathy reappears, etc.  I wonder if you ever find it confusing.

Speaking of Cathy, after reviewing the results of our last photoshoot, I've begun thinking it might be time for a minor makeover, don't you?  Maybe a new hairstyle, a beauty mark, or a wider lip line.  I'd hate to have my cousin stuck in a style rut.  Blonde for summer?



But back to planning -- or not planning.

I sometimes wonder if it would be better to invest some time in a plan, whatever plan that might be.  Otherwise one risks always reacting to the situation at hand rather than setting out with a clear road map.  Or is that a good thing since things inevitably change anyway?

I'm interested to know what you think.

If you have a sewing (or some other) blog, do you map out what you'll be blogging about days (or weeks) in advance, and then stick to it?  What are the benefits and the downsides to this? 

In general, do you like to plan or are you more of a spontaneous type?   Do you map out life and/or sewing goals (married by 30, two kids by 35, sewing your own jeans by 40) -- or do you just do as you please when you want to do it?  Do you think women plan more than men do (biological clock and all that)?

Enquiring minds want to know!

Tuesday Stream of Consciousness

Good morning, friends!  I'm back and feeling rested, thanks no doubt to the subliminal messages I received from Joey Heatherton's Serta mattress commercial yesterday.  I may be sleeping on a Serta myself for all I know; I should look.

Today is all about reflection and re-centering.  I hope you'll indulge me and perhaps join me.

First off, Cathy.  Thank you all so much for your kind comments about Cathy's taffeta dress.  They mean so much to my cousin, who's just getting back into the swing of life.  I'm staring at the dress now, as it's still strewn across my ironing board.  I don't know where I'll store it and I may just have to make it a permanent part of the living room decor.



As you may already know, Cathy's lace redingote has three ties across the front bodice made of the same narrow velvet ribbon I used for her slip straps.  I am glad I opted for the thinner strap and thank you for your strong support of that choice.

And speaking of lace overlays, here's a recent picture of Joey Heatherton in her version.  To quote legendary Broadway songwriter Frank Loesser:  Joey, Joey, Joey....

A number of you asked why Michael wasn't wearing a matching bow tie at Saturday's party.  Friends, I made one, but in the end I/we decided it wasn't quite up to snuff.



I'm very much on the fence about Cathy's choice of Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Coralberry.  While very striking against the green taffeta (a classic combination), I think it was too pale for evening.  Next time we'll stick with the blue-reds.



In other news, I have received some wonderful vintage patterns from MPB readers recently, which I always like to acknowledge.  So you can well imagine my chagrin when I confess that I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the generous woman who sent me these wonderful men's shirt patterns.  I searched through my email for fifteen minutes and...nothing.



Kind person, won't you please identify yourself in the comments today and accept both my apologies and warmest of warm thanks?  I love these and, miracle of miracles, they're all in my size (14 1/2" neck, 36" chest)

More recently I received this lovely surprise from reader/blogger Sunni, The Cupcake Goddess herself.  Where can I begin?  Cathy is desperate to star in a remake of the Audrey Hepburn classic thriller, Charade, even if it's nothing more than a YouTube video.  Now I can get started on her wardrobe!



I'll likely save this Vogue Bill Blass gem for the big premier.  To. Die. For.



Apropos of which, I think it may be time to drag Cathy out of the late Forties/early Fifties, don't you?  One doesn't want to get stuck in a look.   (Joey...?)

Oh, before I forget!   I got an email from Rain yesterday!  He tells me he's almost done restoring my Singer 15-91!  He says he's "just waiting for some parts to come in."  Readers, I'm confused about what parts Rain can possibly be talking about.  You'll recall that the machine was in working order, though the wires were brittle as Joey Heatherton's blonde shag.

My real fear is that Rain is restoring my 15-91 -- into a bedside lamp.   Recalling our last conversation, I'm not sure I ever clearly articulated my desire to actually be able to sew with this machine.

Seriously though, I have every confidence in Rain's abilities, and am hoping he'll also be able to loosen the screw on my Featherweight that would allow me to disassemble the hook assembly so I can install the new loop guard screw I purchased. How long have I had that Featherweight already?

Beloved readers, we're out of time.  I need more coffee and then who knows?  I really must get organized as we have our upcoming MPB Jeans Sew-Along starting Monday, May 2, I begin teaching at Textile Arts Center on Tuesday, May 3, and then -- I really shouldn't divulge this yet -- I'm planning a Summer sew-along involving none other than Cathy herself!

Tentatively titled "Cathy's Live the Dream Fantasy Sew-Along," participants will create a glamorous day or evening ensemble using a pattern of their own choosing, something they'd normally never wear in real life.  I am a big believer in "build the gown and the event will happen" -- a Field of Dreams-type thing.  We'll post pics on Flickr perhaps and maybe have a contest with categories like "Most Likely to Be Worn by Lana Turner in Madame X."

To quote Joey Heatherton, You'll LOVE it!  How does that sound?

Have a great day, everybody!

A different side of Joey: "contemplative, quiet, beautiful..."