Retro Wednesday - For the Little People

I know I've shown our Little People village before, but tonight I gave them a sky.

I wasn't happy with the way the wall used to look behind these toys. There were cords hanging down and this ugly thing

which regulates our sprinkler. When I found that cloud print fabric I knew what I wanted to turn it into a backdrop. I measured, cut, and stitched them to fit and inserted some tension rods to hold them in place.
Much better. The kids love this area and it's nice to finally have a space for them in my studio. A collector would gasp to see how hard they are on these rare and precious toys. I don't mind. That's what toys are for, right? These particular ones have logged hours of multi-generational enjoyment. There's a grain silo that goes with the barn, but the last time I saw it Sage had packed it full of Little People and was and was flying them around the house on a "rocket ship field trip". I can't wait for them to return and see their nice new sky.

Retro Wednesday - 8 years ago. . .

And for our gift this year, we got my car an alternator. Because, as you know, the traditional anniversary presents are 1st - paper, 2nd - cotton, 3rd - leather, 4th - linen, 5th - wood, 6th - iron, 7th - copper, 8th - alternator. Happy anniversary, babe!

Retro Wednesday - American Denim

My friend / former boss Annette at the Dragonfly (vintage clothing store) gave me this book years ago when I was in college and still working for her.

She knew my style well and would often set aside funky clothes or fabric she knew I'd like (she still does, actually). She picked out this book for me because she said it reminded her of the clothes I was making at the time. Like this:

That was the first thing I ever made on a sewing machine. It's composed of a pair of my jeans and a pair of jeans that belonged to my friend Jason Guthrie who died in a car accident my senior year of high school. Cutting them up and patching them together was cathartic for me and as sloppy as it was, I wore it proudly.

I also made these:

with bits of scraps from our leftover altered clothes at the store. Each piece was hand sewn on with tiny little Xs. Tiny little Xs used to be my thing. I did them here too:

and embroidered each patch while I oversaw the shop.

But enough about me, let's look in the book. . .

The author, Peter Beagle, waxes philosophic about the role of denim in society and the urge of the crafty to embellish it.

He claims (I'm paraphrasing here) that art of handmakery is a reaction against conformity, technology, and the alienation of war; that craftspeople create to add beauty and interest to objects that others take for granted. The book was published in 1975 but the movement lives on today. It may have gone underground in the 80's when acid wash was all the rage, but now it's back with a vengeance.

Enough talk. Check out the pictures!

Here's some painted denim:

That last one was painted with acrylic paint applied through a syringe. Wow.

Here are some embroidered ones:

So intricate! I love it. This one?

Not so much. I mean, I love Raggedy Ann and all, but every now and then one comes along and creeps me out. Like that one. Moving on. . .

Butts seemed to be a favorite canvas for the embroiderers:

Just like naked people were a source of inspiration for the appliquers:

Look! A sun barfing a rainbow with an elephant rollerskating on top!

Why didn't I think of that?

Now that, I want. For real. It's gorgeous.

Some people chose to embellish their denim in other ways:

Where were these pants when I attended the Glitter Rally last month?

Here's a crazy bird lady for you:

Here's another:

That one looks like a half-plucked chicken.

Check out this dude:

I imagine him walking that way wherever he goes.

I would like to encounter this lady:

just so I could tell her to "Zip it."

Check out this sparkly dude:

The caption says his name is Bill Shire from Los Angeles. Oh My God, could it be the Bill Shire, as in, owner of the coolest lowbrow art galleries in the area - Billy Shire Fine Arts gallery in Culver City and La Luz de Jesus in Los Feliz? I think it is. He looks vaguely familiar, like the Billy Shire I see in the back of Juxtapoz magazines. Ha! Who knew he was such a fan of the Bedazzler?

I want to know what that little metal container is. An ashtray? A bottle opener?

Something must be wrong with my eyes because it took me a while to figure out what this was:

That seems like a good way to end the post, wrapped up in a nice little bow (that looks like a butt). I hope you enjoyed the freakshow!

Retro Wednesday - Wacky Packages

Anyone who was cool in the 70s will remember these:

Wacky Packages! This is an uncut sheet I got off ebay way back in 1998 when Ebay was new and I had lots of time to scour it for random bits of nostalgia. I laid it over some swirly wrapping paper, framed it, and it's hung in every house we've lived in since Savannah. Inevitably, when someone from our generation sees it they say, "Oh my god, I had those!" and then they spend a while standing there reading them all and laughing.

When we moved to this house I hung it over Sage's bed and now that he can read he's really interested in them. A few months ago he started a tradition where we had to read a new one every night. He'll pick one out and read it and then ask me what it means. Some people may think the humor and subject matter are a little too mature for a kid his age, but I've turned it into a teaching tool. It's helped him learn not only new words and their definitions, but also about history, irony, the power of advertising, and pop culture. A typical conversation goes like this:

Sage: Chef-Girl-ar-dee
Haha, that says girl. It's supposed to be BOY-ar-dee
FEE. . . Fem. . . What's that word mom?

Me: Feminist

Sage: What's a feminist?

Me: Someone who stands up for the rights of women so that women and men will be treated the same when they do the same job.

Sage: Oh, O.K. Chef-Girl-Ar-Dee Feminist Spaghetti That's funny. She wants her spaghetti to be treated the same. And here it says Ahh...pproooo...ved by Women's Lib.
What's a Lib?

Me: Lib is short for Liberation. It means freedom.

Sage: Like the Statue of Liberty?

Me: Yes.

Sage: Was she a feminist?

Me: Yeah, I guess she was.

Also, it's taught him about cigarettes:

They say, "Take a Lucky Stride Away from these Cigarettes" and "Vicejoy - Fungus Tipped Cigarettes" and "Camals Jerkish Blend."

Sage has come to the conclusion that he's not going to smoke when he grows up.

Sometimes I have to explain certain products that he doesn't know about, like this:

Sage: Koduck Film for Ducks. What's film?

. . . says the boy from the digital generation.

Retro Wednesday - Artsy Notions

I got this little needle book at an estate sale last week. The inside came with 3 needles and a threader and says "The Most Beautiful Clothes are lined with EARL-GLO. . . Sanitized - treated for hygenic freshness." I'm guessing it's from the 1950s. I think I'm going to frame it.

Retro Wednesday - Organization

I was searching among my books this evening for some Retro Wednesday inspiration and came across this Woman's Day magazine from 1969.

Do they even still publish Woman's Day? (excuse me while I Google it) Yes, it appears they do. Do ladies my age buy it? I've always thought of it as a magazine for my mom's generation. McKenna will probably feel the same way about my Bust magazines. Maybe she'll even blog about its retro-ness 30 years from now.

Anyway, I was flipping through it, past all the ads for cigarettes and douches (obviously a woman's day was filled with a lot of smoking and douching back then), I came across this article showing 100 Ways To Stretch Your Storage Space, which is a topic I've been tackling in my studio lately.

A lot of their suggestions involve pegboards and contact paper. This picture shows a cute little kitchen setup. That's nice for back then, but I know from experience that having a kitchen that was last updated in 1969 is not so cute.

For closets and shelves, they recommend using dividers, small shelving units, and various boxes to maximize space. Of course it's all bright and funky too.

I actually rediscovered this article after I had taken these pictures of my new corner setup in my studio. Maybe I was somehow subliminally inspired by it? Or maybe I just have a bunch of funky old stuff. Check it out:

My mom and I found this shelf at a thrift store when she was here last month. I like the patchworkiness of it. The lower levels are perfect for all our vintage Little People, making it a nice play nook for the kids. The upper shelves house various vintage containers I've collected over the years (filled with various sewing supplies I've collected over the years). Despite looking like it's going to topple over on that poor child at any moment, it's very sturdy and soon-to-be bracketed to the wall.

This new space lacks any closets or walls that can be hammered into, so finding the right storage and shelving units has been like piecing together a crazy puzzle. I think it's finally starting to come together. Now I just have to remember which box I put what things in.

Retro Woodsey Wednesday

This was one of my favorite toys when I was a kid. It's from Fisher Price, 1979. The log contained the Woodsey family - Mama, Papa, and little Milkweed, plus a table, three chairs, a bucket and a broom. I don't know how we managed to keep all these parts and the book all these years, but we did and I'm glad. I like watching Sage enjoy the same toys I loved as a child.

Now, go pour yourself a cup of hot tea, cuddle up with your Blanken, and Sage and I will tell you the story of the Woodseys and their adventure on a night when Lightening Strikes Twice. . .

One night there was a terrible storm that shook the Woodsey home. Lightning struck outside and the Woodseys knew they would have to leave their home in the tree right away. (I'm paraphrasing here.)

(Sage's bunk bed doubles as a tree.)

They huddled together on the forest floor.
"Don't worry," said Papa. "The same wind that blows down your house shakes berries from the bushes."

Just then a lightening bolt flashed across the sky and struck the branch where their home had been, sending it hurtling to the ground.

(The following picture is not from the story, Sage got sidetracked.)

The storm continued and little Milkweed worried. Papa reassured him, saying. "Just when you're about to run out of nuts, the spring comes."
The next morning the sun came out and little Milkweed began exploring a hollow log while Mama and Papa decided what to do next. Then Papa exclaimed, "I've got it!"
"Whatcha got, Papa?"
"An idea, Milkweed! Sometimes the shell that's hardest to crack has the best nut inside."

"We can make a house out of that hollow log over there." Papa said, and immediately the family began fixing up the log. Then a wild puma came in and killed them all. The end.

Just kidding! Sorry for the interruption. Back to the story. . .

Papa built doors and windows, Mama gathered moss for the floor, and Milkweed just screwed around (I'm paraphrasing again.)
"Don't forget, dear, busy tails are best," Mama said gently.
When their work was done they had a picnic of hazelnuts and berries.

(Or French fries, a fried egg, cookies, a donut and a potato chip - from Sage's fake food stash. Apologies to the dieticians in the family.)

After lunch (and a small earthquake) Papa and Milkweed went to gather stones to make a fireplace. Papa dropped a stone on his foot and hobbled home where there was another earthquake. The Woodseys worried that they would have to move again. But it wasn't an earthquake, it was a vest-wearing mole named Goodgrub!

(Played here by a vest-wearing turtle.) Goodgrub apologized and offered to dig them a storage hole and move on. Everyone hugged and was happy.

The end.