“More Love” Patrick Kelly’s Heart Bustier Dress

     The overall theme to the entire life of the “American in Paris” designer Patrick Kelly was one of boundless vibrancy of life, hopeful positivity, and more love.  This welcoming, joyful spirit extended into every portion of his life, but is especially visible through each item he made throughout his all-too-short career.   However, being a black man growing up in the 1950s and 60s of the southern states of America, he was by no means immune from being the target of hate, prejudice, marginalization, and dismissive behavior.  In return, his loving attitude towards life in all its facets is what made him so especially respected by everyone who he met…because love is the best kind of contagion!  Perhaps it was a result of his taking to heart the words of the great Martin Luther King Jr., “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”  He always began every runway show by spray painting a giant red heart on the wall which showed his name.  How can you not fall for a designer so centered on the cultivating the basic needs of life – love and happiness?!

     Thus, I feel that a dress from Patrick Kelly’s “More Love” collection (of Fall/Winter 1988-1989) is most appropriate to share here for Valentine’s Day.  Do you see the “sweetheart” shaping front and center on my dress?  After all, he is one of my favorite designers – and not just because we share the same name – besides being my current muse and inspiration.  Even with this post having a ‘love’ theme, highlighting this designer will not be exclusive just to Valentine’s Day.  I have plenty more of his designs to showcase here on my blog yet to come.  May Patrick Kelly’s influence through my sewing his fashion fill your life with a little “More Love” through the entire year!

THE FACTS:

FABRIC:  “Peach Cable Knit Athleisure Fabric” from my local JoAnn Fabrics store.  It is 49% Rayon, 29% Polyester, 19% Nylon.

PATTERN:  Vogue ‘Individualist’ pattern #2165, year 1988, an original from my personal collection

NOTIONS NEEDED:  one long 22” invisible zipper and lots of thread; I added a button to close the neck

TIME TO COMPLETE:  This was made in about 15 hours and finished in December 2022.

THE INSIDES:  The fabric does not unravel or fray so the inner edges are left raw and unfinished

TOTAL COST:  Two yards of the knit fabric cost me $25 and the heart buttons and zipper brought my total up to just over $30.

     This is not the first time I have channeled Patrick Kelly, but rather the third.  My first look (posted here) was inspired by his trademark “buttons” dress.  Go read through that post of mine to learn an overview of his life and the why and what I admire so much about him.  Then, for the “Designin’ December” annual sewing challenge, my entry used an authentic Patrick Kelly sewing pattern to channel a year 1988 dress with his second prevailing theme of bows.  My post about that dress can be found here, and was a blast to make and wear for Christmas. 

     This post is about another 1988 design, also sewn using a trademarked Patrick Kelly pattern.  The “More Love” collection of winter of 1988 is wonderful because he dedicated it solely to a love theme.  All the symbols so frequently associated to love, especially around Valentine’s Day (such as a heart, the color red, kiss prints, and roses), were often subtly worked into almost every collection.  However, this post’s dress unabashedly embraces the theme with no distractions.  It was convenient that the “More Love” collection came on the heels of two “Salute to the Heart Strings” AIDS awareness charity events in July (at Atlanta, Georgia) and then in October of 1988 (at the Louvre).  Patrick Kelly recycled some of the same designs he produced for those two AIDS charity shows to use in his “More Love” collection for the runways of Paris because he saw love as being just that – unconditional and non-judgmental.  My pattern’s original dress design can be spotted in a classic black and red combo on the woman at the far left (partial collection seen in picture at right).

     I normally gravitate towards softer colors for Valentine’s Day and avoid a bold red unless it is Christmas or I am wearing an Agent Peggy Carter outfit.  Therefore, as much as I did want to make a version of that was identical to the model, I also wanted to stay true to myself…and that is the best way to show love to yourself!  When I found this soft pinkish cable knit, it just instantly struck me as being “the right one” for my heart bustier Patrick Kelly pattern.  Using this modern novelty knit is meant to be a reference to 1985 to 1986 when he freelanced under the Italian brand “Touche” in conjunction with another of my top favorite designers – Enrico Coveri. He also specialized in knitwear couture that had a quirky spirit of fun.  (I posted here about his life when I sewed a suit set using some Alta Moda Coveri wool)  Kelly and Coveri had a similar exuberant approach to both life and fashion.  Both men died in the year 1990 at a young age (their mid-30s) from AIDS.  Kelly’s preliminary collection of 1984 was a reworking of designer Kenzo pieces while Coveri had been dubbed the “Italian Kenzo” since his pioneer collection, circa 1979.  Both also used similar Italian fabric manufacturing firms to source the knitwear for their collections and both were branded for their clingy, body-hugging fashions, as well.  The two of them had a significant amount in common, more than I have room here to recount!  Coveri however favored pastels or Kelly’s use of primary colors so maybe the former’s influence won out more than I first realized.

     My dual designer reference is so niche that no one but me would ever know, but that is just how I like it.  This is the ultimate benefit to the fact that patterns with a famous designer source are made available to the public.  True fans behind designer sponsored patterns can geek out and help spread appreciation to that namesake.  However, even the casual sewist just looking for something different still renders a designer’s pattern successful.  However, designer patterns are the perfect opportunity for the casual sewist to inform oneself.  Maybe your next new favorite designer can have its beginning with merely being curious over the name on an envelope cover!

     This is a “party in the front, business in the back” kind of design looking at the line drawing only, but really is a dress that only comes to life on a body.  I love my swayed, curvy back more than I normally do in this dress.  It makes me love my curves!  A designer who can give a woman clothing that helps her love the skin she is in has to be a real winner.  At the same time as feeling smoking with confidence, I am also warm and cozy…what a wonderful combination for winter that is hard to find in ready-to-wear!  The neck band is petite and loose fitting so that it is much less confining than a turtleneck and not that noticeable.  The mock bustier makes the covered up neckline become interesting and sultry – not at all boring or unassertive.  I have so many ideas for making other versions of this pattern, such as Patrick Kelly’s classic button covered version as well as a summer-worthy bold color blocked version, but my first go at this pattern was a tame yet nonetheless rousing success.

     I found some slight quirks to the pattern’s fit along the way to completion.  The shoulder line was extended and generous, seemingly intended for substantial shoulder padding to fill in the shape from inside.  It was definitely channeling the classic 80s “power dressing” look with such strong shoulders.  I pared it down to suit both my taste and my smaller frame.  The sleeves also turned out very long in length, not just because of the extended shoulder line.  I needed to do a 2 ½ inch hem.  Then, somehow the bottom hemline ended up much shorter in the back than in the front.  I do not think it was entirely due to the give of the stretchy sweater knit.  I think the pattern does not account for a full sized booty!  I had to even out the hemline by trimming off the front, which was tricky to do as the knit is very soft and bouncy.  My choppy cutting job only made it more challenging to hem the dress for an even fall on my body.  Hand stitching the hemming – after many try-ons in between pinning up the length – took almost half the total time I spent making the entire dress.  So it goes in sewing…sometimes the process of doing the final finishing details can be so tedious!

     Other than these small tweaks to the shaping, the general fit was spot on and the assembly was fantastic.  The design was simple but also complex at the same time.  Sure, most of the dress looked pretty basic and straightforward and was for most of the time. Then, the front bustier midriff section turns into the most challenging part to the entire dress.  I had to take my time to do that section perfectly because it is the highlight of the dress, after all!  The curved seams – and one sharp point where the V of the bustier dips – when combined with my chosen stretchy, thick knit fabric made for a tricky situation.  However, there are also applied contrast bands which are tucked into the bustier seams.  The bands are shaped the same as the bustier, and double faced for a clean finish, but made the seams a total of four layers to sew.  I hand stitched the outer (loose) edges of the bustier bands down to the dress because I wanted the thread to be invisible.

     I hope you noticed that I used the “wrong” side of the fabric for the middle bustier section and its seam bands.  The underside of the fabric is smooth without the cable texture and was a great way to make the most out of the design while going with one solid color tone.  It subtly emphasizes the fact that the midriff is a whole separate section.  I don’t expect everyone to see the difference at first or even grasp what little thing I did to change that panel up.  Yet, I’m not complaining because I also enjoy the way the dress doesn’t scream about the care and attention put into it.  I’m seeing it as my own designer’s secret (because yes, everyone who makes their own clothes is their own designer, I believe.)  I love the way a great garment can have a complexity which keeps getting better the more you look at it.  This is one of the things I love about couture, and wanted to emulate here in some small degree.

     No true Patrick Kelly garment, even if homemade, would be complete without his favorite button pins.  As Kelly considered 3 to be his lucky number, I went with that many buttons pins.  These are not true originals, but merely buttons from my local fabric store that I hot glued pin backs onto.  True vintage Patrick Kelly buttons that have his logo on them can go for a spectacular selling price. 

The big round red button is closest to his “classic” button pin look, where there are four holes that have black thread sewn in an X across the middle.  The other two buttons of a heart and of red lips are a direct reference to the “More Love” collection, which was rife with all the common visual symbols related to love.  Lip buttons, lip shoe clips, and even a lip shaped hat all can be found in his collections from the last two years of his career, but the red heart was perhaps his dearest symbol.  A red heart (and his brand’s controversial logo) is on his grave in Paris, France along with the words “Nothing is Impossible”.  I added a giant red heart button to close up the back neckline of the dress so that there would permanently be a clear, classic Patrick Kelly symbol affixed to this dress. 

     Patrick Kelly’s incessant expressions of outward love were unique in the way he worked such efforts towards transforming hate into appreciation.  The main example of this is the way he projected stereotypical images and items of black American folklore in a way that tries to re-appropriate them into a celebration for heritage and tradition.  He made it as plainly obvious as he could that he was a black American designer in a culture that was painfully not yet fully accepting of that fact.  For as outgoing as he was, his friends said he was personally a very private person, so his use of outward representations for love (no matter if others did not see things his way) became his means of being vocal about his race, his family, his passions, his creativity, and his hopefulness for a better future.  It wasn’t just about crafting a brand for himself – it was about being unapologetically himself so he could spread to others the same welcoming, respectful, joyful connection with his people that he himself felt.  He wanted to help create a better reality that he did not yet see existing in the world.  To me, all this is what adds so much beauty to each of his designs.  The language of love comes in many different forms, and through Patrick Kelly it can be universally understood via fashion.  Let’s have a little “More Love” of a different kind this Valentine’s Day!

Quilt Coat

     This post’s project is a long-time dream finally come true…and it has turned out to ever more wonderful than I ever imagined it could become.  Here is a winter weather item that actually makes me look forward to the colder season!

     For a good number of years, refashioning damaged or unwanted quilted pieces of all eras, sizes, and usages has been a strong trend, so this idea has been on my mind for far too long.  I had to eventually try such a thing out for myself!  Thus, I was ecstatic when an old bedspread of ours needed to be downgraded from being in our sleeping quarters to the scrap pile due to some tears, holes, and stains.  The opportunity to sew my own quilt coat had come.  This plays into the theme of my previous post (here) where I talked about how to give a glow up to something you already own so that it can benefit you in some positive way at no cost to your wallet.  Here is another fine example of my point! 

     My quilt coat is also another example of something I am very proud of that was made just before the end of last year, just like the dress from my last post, as well.  Yes, I will be catching up on 2022 projects for the next few posts, so bear with me.  The bedspread I used was not antique, but perhaps about 15 years old and had just been decommissioned earlier in ’22 .  Then, when the “Sew (Outerwear) Together for Winter” sewing challenge was announced for November, I realized I now had an impetus to take on this coat project asap.  The bedspread did take up a lot of room in my fabric stash area and I wanted to instead see it taking up useful space in the closet in between being worn on my back. 

     It was amusing how our son was quite confused, in a way unlike for any other project he has seen me make, when he saw me trying my coat on for the first time.  ”Wasn’t that from your bed?” he said disturbed.  Nothing is safe in the house now that I am branching out to sew with other things beyond fabric.  Anything really can be material.  I have made a few bed sheet dresses (posted here, here, and here), so maybe that was the beginning point for where I am now at.  Who knows…maybe next I will be cutting up curtains!  Sewing is a slippery slope to finding all sorts of fun and creativity.

THE FACTS:

FABRIC:  a cotton quilted bedspread

PATTERN:  Simplicity #4032, year 2006

NOTIONS NEEDED:  I had all I needed on hand – thread, vintage bias tape packs, a hook and eye, and one covered button blank set

TIME TO COMPLETE:  This coat took me a total of 6 hours from cutting out to finish.  It was completed at the end of November 2022

THE INSIDES:  cleaned up and zig zagged over for no fraying edges (as you can see in the picture at left)

TOTAL COST:  Nothing!!!

     Now, let’s get into some terminology before I dive into talking about my actual coat.  A quilt isn’t always for the bed but a bedspread is always quilted.  Key differences between a bedspread and comforter is the level of warmth they provide.  Comforters are made to provide insulation and warmth during cold months, while bedspreads are much more lightweight and breathable making them ideal for warmer conditions.  Meanwhile, a blanket is a generic term that refers to almost any bed covering thicker than a sheet, including quilts, duvets, and comforters. Confusing, am I right?

     This is why – for as much praise as I will heap upon this creation and as much as I love to wear it – this coat does not keep me warm, only cozy in the winter.  It is great for transitional seasons like Fall and Spring when it is moderately chilly.  However, anything near to actual cold temperatures and all the terminology listed above explains why I lose all my body heat.  A quilted bedspead is breathable, and a good outer layer, but does not keep me insulated.  The benefits it provides on a bed in a heated house to keep me snug on a chilly night do not work the same when out in the elements.  There is nothing with this coat to actually keep my body heat from escaping and giving me a chill when I spend too much time out in the near freezing temperatures.

     I must admit, though, that I am sensitive to being cold, and am not one to survive the winter season in a heavy sweater, light jacket, or exercise hoodie.  I need an actual puffy, furry, or woolen winter coat.  Worn alone as the sole outer layer, this is comfortable for me only for chilly weather.  It is a fancy equivalent to a heavyweight sweater.  Luckily, my town has a great variety of temperature swings all year round and I can wear this on our mild ‘warm-up’ days in the heart of January.  Yay!  I have been keeping this coat out of the closet where I can see it because I am not over the beauty of it but also I want to keep it as available as possible. 

     If I would have lined my quilt coat, this issue of its warmth factor would have probably been either resolved or partially amended.  Yet this bedspread was reversible and is just as pretty underneath as it is on top.  All I had to do was make sure I kept my inner seams clean and the inside of my quilt coat was guaranteed to be lovely keeping it unlined.  Besides, why complicate things?  There is a beauty and benefit to keeping things simple.  After all, this was my first go at the quilt refashion, and so I didn’t know how this project would sew up or if it would turn out, or that it may need a lining.  After years of paying attention to how other makers finish their quilt coats, I have seen both lined and unlined ones almost as equally.  It really doesn’t matter either way.  The beauty I appreciate with every quilt coat is their individuality…no two are the same and each one is as uniquely a work of art as the person who made it.

     My first quilt coat ended up being better than what I had hoped for as it is, even with the reduced warmth level.  Yet, even if it hadn’t ended well, the experience I had making it is everything.  I have worked with a pre-quilted cotton batting fabric before, both times as a lining layer for warmth – first for this 1940s jerkin vest and then inside this Burberry style plaid coat.  I found that a real quilt was actually much easier to sew and work with than that material.  Now that I have one quilt refashion under my wing, I have realized all sorts of tricks (which included having to pull out the old, bunched up stuffing from around the seam allowance) and taken many mental notes.  I don’t regret anything here (which is big for as hard as I am on myself) and feel very happy with my methods, but next time I am prepared.  Yes, I will be taking another go at this at some point in the future!  Now I just need to wait for the next serendipitous quilt acquisition to come my way, and in the meantime work on some more little projects for the rest of the quilt scraps.  I’m considering a historical inspired vest, a purse or tote bag, and maybe a sunglass case.  We will see!

    The pattern I used was something I have been badly wanting to try out since it was released in 2006.  That is awhile to wait on trying out a pattern, right?!  It is every bit as wonderful as I had anticipated it would be.  I chose view A.  The overall coat’s sizing was perfectly spot on, the various options for different collars, hem panels, button closings, and added details are all appealing, and it was so easy to make.  I highly recommend this pattern and see no reason why it needs to be a “fleece only” design.  A nubby boucle, and mid-weight suiting, or even a sweater knit I think would all suit this pattern.  If using a fabric other than a fleece, however, you do need to figure out on your own how to finish the edges.  I chose a thin ¼ inch vintage 1980s pack of matching blue bias tape along the collar and hem edge.  No interfacing or fiddly facings are even necessary here, as my quilt coat is entirely one layer.  I will definitely be coming back to make another view of this pattern in the future.

     I wanted a pattern with minimal darts and simplified lines so as to let the quilt paneling shine and this pattern was perfect for fulfilling my requirements and giving me room for creative placement.  Two out of the four quilt corners became the chevron sleeves.  The collar was cut from the edging border.  The decorative round middle part of the quilt was centered over the back panel.  Finally, the front body pieces were cut from one of the four large medallions that were around the center of the quilt.  It was quite a balance to try to find a creative vision that complimented overall yet also avoid the stains and tears in the quilt.  I had to draw a few of my own balance marks and points of placement to try and find some symmetry as I was cutting out each piece single layer.  I am head over heels with the intricacy of combining the curves, the points, and straight lines.  My math loving heart is pleased with all the geometry. 

      My styling inspiration was 1984 Ralph Lauren.  He had his winter collection that year to have cozy sweaters, romantic blouses, and quilted blazers and skirts.  His was the high end interpretation of the frontier or prairie look that was popularized since the late 70s through other lines such as Betsey Johnson, Jessica McClintock’s Gunne Sax, and Laura Ashley.  I wanted to channel that in a small degree.  I was happy that I actually had a ‘me-made’ skirt already made to perfectly call to mind the Ralph Lauren aesthetic.  The skirt has been posted already (here).  It’s a favorite staple piece from my wardrobe, so much so that it is starting to both fade and wear out by now! 

To complement the aesthetic, I am wearing a reproduction Victorian blouse, complete with a dizzying amount of pintucks and lace, which I bought in the 1990s along with the floral abalone shell brooch at my neck. My earrings are a little something I made myself in the 90s, as well.  They have sterling silver ear wire and a duo of blue glass seed beads above and below an orchid tone fiber optic bead. They were a drop earring which was simple and sweet enough to ease me in dangling earrings as a teenager!  

The dog chewed a few holes in my quilt but it is still usable! Check out the label I made.

     This refashion has helped me gain a greater respect all the vision and the time that goes into quilts.  I have not yet made a quilt beyond a small basic one made of squares of scraps leftover from the dresses and costumes my mom made me as I child.  I sewed this little quilt as a preteen simply for my dog’s enjoyment.  Neither am I inclined to make a quilt myself at the moment, but we do have my husband’s Grandmother’s old quilt frame…so who knows what is in my future!  I do have enough scraps of fabric, for goodness’ sake! 

For now, I am content to admire all the existing quilts out there, and keep my options open for the possibility of another quilt refashion in my future.  I still prefer quilts to be on a bed where I can both fully appreciate their warmth and their details can be on display.  However, now that I know what can be done with a damaged one, I will be more than happy to rescue any quilt that has seen better days and needs a new lease on life. 

Kelly’s Button Bonanza

A ground level view of my version of a Patrick Kelly dress…

Anyone who shares my name of Kelly is of course going to immediately pique my curiosity.  I have already channeled the royal actress Grace Kelly a few times (both here and here), so it was high time to dive into the history of another famous namesake.  Patrick Kelly has already been a designer I have greatly respected, admired, and been interested in.  Then, press for the current costume exhibit “Runway of Love”, presenting his life and designs, has recently brought him anew into my thoughts.  However, it was also my desire to do something worthwhile with an old dress of mine that ultimately drove me deeper in a renewed understanding of just how deserved is the renown given to Patrick Kelly. 

In his honor, I gravitated towards Patrick Kelly’s penchant for using a plethora of buttons to up-cycle a ready-to-wear black knit dress that has been sitting in my wardrobe, unloved and unworn for over a decade.  One way to understand someone is to actively put yourself in their place.  I tried to do that (in a lesser degree) by working with over 100 varied buttons to find a taste of Patrick Kelly’s joy and creativity, as well as comprehend his talent.  The resulting “new-and-improved” little black dress is my own interpretation of his vision, nevertheless, not a copy of anything Patrick Kelly made.

It’s raining down buttons on the designer Patrick Kelly in this picture!

Patrick Kelly was born on September 24, 1954 in Vicksburg, Mississippi.  As a black man growing up in the Southern states of America, he fought through his life’s setbacks, his surrounding society’s prejudices, and the partiality practiced in the fashion design world.  Eventually, he made his way to Paris with the help of his friendship with the supermodel Pat Cleveland.  In 1988, he became the 1st American inducted to the “Chambre Syndicale”, a prestigious governing body of the French ready-to-wear industry that determines which fashion design houses are eligible to be true haute couture houses.  Most people know the names of other members to the Syndicale – Chanel, Dior, and Givenchy to list just a few.  However, as an American myself, I am painfully aware of the fact that Patrick Kelly is not as collectively well-known as his fellow designer counterparts, so I am personally doing something here to help make up for that!  I love that he succeeded by being determined and dedicated to his creative vision.  It is commendable how he stayed true to himself and his simple upbringing at the same time, not changing for the sake of climbing that ladder of fame.  Patrick Kelly had a uniquely joyous personality that shines through to his exuberant designs.  He epitomizes the garish fashions of the 1980s, but in the best way possible because he was celebrating his roots, the beauty of all women, and the happiness of living.  He died young at age 35 on New Year’s Day 1990.    

Fall-Winter 1986-1987, Patrick Kelly collection, from “Runway of Love” exhibit at the de Young museum in San Francisco

Patrick Kelly helps me see what it means “to sew” in a whole new light.  He personally was not skilled at garment construction, and struggled with a sewing machine to the point that he threw his appliance out his apartment window in frustration one day.  Yet, from a young age, Kelly’s aunt instilled in him the basic hand sewing skills he needed to mend, repair, and provide basic garment upkeep.  His Grandma, who helped raise him after his father died, inspired him by the way she would always replace his missing shirt buttons with mismatched, multicolored buttons from her notions box.  He never forgot to appreciate his childhood memories.  After moving to Atlanta, Georgia through the 1970s to attend fashion design school, Kelly supported himself by working at an AMVETS thrift shop.  He soon began selling his first creations which were vintage and secondhand garments from the store that he upcycled, refashioned, or added decorative notions (found lost on the floors at the thrift shop) to transform into something uniquely one-of-a-kind.  

1986 – Patrick Kelly, sleeveless black knit dress with button bustier

Why is it that the sewing culture of today acts as if this practice of re-working existing items is merely an on-trend thing to do for thriftiness, personal enjoyment, or social consciousness?  Why isn’t it expressly clear to the general mainstream public that such a practice reached the level of official French couture only 40 years ago and therefore deserves a higher level of regard than it currently has?!  This isn’t even addressing the fact that you don’t even need a machine or anything other than basic mending skills to do a Patrick Kelly dress, thus challenging the very ideas of sewing stereotypes.  Yes, sewing is more than just a skill, he has shown how it is also self-confidence, perseverance, ingenuity, and (most importantly) joy in the process.

Thus, to create his preliminary ‘brand’ image in the 80’s, Patrick Kelly utilized what he could do, what inspired him, and what was immediately available to create something amazing.  Using knit tube dresses as his canvas blanks, he worked with something that is so commonplace – buttons – people can all immediately relate to his designs more than most other pieces from couture houses.  Yet, at the same time he elevated buttons on garments into an awe inspiring art form.  Such a technique may look simple to replicate, but like most really good garments, there is a highly challenging level of execution hiding under the guise of effortlessness.  I can vouch for this truth, just from the small scale button project that I attempted for myself!

To start with, my dress is more complicated than the seamless knit tubes that Patrick Kelly would work with, so I had to be adaptive enough to make my button placement different.  Every time I attempt to imitate something that has been made by a designer, my version has to be my own twist out of respect to the unique genius of each one of us.  I am not convinced by the “imitation is a form of flattery” phrase and rather prefer to believe that tapping into one’s individuality is the best tribute.  The design lines to my dress prevented the possibility of any buttons being added across the entire dress body, as many Patrick Kelly designs have.  Thus, I internalized my inner artist to feel out a way to display the buttons on my dress in a way that makes my own imaginative statement…but more on that later.  Right now, let’s dive into the how to sew on 130 individual buttons, and not the why!

My dress has a basic bodice, which joins to a wiggle skirt, pleated in at the high waistline.  It is a comfy piece that still fit me perfectly (and had pockets, too) so I felt it was worth saving.  Just the very fact I was looking for something to do with my black dress, immediately led me to think of Patrick Kelly…and there was a mixed mega bag of assorted buttons at my local fabric store which has been calling to me like a siren’s call ever since I noticed it there.  Yes, I felt bad that I was buying a new bag of buttons when there are so many large canning jars full of various vintage buttons at all the local thrift and antique stores.  I felt guilty that I was not approaching this refashion the way Patrick Kelly would have.  However, none of the button jars I came across were a colorful enough assortment for my creative vision.   

A close-up to the front neckline of my dress. See how I changed up the ways of sewing down a button?

To channel the spirit of Patrick Kelly’s works, it is important to go big and bold, choosing the brightest shades to create a true statement piece. Thus, I chose to buy two “Big Bag of Buttons” packs from “Favorite Findings”, which has an assorted mix of sizes, opacity, finish, and colors to offer.  I chose the color way that struck me as an almost neon blend of a lime green, sunshine yellow, hot pink, fresh orange, and a bright blue.  To have this burst of lively color pop off of a dark inky black background reminds me of the way Patrick Kelly wanted to be someone who could make people smile through their troubles.  He once said “There’s so much sadness in the world. And if you can stick a button on something or funny hat, I’m the one for you. I hope when they (people) think about me, they think of being happy.”    

I can’t get enough of the beautiful array of buttons I added on my dress!

Finding and choosing just one layout to settle on for decorating my dress with the plethora of buttons was an agonizing process.  I had so many different ideas I wanted to commit to, at this rate I could do plenty more Patrick Kelly inspired button dresses of my own!  Anyways, once I settled upon one idea, I laid out as many buttons as I could the way I wanted them, traced around them with tailors chalk, an then moved them out onto the floor next to my dress in the exact same lay out.  Sounds easy, right?  Not really.  It is easy to get confused when trying to match what is on the floor back onto my dress.  I took lots of quick phone pictures to help me remember the button placement along the way and sew in a way close to my original idea.  The whole process was so time consuming, needing complete mental focus. 

I quickly discovered that I had to sew one button on at a time.  At first I thought I could interlace the buttons to make the process smoother.  However, I quickly realized I had to tie each one off separately because the fabric is a knit, thus needing to stretch unconfined in between all the buttons.  Trying to remember to keep the spacing and the layout, see the chalk marks that faded with every touch, and figure out placement in between sewing every button was exhausting.  Then, keeping the entire household away from the area of the floor where I was working was stressful…if anyone kicked the buttons around, I was ruined.  This dress has definitely been the top craziest thing I have done amongst my sewing projects.  I am really curious how Patrick Kelly dresses’ insides look because I wonder if he had a better way to do this, or had some quick trick that I haven’t thought of.  Slowly seeing the design come together with every button group I sewed on was the only saving grace that gave me both hope and patience to finish this project idea. 

The buttons on the front and back skirt took me a total of 8 hours to sew onto the dress, while the neckline buttons took me almost 4 hours, for an overall total of almost 13 hours.  Whew!  This is what I was talking about when I said (above) that it may look like these kind of dresses are easy, but it’s a real eye opener to try one out for yourself.  “Don’t judge a book by its cover” or “There is more than meets the eye” are some adages that can apply perfectly to a Patrick Kelly dress, even if only talking about a paltry imitation by a home sewist like myself! 

As interesting as this dress was to refashion, it is also very interesting to wear.  Having that many buttons, even if only lightweight plastic, really does add substantial weight to the dress.  Each button pack was almost 4 ounces alone, and I used two packs.  That is half of a pound in added button weight!  I am really thankful that my base dress’ knit fabric was a thick, stable knit.  I half-heartedly thought to myself, at the outset of this project idea, that the hefty weight of the knit would hold the buttons well, but I did not realize how important having a thicker knit would be until all the buttons were sewn on.  Also, I was surprised to discover that all the knots inside the dress from where I tied off all the buttons can become slightly bothersome the longer the dress is worn.  I now wish I would have tied off the ends from the right side of the dress, under the buttons.  This issue is mostly resolved by wearing a full slip underneath the dress, but it is a point worth noting.  Finally, to hear how the buttons click together and jangle when I wear the dress is entertaining enough to make me chuckle under my breath.  It is almost like a dull chiming music for me to move, sit, or walk in my dress.  This is the most surprising effect, and one that I really enjoy.  In all this dress, has been a project chock full of surprises and curious discoveries.

Patrick Kelly designs – Woman’s Ensemble Coat and Dresses, fall-winter 1986

I wonder if these interesting ‘side effects’ are not unique to my imitation dress but also something shared by a true Patrick Kelly button garment.  Since he often worked with older vintage buttons, many of which are metal or shell, I can imagine that his dresses were even heavier than my plastic button dress.  I expect his button dresses (as he was an official couture house) to not have the harsh knots inside, as mine does…but who knows, though!  The insides of a garment tell its full story, and couture of the past often is relegated to museum collections, thus it is hard to actually be able for a curious sewist like me to discover the details found in the guts at an up-close, personal setting.  I have been looking for pictures online from listings of Patrick Kelly dresses for sale, but not many of his button creations seem to be found for sale, and neither do those listings have images of the inner garment workings.  Some things from the designer world are best left a mystery, after all, I suppose.

The artistic vision behind the placement and color choice of the buttons on my dress is supposed to call to mind the life giving symbiotic relationship of the sun and the rain.  My neckline has the ‘water’ in the blue color that trickles down in drips that fade from green to clear yellow by being touched by the sun.  The rays which stretch out from my bottom left skirt hem corner reach out towards the rain, and filter between the classic colors chosen to represent the sun – orange and yellow – and the pink…like a beautiful early morning sunrise.  Is there anything more enlivening than watching the dawn of a new day touch the wet morning dew? 

My photo location’s wall mural is a tribute to the 1980s culture.  It is has classic mid 80s computer gaming references that only those in the know will recognize.  I love that here is a giant figure of Link, the protagonist of Nintendo‘s video game franchise The Legend of Zelda.  The game dates to 1986, the same year for the Patrick Kelly button dress that were my primary inspiration!  I love how the wall mural brings out the colors in my dress, as well as referencing the way Patrick Kelly was a mixed media artist on the side.  He always began a runway show with a can of paint to spray a quick little artistic message on the back wall.

National Sewing Month (September) may be over now, but I have not yet moved on from the reflections and revelations I had in the spirit of such a dedication.  If speaking about physical project production, September is never really anything different for me because sewing is a part of my life on a regular basis.  However, celebrating such a dedication for the month prompts me to at least think back on what I have made and celebrate my achievements.  Most importantly, however, I like to reconsider the why, the what, and the ideology behind sewing.  In this quest, I have happily discovered a new appreciation for a designer I have known of but never previously thoroughly educated myself on – the great Patrick Kelly.  To me, his life and his triumphs are not just inspirational on their own apart from the fashion world, but they are also the epitome of what sewing is all about.  Please look through the pictures and explore the site links to be found on my “Patrick Kelly” Pinterest page for more on his life and his work!   

Ceiling Paint Splatter

1986 was an interesting year with many definitive events that I am sure anyone who experienced in some degree will not forget.  There was the space shuttle Challenger disaster and the arrival of Hailey’s comet.  There was the Chernobyl accident and the Iran–Contra affair.  There was the debut of both the Oprah Winfrey show as well as the stage musical “Phantom of the Opera”.  Wow, right?! There are recognizable parallels to 1986 recently, between the popularity of a new Top Gun movie (gosh, Tom Cruise has barely aged) and the current Russian aggression (evocative in some ways of the Cold War’s nuclear brinksmanship).  Reminiscing along this vein, I finally bit the bullet and sewed up a crazy print dress tied to that definitive year, using a pattern from a largely unknown designer.  This is one project I have long wanted to make, and I am thrilled over my resulting dress.  It is so enjoyable, cute, and comfortable!

My dress was inspired by another event of 1986, one that was momentous to the entertainment industry – the music video to Lionel Richie’s song “Dancing on the Ceiling”.  Out of all the music videos out there, this is one that I absolutely wish I could go back in time and be a part of.  I am an absolute Lionel Richie fan the way it is, but I even more so adore the energy and craziness to this specific song and its accompanying video.  It reportedly cost somewhere around $400,000 for only 4 days of shooting, making it the most expensive short form music video production at the time.  

The music video was directed by the great Stanley Donen, whose most celebrated works include Hollywood’s classic films such as Singin’ in the Rain, Royal Wedding, and Funny Face.  The director Donen said that Richie actually adapted easier and quicker to the rotating room used in the video than Astaire did while shooting similar scenes in his 1951 film Royal Wedding.  It is an energy release for me to even just listen (but also dance) to when I indeed feel like I need to crawl the ceiling from being so cooped up inside with nothing of great fun to do. 

The combination of colors and crazy prints that the party-goers in the music video are wearing inspired me to gravitate to a multicolored cotton that is a riot of color.  Lionel Richie is the bold color focus while the band and extras are black and white (or silver) tones, so my dress is the general scheme in one package.  To me it is a print inspiring energy and absolute elation, exuding a feeling which seemed so appropriate for a dress inspired by the music video to “Dancing on the Ceiling”.  If you paint on the ceiling, it is bound to splatter, right?  And if you had a party on the ceiling, it would definitely need to be repainted, right?  So goes my fanciful way of thinking. 

Sewing my own garments may be more like creating a dream or interpreting my own art, I suppose, when I realize how imaginative I approach some of my projects, such as this one.  I hope you enjoy this wild throwback dress, and it’s even crazier photo backdrop location – the Museum of Illusions in Chicago, Illinois.  This place had an exhibition which gave me the opportunity to actually live out my dream of dancing on a ceiling, even if it is just an illusion!

THE FACTS:

FABRIC:  a 100% cotton lawn in a Lady McElroy “Artistic Vibrance” multicolored print lined with a bleached cotton muslin

PATTERN:  Butterick #3854, year 1986, a Kathryn Conover pattern from my personal stash

NOTIONS NEEDED:  two 7/8” black ball buttons, lots of thread, and two packs of ¼” wide double fold bias tape

TIME TO COMPLETE:  This dress was a 10 hour project and was finished on May 24, 2022

THE INSIDES:  the waistline is bias covered but side seams are left raw

TOTAL COST:  The Lady McElroy fabric alone cost me about $25 and the muslin lining was $5

This 1985 sports set is in a print very similar to my dress’ fabric!

This dress immediately helps me remember that the trippy color craze of the early 90’s was really a result of the late 1980s.  Coming before the age of the internet, it used to take a while for trends to catch up and turn mainstream!  Think of the titular intro screens to the television series Rugrats, which came out in 1991, and you can see the similarities with my dress’ 80’s inspired print.  The cotton lawn was slightly sheer, and being in a white, it needed a lining, for sure.  The bright white bleached muslin I used as lining seems to help the colors in the print pop by brightening the white background.  

I actually toned down some of the bold contrast and overall busyness to this design by switching up a few design details.  I also simplified the already easy-to-made dress.  There is no facing needed or complicated finishing here but only binding along all the entire neckline, which continues into the waistline seam.  For this purpose, I chose a thinner bias edge binding rather than ½” wide as the pattern wanted, as well as using pre-made packaged notions rather than cutting the needed strips myself.  Smaller edging makes the dress more delicate than clunky so that it is like controlled chaos.  I wanted this to be a wildly fun 80’s dress, but didn’t need it to turn into an immediate eyesore. 

This sediment is only another reason I switched to a clean and tailored pleated skirt rather than a mere overall gathered seam.  Especially as I was fully lining the skirt, pleats were necessary anyway to tame any bulk.  I enjoy the kind of math that sewing calls, for and rather enjoyed figuring out the depth and amount of pleats much more than if I would have set in gathers.  I always like to customize at least something from every pattern’s design!  I suppose I’m merely flattering myself to feel as though I improve upon patterns with some of my changes.  Yet, I think such is definitely the case with this design…sorry, Ms. Conover!

Kathryn Conover is the designer listed on this pattern, and she released a good number of dresses through Butterick for several years in the 1980s.  As she has a history of offering her fashionable designs for the last 50 years, it is a shame her name is not more widely recognized.   I can totally relate to her Midwestern practicality and upbringing, being a Midwesterner myself!  Her designing focus was centered on dresses that should “withstand the seasonal vicissitudes of fashion, in fabrics that endure and retain their luster.  However her primary aim,” she insisted in the interview, “is for a woman to put on one of my dresses and feel better about herself.”   Read her full interview in April 1983 with the New York Times (link here, from which comes the previous quotes) to understand the price points, ideology, and status of her brand in the early 1980s. 

She was a dressmaker in a literal sense of the word – no suits, separates, or anything else!  Her love of sewing began as a hobby, but she then worked her way through the University of Minneapolis by collecting clothes from thrift shops, restyling them and selling them. (I have a soft spot for refashions, so she seems like my kind of gal.)  Her own line of clothing was founded sometime in late 70’s, with her first collection immediately gaining the attention of specialty stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Niemen Marcus, and Lord & Taylor.  She sold her ready-to-wear through these stores and others until her line was ended in 1992.  Conover served as design director for the Liz Claiborne dress division from 1991 to 1993, where she introduced some of her collections through Perry Ellis.  She cited overly trendy fads and the liberal use of denim through the decade of the 90’s for a lack of popularity for the kind of dresses that she wanted to offer, what Conover refers to as having ”a strong classic undertone.” 

I respect the way that Conover was unlike many designers who adapted with the changing times.  She stayed true to her own tastes and desires to the point that she was not afraid to stop what she was doing to try something new in her career.  Conover brought back a line of dresses through the company Ronni Nicole for a short period of time in 2007 and the year after.  She began her own bridal consulting in 2003, which morphed into her working as a couture wedding gown creator for “The Knot”.  She is 74 years old this year!

I can’t help but wonder if my interpretation of her pattern is enough on brand to be true to Ms. Conover’s idealology.  I do have a Pinterest board created (see link here) for you to see a sample variety of her work from the 1970s through 90’s.  My dress’s print is no less full of 80’s obnoxiousness than any other Kathryn Conover dresses from that era, as can be seen in my Pinterest board.  The dropped waist is classic style point of the 1980s, when the era bought back modern versions of French heeled shoes and straight-lined flapper dresses, both inspired by the 1920s.  Many of her designs of the mid 80s seemed to integrate a dropped waistline, with or without some curve emphasis.  I think she would be pleased with my replacing the gathers with pleats as she did this for similar designs such as Butterick #3019 (those bows across that open back bodice are simply fantastic).  To complete my outfit, I’m wearing true vintage 80s heels, crafted with real snakeskin toes which have the primary colors plus green on them.  I then paired the dress with my grandmother’s 80s clip-on earrings.  The funny thing is, since I was going full 80s, even the fact I had an unexpectedly crazy curly hair day became a styling point to match.

There are a handful of copies of my dress’ pattern, Butterick #3854, out to be found for sale, and I definitely recommend it if you find yourself remotely interested in this design.  It is so easy to make, with no facings or zipper needed, and is a step-in dress, for ease in dressing.  Two buttons in the front are the simple closure in this double breasted style!  One word of warning – this dress is proportioned for very tall body.  Even if you are of average height, you will need to do the petite alteration as shown on the pattern pieces.  The bodice was the correct length for my 5’ 3” frame.  Even still, the skirt was really long.  I did the petite alteration to the dress and the skirt still came to my ankles, so I had to do a deep hem.  This ended up in my favor because a thick hem nicely, but gently weighed down the skirt (so I didn’t have a Marilyn Monroe moment walking along Downtown Chicago) and keeps the fabric opaque.  The arm opening is comfortably generous and adds to the general loose and breezy classy air of the dress. 

Do not be dismayed if you try this dress out for yourself and discover that it has a roomy ease amount.  If you look at the model image on the cover and the version I made for myself, it is fitted but not snug, tailored but still generous – and that is the beauty of a good design, the trademark of a designer creation.  Not everything has to be skin-tight to look good…that is a modern mentality and inaccurate.  Slip into all the good points about the 1980s.  You may just find, like I did, that a tailored fit on the higher end of wearing ease can be a gloriously exhilarating experience which doesn’t have to mean frumpy.  Rocking the 80’s doesn’t have to mean something gaudy to wear when it is coming from the hands of lesser-known, but no less talented, United States designer Kathryn Conover.     

Conover’s self-named line of clothing might not have lasted all that long yet I am very glad I tried out a taste of it for myself through the hands-on means of a sewing pattern.