COSTUMES ACROSS THE YEARS

GOOD MORNING WORLD

I have made a number of costumes in my life for children and even myself.  I thought I was out of the business until this week when the plea was, “Grandmama I need a costume.  I am going to be Max the Grinch’s dog in Suessical the Musical for my school choir.”  Said with sweet beautiful brown pleading eyes!  Of course I bought the necessary pattern thread, cloth and zipper and away we go again!

As I was cutting out the pattern this week I was wondering how many of these things I had made.  I can count at least three of the same pattern.  I made one for our son for Halloween when he was almost 2.  It was a tiger fabric and of course small.  I have pictures of many children taken in that same costume as we shared it along the way.  In the 70s and 80s there were no elaborate costumes in big box stores for this holiday like there are now.  No Disney store to purchase the favorite character outfit either.

My sister, Paula, was the best at it.  She made detailed costumes for here children.  They were prize winners for sure.  I used to just put stuff together usually except for this one all one piece pattern that I have made and remade in various sizes.  Our daughter had one in her early 20s for a costume party.  I am thinking she did most of that sewing with some help.  Here I am again re-buying the same pattern in yet another size.  Have I mentioned I do not mind continuity?

I do dislike the changes in prices and what manufacturers believe are improvements to their product.  Years ago when you bought a pattern you bought a specific size.  Now you buy a range and the pattern has three or more sizes on the one piece of tissue and you cut to which you choose.  Now this is the dilemma.  Do you cut the size you want and thus cutting off the tissue OR cut under the tissue and hope you get close to the size you want leaving the others attached to the paper?  I know it is a cost cutting advantage to the company yet it is a pain in the neck for the seamstress!!!  Today I sew and perhaps tomorrow I can add a picture of “Miss Max” to this post!

As I was cutting and mulling I thought of all the costumes I have seen in my life.  My folks used to go to a ball each year and Mom made glorious dresses.  On of my favorites was a navy corduroy weskit jacket with a blue green plaid skirt!  I remember borrowing a gown from another lady in town, who attended the same ball as Momma, for a play.  This dress was a green elaborate affair much like Scarlett O’Hara’s in “Gone with the Wind”.  I borrowed another dress from my cousin for another school play that was a peach satin affair that she had worn as a bridesmaid for a friend.

I loved playing ‘dress up’ as a kid.  We had some fun clothes in which to play at our house.  When our kids were small I kept our oak deacons seat bench cavity filled with fun clothes for them.  It was cute to see them in the hats and shoes.

People rarely ‘dress up’ today.  I remember going to the theater in St.   Louis years ago for a Sunday Matinee of “Phantom”.  Our son and my husband had on shirts ties and jackets and our daughter and I dressed of course in heels and such.  It was a very warm day so the coats did not stay on long.  Regardless when we entered the Fox Theater and took our seats in the first balcony second row we were soon greeted by a young woman sitting in front of us in a tank top and cut off jeans.  Times were indeed achangin!

Even weddings today are attended in various states of what I would call business casual.  Maybe no tie or flats for the ladies instead of heels.  Jeans are the norm many places and when I was ‘growing up’ we could only wear them to ‘play’.  They did not go anywhere else let alone school, church, weddings or theater.

I am not sure which is better.  I have often said I would rather a person be in church in work clothes and grubby than not be there at all.  My father rants about not giving God the proper attire and attention.  It is a dilemma and one I am not going to solve in these few unimportant words.  The important thing today is to sew the costume for Max the Dog and once again get one of those delicious hugs only grandchildren can give.  By the way I have three great huggers on my team!!!

…..ONWARD TO MORE MISADVENTURE…

GRANDMAMA GARANIMALS

GOOD MORNING WORLD

When I was a young child my mother would dress my sister and I in matching clothes.  We had shirt and short sets that were just alike.  One I remember was a plaid top with khaki color pants.  They were bought together and worn together.  We were not alone.  Another of my friends had a sister the same age as mine and sure enough – matching.  One particular picture I remember from the family album show the four friends on our way to camp two sets of girls in two sets of matching clothes.

When our children were very little there was Buster Brown clothing for boys and Polly Flinders smocked dresses for girls.  Our son was dressed in Buster Brown.  It was good quality clothing though a tad costly.  Then Garanimals were born.  I was amazed to see they still had a website.

About Garanimals

Garanimals was founded on a simple but unique concept: to help parents affordably dress their young children in comfortable clothing that is easy to mix and match. Each Garanimals line may be mixed and matched as separates, and the color and style mix and match with any piece within that line.

History of Garanimals

Garanimals was born in 1972 out of the idea that there is a positive connection between how children dress and how they feel about themselves.

The kid-friendly Garanimals mix-and-match separates makes clothes easy to pair and fun to wear. The Garanimals pairing system brings creativity and independence to young children as they select their own clothes and dress themselves. Through these small, successful decisions, children develop early feelings of self-confidence.

“”Garanimals…helps the pre-schooler to handle his/her own wardrobe. That sense of ‘I Can’ fosters the child’s growing sense of independence.” – Dr. Joyce Brothers

Today, Garanimals continues to be dedicated to its heritage. Garanimals clothing, now made for newborns as well as young children (up to 5T), provides color and trend-right silhouettes, and comfortable fit. Each line is carefully designed to provide kids with fashion and comfort while guaranteeing quality, value, and ease of shopping to parents.

Moms love the fool-proof simplicity. Kids love to look good and feel good. The Garanimals family would not have it any other way.

The safety of the children using and playing with our Garanimals products is our primary concern, that’s why all of our products meet and exceed all safety standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM). Before any of our products can be sold in North America, the materials, paints, sealants and all components that comprise them are tested rigorously by independent testing facilities to ensure their safety.

They were and are cute affordable clothes for kids.  I can still get them for our youngest grandson though he is quickly outgrowing the label.

I have been told I wear Garanimals.  I was probably programmed from that early age to wear matching clothes.  I buy pantsuits, unlike Hillary’s, that are the same color.  One that I own is a yellow sweat pant set that has the same color pants and top and the top has a lovely daylily on the front panel.  The pant fabric is a waffle weave and while the same color it is a different fabric from the top.  Another I have is really a tip back to the 60s and rarely is worn outside of the house.  It is a gray blue with embroidered flowers around the beck and pant legs bottoms.  Others of my clothes are either the same color or coordinating tops and bottoms.  I really do have clothes that do not match and still coordinate – I was raised to coordinate.

I admit it I am a throw back and wear Grandmama Garanimals!!!  Wonder if there is a self-help group for people like me???  Today it is a striped top with pants that match and have an anchor on the knee.  Not bought together and still match.  I give up!!! I accept the label!!!

…..ONWARD TO MORE MISADVENTURE…

FALL FRENETIC AND FLEETING

GOOD MORNING WORLD

Frenetic is a great word.  Have I mentioned that I like words?  While my vocabulary is not extensive by collegiate means it is large by normal I believe.  When I find a word I like I have to try it out.

This morning I was here there and everywhere with what I was going to write.  I was in politics for a minute.  I was at a football game in my mind.  I was trying to remember last nights dream.  I thought about writing a note on the itch I could not reach to scratch.  I’ve received a tough phone call this morning that I have put into prayer.  I was looking over the leaves that are going way too quickly as fall flies by.  I was really struggling on a focus.

There it was – no focus frenetic.  Webster’s says frenetic is an adjective and means frenzied.  Frenzy means violent mental agitation or delirious excitement.  The first definition, though not sure it is violent, seemed to fit this morning – frenzied – frenetic. 

The one thing that was sticking in my mind is the plum wool V neck sweater and matching wool plaid Evan Picone slacks I bought myself my junior year in high school.  Why?  I have no idea.  I just remember going to Sachsman’s and buying it with my own money.  A friend of mine also bought the same brand slack in a green striped.  We thought we were something.  Actually truth be told these were very expensive.  The slacks were fully lined and we looked like a million bucks.  For what?  I again have no idea.  We did not have football at our school to need warm clothes.  I remember wearing this outfit to a couple of neighboring school’s games and had a real sense of high self esteem.  Clothes in that case did make the girl.

I worked hard each summer to buy my own school clothes.  I bought some very nice things and lots of name brands.  Funny how things change!  Once I started to really make my own clothes the labels seem to fade away and quality of the item took over.  Labels do not always mean quality.  In the same vein you can also find quality labels in lower stores that are great buys.  What remains still is the fact that if you feel great with the clothes on your skin then you will project great.  Odd little item.  So that was the football game thought.

The politics remain the disgust with this current administration and their misuse of the American trust.  They have lied and cheated and now are involved in a cover-up worse than Watergate I believe as people died in this case.  I have proclaimed on facebook and do so here as well that I believe that the Romney – Ryan ticket will win big in Nov. and the country will be better for it.  I believe that the Republican ticket will take all the states they need for a 300 +/- Electoral College win.  I have it written on a piece of paper here as my husband does not agree.  Further I believe a majority of women will go for Romney and I believe fewer blacks will vote for Obama.  Let it be written.  Or check out the results of the College in Denver that projects the same.

The dream was the weirdest thing.  The itch was hysterical.  I woke at 4ish to go to the potty.  I got back into bed and the middle of my back itched.  You know that spot that no matter how hard to try to reach it your arms are just not long enough?  I would not wake the ‘purring’ person beside me though I did roll him over to stop the purr!  I got out of bed and went up to a door sill and scratched my back over it until I the itch had gone.  Back to bed.  I woke from a sleep at 5ish with the same darned itch.  What in the world was going on?  The door sill was not working so I thought of a comb. 

I went under my sink in the dark to grab a comb.  I did not want to turn on the light to wake the ‘purrer’.  My hands were searching around and all of a sudden they touched bristles.  I did not think I owned a brush any longer.  Then I remembered I bought one at the spa after I had my haircut.  The girl said I HAD to have this particular brush to get my hair the way she styled it.  I paid the $$$ for it and away I went.  I have used it twice since I have been home.  It is difficult for me to style my hair with the angles she said I needed to hold my hairdryer in the other hand.  The idea of two hands going two different directions is hard for me to comprehend at my advanced years I guess.

I pulled out the brush and scraped it across my back and scraped it across my back and again.  AHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhh…….at last I can say that the money I spent to buy this brush was money well spent.  To sleep to dream a better dream I now had a tool to alleviate any itch.  The other thought that came to mind was maybe in my next life my arms could be gorilla length!

…..ONWARD TO MORE MISADVENTURE…