When I was a kid, my mom would bring home sewing pattern catalogs from the local fabric store. (Once a new catalog came out, you could get the old ones for $1.) I loved all the colorful drawings of girls and women in the latest fashions (ok, maybe not haute couture, but still exciting to a 10-year-old). I loved to cut out figures, glue them to cardboard and turn them into paper dolls. Fast forward a few decades later, and I find myself on Ebay bidding furiously on a 1960s era catalog. I stopped myself when the auction reached an incredible $75.
I did, however, score on a later 1970s catalog, pictured here. When it came in the mail, I realized this is the same catalog I used as a teenager to sew my own (hardly worn) outfits. There was the denim hat, the sleeveless jumpsuit, the peasant top, and of course the culottes.
As I look at the wistful faces of these catalog figures, I wonder how I ever managed to become a feminist. I wanted to transform these powerless waifs into strong women. Here's one attempt. This collage hangs above my sewing machine, as I try to reconcile feminism with crafting and sewing.
I've also used the catalog images in my Scrabble bracelets. This one sold in a local Seattle boutique (Tasty).
