KINK is my Portland FM station of choice. It's been on the air for 40 years this Christmas, so to celebrate they are devoting each day between now and then to a year of music, counting down from their beginnings to the present on Christmas day. Today is the third day in the series, 1970, and I have been wallowing, reveling, and grinning in nostalgia, dancing and singing along as I've been sewing.
It's amazing, hearing this great music from the past in large chronological doses. Boy does it take you back. Some of the albums were Layla, Workingman's Dead, Tea for the Tillerman, Moondance, Sweet Baby James....Get the idea? Paul McCartney's and George Harrison's first solo albums came out that year, there were protest songs by CSNY, the Temptations and others...and don't forget "Baby I'm A Want You" by Bread (every schoolgirl's fantasy), "Lola" by the Kinks, "Mr. Customs Man" by Arlo Guthrie ("don't check my bags if you please..."), "Feelin'
Alright" by Joe Cocker (the piano is so DOWN!), "Child's Song" by Tom Rush....the list goes on and on....
KINK is streaming this live on the internet, so you can join in here at KINK.fm. I am looking forward to 1971 tomorrow, and of course, the year I graduated high school, 1972, on Tuesday.
The music sent me delving through the archives and I found my yearbook from East Grand Rapids High School, 1970.
A little heavy on the mascara there, and no, my hairstyle hasn't changed since then!The only other picture of me in the yearbook was with the dance team...each class had a girls' dance group that did pom pom routines at football games, Christmas Assembly performances, etc. (The dance team was in reality some kind of inhumane and wretched popularity contest. For some of us this was a matter of psychic survival. *sigh* If only we'd known better....)
We were so straight, so conformist! The Revolution came late to Grand Rapids, I can tell you that. Still, those were innocent times and I remember so much of it fondly...Remember those Peter Pan collars, circle pins, cable sweaters and matching knee socks, ladies?
So if you can do it, check out KINK and take a great cruise down memory lane....
OK, on to the cottage.
I got the quilt squared up and trimmed so I could see it as a whole, and then took a deep breath and dove in with my first embellishment.
I am building some trees along the seams on either side of the cottage. "Seam driven motifs" is what I call them.I'm eager to get some more traditional CQ like seam treatments on there to see how they combine with the more landscape-like stuff.
The beach area is really bugging me so that may go through some changes...but meanwhile, it's back to 1970 for me!!!
Wow!! Even as a start - the 'seam trees' really add continuity to your piece!!
ReplyDeleteI usually lurk in the background (even though I check each new post) and don't comment much...but this was worth poking my nose out for!!
This piece will always pull at your heart strings, I'm sure, so it seems incredibly fitting that you are heading down memory lane while creating it!!
What fun memories! In the Fifties, when our cheerleaders tried skirt lengths "clear up" to the knees, it caused a furor in the town.
ReplyDeleteYour tree embellishments make that fantastical treescape even more satisfying. You definitely do need to come up with something like that to draw the cottage and beach together. I can't tell you how much I love your own printed fabrics in this.
Granny Fran [Grrr! I wish blogger would figure out what is causing these comment errors!]
I am rolling on the floor thinking about my own yearbook photos, giant afro and all. Well, I was on the flag corp, another wretched popularity iconic totally idiotic activity. But I wouldn't missed it for the world..LOL! Our uniforms were not so .... well we wore minidresses... which were chosen and sewn (in double knit no less) by MOI and a couple of other girls who had take home ec seriously. I choose to keep the good memories.. I had some horrendous one because I was totally bullied.. but I survived and love my high school days. Just attended our ANNUAL Reunion. Always a blast.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, it is always a blessing to 'watch' you work! As we said in the seventies ( I also graduated in 1972 girl you are SUPERBAD!)
I'm with anonymous - I'm the '50's vintage, myself, and remember those scandalous cheerleader skirts well - exposed the KNEES. We had no ankles, due to thick socks rolled down three or four times. Anyway - I rather like the proportion of the beach area (light) and have great expectations that you will solve whatever problem you perceive.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how even the littlest bit of embellishment (seam-driven, love that!) changes the balance of your piece.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the KINK link. I will have to check that it out (Tea for the Tillerman is one of my all-time faves, I have it on iPod and listen to it frequently). Love the high school pic. Awwwww.
Thanks for the link... I turned it on and Maggie May started... takes me back to my early days in the Navy... I graduated in 1970.
ReplyDeleteI like the trees you are adding along the sides, it's amazing the way your eye sees the tree trunks going up but doesn't really notice the difference between the background on either side of it. Very cool!
Interesting that you should post that link because Wes just bought some "Maltshop" CDs that he loaded into my IPod. When I play my IPod with shuffle I might have a 50s tune (I wanna be Bobby's girl) next to a Fergie tune(I ain't easy, I ain't sleazy
ReplyDeleteI got reasons why I tease 'em)& it always makes me stop and think about the way music chronologs our history.
Looks like quite a few of us graduated HS in the 1970s. 1973 for me.
Nice start there on the trees!
Thanks for the link. I am listening to it now.
ReplyDeleteNot only is your hair style the same, I'd recognize you immediately!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the comments about the seam treatment. The tree part of this piece is wonderful, giving a lovely wooded effect. I can see the problem with the beach though--It will be interesting to see what you will do. Have you thought of reprinting fabric in a darker color? Still sand, but with less value change. Tell me to shut up if you want; I would totally understand.
Now the real fun begins!
ReplyDeleteSquealing with delight remembering those old songs too! Just going to tune in. Now, where did I put those velvet flares.....
ReplyDeleteWhat fun to listen to those old songs. I'm going to put it on in my office and see how many eye-rolls I get from my students. Just the other day one told me that her grandmother is 48 (sigh). Then she said maybe she shaves off a few years, but still.
ReplyDeleteIt's exciting to see how the embellishment creates so much of the design of your pieces. You're off to a great start.
Well, Allie, I was only 5 in 1970 but I still recognize most of the songs. I am happy to get caught up with your quilt progress...and the dance team picture is just way sweet...I'd love to see the one with the pompoms if you could find it one day??
ReplyDeleteHi Allie,
ReplyDeleteI was shocked to see you graduated from East Christian in Grand Rapids; so did I! I graduated in 1971, but I only went there one year. Do you remember a Dokter? I ddin't know very many people, specially not in my class. One of my most vivid memories is when we were told we could wear "nice" pants to classes (no jeans)!
Your project is progresesing nicely!
You can reach me at jcompeau at tblusa dot org.
Jane
WOW Allie... It is like looking at a textile jigsaw...You are so clever...Looking forward to watching its progress...
ReplyDeleteHi Allie,
ReplyDeleteI love how your cottage is coming along!
I got a lovely surprise in the mail from you yesterday! Thank you! You managed to send two pieces of my favorite shades of green, which are hard to find.
I remember all those things, but Tucson must have been ahead of Grand Rapids, you're right. I had them as a high school senior and graduated mid-60s. =) In college, we had kids tiptoeing through the tulips with Tim.
ReplyDeleteI went to school with a Pam Bryant in Muskegon.Is she a cousin?
ReplyDelete