Sewing, Softball and why Pepsi is not the enemy.

Good Morning Darlings,

How was your new years? Did you do something fabulous? I started the evening off  with good friends and a seafood feast (a perk of living up here in Maine) and ended the evening dancing the night away to an amazing 80s cover band. And you guys know how much I like to dance.

But did you also know that I love to make things? I love to create. I always have. Growing up in a family of artists, there was always stuff to do around the house, bags of sequins, drawers of paints, boxes of ribbons and fake flowers. We had arts and crafts supplies like other homes had sports equipment (I was never much of a sports star, except for the time I pitched a game in softball, won the game ball, and lost it over the Wawa next to Taney park playing catch with Dad.) So we were encouraged to make things. We always made our own valentines, Mama made our halloween costumes and we used to add our own touches to clothes (see Sisters and Schmaltz for my early attempts at design with palm tree sponge stamps and puffy paints).

Anyway, my creative bones had been lacking for a while…sure I had kept up the cooking and the letter writing and the impromptu ukelele musicals, but I kind of forgot about my first real creative love…designing clothes.

Now, way back when in those highschool days vaguely outlined in the last post, I had pretty much given up on the bougie world of academia that all of my peers were striving for (this and veganism were my adolescent rebellions)  and embraced the crazy world of the artiste. And I drew, and I sewed and I spent my Saturdays at one of the art schools with kids like me. I loved to collage and create collections – nothing that I would ever wear of course, just things that I thought looked cool. One year they asked me to design a dress based on a disney character. I made a gown in the vain of Tinkerbell and I have no idea where the pictures are – but it was amazing. In fact, if anyone (mama, I’m looking at you) has photos of this, please send.

And then for my senior project in highschool, I designed two collections and had a show. I literally locked myself in my room for 2 weeks and sewed to the sweet sounds of No Doubt and The Ataris. PS. Wasn’t it sweet when you had your own room when you lived at your parents houses? Like your own private sanctuary of things you loved? Amazing.

Anyway, I found a few pictures of that – but in order to protect the innocent, I will not share. Apparently my taste in highschool was a bit more revealing than it is in my older years.

Anyway, just because I feel proud of my accomplishments from the past month, I thought I would share with you the two pieces that I’ve constructed. Both were for special occasions, holiday parties and the like.

Navy Gabardine wrap with a crinoline underlay. Originally worn with red patent pumps, a fauxhawk and lots and lots of pearls.

Black Leather sheath with deep V. Originally worn with white tux jacket, black sequined pumps and a gold belt.

There is kind of nothing more fun than wearing something that you have created. It’s the same thrill you get when you have a dinner party and the plates end up empty!

On a completely unrelated note, I just read this article written by the incredibly brilliant Mark Bittman. I love Bittman, I loved watching him tour Spain with Gwenyth, Mario and Claudia. I love his cookbooks, I love his recipes and I generally agree with his ethical perspective.

But in this article Bittman likens the endorsement of soda to the endorsement of rifles, and I just don’t agree with that sentiment. It is however, a great debate starter.

Like many Americans, I am overweight. And while it doesn’t come from the fast food and soda that are the demons of so many people, it comes from overindulgence – which I might remind you is a behavior, not a product.

The idea that a celebrity doesn’t have the right to endorse a product because overindulgence can lead to health problems is insane. PepsiCo is worth a cool 32billion and it pledges just about $20million a year to various organizations mainly connected to United Way.

Look, I’m middle class – I know that the big corporations are supposed to be the bad guys, especially the ones selling products that could potentially hurt our nations youth. But we all need to take responsibility for our own actions and stop blaming the product.

Here’s the difference, one cigarette is not going to kill you, one soda is not going to kill you, but one bullet might just kill you.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/05/why-do-stars-think-its-o-k-to-sell-soda/

Sorry, just feeling angsty watching Scorsese on a Sunday afternoon.

Anyway – what are your thoughts? On Sewing On Soda? On Scorsese?

xoxo

lcf

 

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