March 2, 2012

Mystery Solved

Wasn't the Mystery blog hop fun? I realized somewhere along the way that making guesses is not so easy! So i don't know about you, but i can't wait to see what some of the items were...still scratching my head about a few of them. Be sure to head over to the Jolly Jabber to see if you're a winner! Again, so many thanks to everyone at Fat Quarter Shop for sponsoring this.

So i thought i'd share a little more about the item i picked out. When i thought about what "vintage modern" meant to me, i couldn't help but think about the cycles of trends in fashion and how they come and go and define a certain point in time. You know that old adage "what's old is new again"? I think that about sums it up. Maybe just add, "and will be old again, eventually". I was a teenager in the '80s and would have to say there are lots of trends i hope never come around again (think Flashdance and genie pants — i think i had a pair in every color)! How about you?

Just to refresh, here's the "clue" you had to guess about:
When i was digging around in my closet for something vintage-ie, i came across a pair of wraparound polyester bellbottom palazzo-ish pants. The search was over! Definitely vintage, but oh so modern. They were given to me by my Mom who bought them in 1968 (when Lyndon Johnson was president) at Henri Bendel in New York City — which would make them 44 years old — older than my sister and me!

The vibrant colors have not faded one bit in all these years thanks to go ol' polyester (and probably all the time they've spent in the bottom of my closet). The poly is that soft silky kind, not the jumpsuit kind à la Charlie's Angels. And the "wraparound" feature is...interesting to say the least. First you tie the back pant panel(?) around your waist and then tie the front panel(?) around to the back...at least i think that's the way it's supposed to work!

I can't believe i'm going to share this with you, because i much prefer to be on the other side of the camera, but here is a dorky picture of me wearing them:
In honor of my Mom, who wore her hair in braids all the time, i figured i would too. And i'll even admit that i actually used to wear them out (yes, in public!) when i was in my 20's. That was over 20 years ago and this was the first time i tried them on since then. Happily shocked to say they still fit!

But the weirdest thing that occurred to me when i pulled these out of the closet, was how much this print looks like the Pond Garden print i designed in Good Fortune! Could it be that somehow, somewhere in my visual memory banks there was something about this pattern that embedded itself in there?? Maybe that's how something vintage becomes modern again...hmm...

And here's a little Franny fur to end the week:
 Have a wonderful weekend!
xo,

18 comments:

  1. Those pants look great on you! So colorful! I wish I could say what I wore 20 years ago still fit me, but I can't. Oh well!

    Franny is just darling with that tongue sticking out! My cats used to do that when they were sleeping!

    MGM

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  2. I used to have a pattern to make those pants when I was a young teenager. First you are supposed to tie the ties from the front behind your back and then the pants go between your legs and pull them up, finally you tie the ties from the back around in front. At least that is the way we used to wear them in the 70's.

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  3. I thought the same thing...that they look like many of your colors and patterns...funny how our subconscious works :)

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  4. One of a dozen mysteries solved!!! I hope I fare better on at least a couple others!!! My husband and I both guessed wrong on your bell bottoms :) And thanks for the "Franny fur", too cute :)

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  5. I might have some socks that I wore in my 20s that still fit... :D Those pants are awesome.

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  6. Those trousers are very special...so special, in fact, that you really should wear them to quilt market this year! x

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  7. Thanks for particapting! it was a challenging blog hop and I'm shocked I got some of them right!!!

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  8. Seriously, you look really cute in those pants! Lucky girl...you can still fit in 'em! ;p

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  9. What a fun blog hop. It is really fun to go back and find out what the items were. You DO look cute in those pants. (I saw the similarity between the pants and the Good Fortune print as well)

    Thanks for the fun and the fur!

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  10. I love when I catch my cat, Michael, with his tongue out; so cute!!! :)

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  11. Oh my goodness, you look like a teenager in those pants, and the likeness to the Good Fortune print is striking. Great post and thanks for sharing!

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  12. I think you look so cute in them. It sure does look like Good Fortune! I have a friend named Kate, who wears her hair in braids a lot when we ride horses and stuff. You remind me so much of her. You two look a lot alike anyway, but with braids, even more!

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  13. Nice posing :) Before I read your paragraph about possible inspiration from this pair of pants, I was thinking that the colors you were posing in were so very reminiscent of your lines. Our childhood influences us so much!

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  14. Hey Kate,
    I SO remember those pants!
    Love,
    J

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  15. Love those pants!

    http://prettyflowersinthewindow.blogspot.com/

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  16. Love the pants. I thought that the colors kind of looked like your fabric too.

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  17. Hi Kate,
    Now I can see why you design such wonderful fabrics! You're my favorite designer, I love everything you do! Good for You your old pants still fit! :)

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