Not only did he give me Stitches to keep my lap warm on these chilly nights, but a book that dreams are made of ….

I was reading a vintage sewing site the other night and it mentioned a wonderful book on Hollywood Costume designers of the 20-40′s. I know I drive my husband crazy. Since we had a satellite dish installed a couple of years ago and I learned to use the DVR (which is the most wonderful invention for mothers who can never hear the t.v. during waking hours much less finish a show), I record old movies and watch them in succession when I get time at night, can’t sleep, or desire inspiration. The DVR allows me to pause every dress and examine their details as the actress moves across the screen. What an experience The Women was to watch with DVR!

My favorites are old B&W’s from the 20′s and 30′s, in which I oogle Adrian, Renie’ and Edith Head’s clothing creations. I don’t know why I never considered a career in costuming. Lack of that creative design talent, I guess. The first dress I ever made was around 11 years old. As a tomboy, I handsewed a replica of Scarlett O’Hara’s dress from Gone With the Wind from a burnt orange velvet beadspread purchased from some flea market sale I attended, just to see if I could really be the “suzy homemaker” that my brothers teased me to be.

Even tho it required tube socks to wear it at that age, it sure did make me feel wonderful to put it on when my brothers weren’t around. Like all secretive passions, it just hung in the closet, forgotten, until Lady Di got married. Oh, how gorgeous and what pageantry that ceremony was. Much to my mother’s hesitation, she allowed me, in the name of mothering advocacy, to cut up her real silk charmeuse nightgown to make a dress like Lady Di’s for my doll. Until I discovered dolls could hold miniature fashions I created, I wasn’t interested in playing with them. I don’t know why it took me sooooo long to realize that is what you were supposed to do with a doll! Took awhile to figure that one out…. Too many brothers I guess.

My desire to create costuming fell by the wayside in favor of learning to sew the more practical items like dresden plate quilts that I never seemed to be able to make round. I was a really slow learner. It took about two years before I discovered what a seam allowance was and that you really did have to add it, no joking.

Maybe it is the house full of boys, middle-age, or a deep love of fabrics and tailoring, but I cannot wait to see this book. It may sound strange, especially to people that are strong in their faith, to ogle the likes of these starlets and their dresses, but when I see the pictures of these costumes, I cannot help but marvel at a glorious God that could make the minds to envision them, the skilled crafstmen to create the fabrics, and the oh so talented artisans that cut and sewed them. Just to spend time admiring the beauty only reminds me to thank God for allowing me the moments to experience them. After all, as a skilled carpenter, I think Jesus would understand.