Liner Notes: September - Frederick/People Have the Power

And so I've come to the end of the Patti Smith Liner Notes. Let's start with a song.

I have the privilege of seeing Patti Smith multiple times live and this is one of the most powerful songs to experience with a live audience. Here's a short video from when I saw her earlier in the month. 

I can't exactly explain in words how it feels to be in a club singing along to this song with Patti and however many new friends. Especially in DC right now. I had the same feeling last night at the 25th anniversary screening of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. When we all sang "Wig in a Box" and "Midnight Radio" together it healed something in me. And of course, "Midnight Radio" has a little shout out to Patti so that felt right too. 

"People Have the Power" was a song Patti and Fred wrote together and were planning on including on an album. It would have been their first album together, but Fred died before they could make the album. I think he'd be pleased with how people respond to the song - it's timeless and empowering. We could all use a little encouragement these days, so I highly recommend listening to "People Have the Power," "Midnight Radio," and "9 to 5" in that order if you need a little musical pep talk. 

So did my idea for this whole jacket/dress/lyrics reveal work? It did. It's probably one of the messiest things I've ever created, but whatever, people are messy. I probably should have flipped the edges for the jacket part but it's fine. The buttonhole works. Will it survive for all time? Probably not, but it works. The idea of opening the jacket and seeing the dresses and then moving them to reveal the lyrics and quotes worked too. Uncovering the layers, as it were. 

I'm pleased with what I was able to create. I had an idea and made it work to the best of my abilities. I haven't really made clothes since 2008, so my patterning and piecing skills are rusty. But it worked and it's what I wanted to create for Patti Smith. That's what matters to me with each of these pieces - I made the thing I wanted to make for the musician or band. Doesn't have to be perfect or even make sense to anyone but me. That's the fun of creating and making art. 

Here's the last September Liner Notes entry:

September 20 - cutting and piecing the fabric for the jacket.

September 21

September 22

September 23

September 24

September 25

September 26

September 27

September 28

September 29

September 30

Jacket buttoned

The dresses

The lyrics and quotes.

Up Next: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - the first recap post will be up on October 10.

WIPs, the Sewing Cabinet, and Other Small Joys

I'm making slow progress on sewing cabinet panels. I managed to get a few more of the flowers completed for the Botanical Garden section; four more left to finish. Maybe I'll finish this weekend and start Peacock Garden.

I also added a spiderweb to a sweater pocket that had a hole in it. It'll be fun to wear all year round but I'm particularly excited about it as part of my October wardrobe. 

I always like to work on at least one Halloween piece in October. I recently bought this little cat shaped frame and am trying to figure out what to stitch so I can use it for an embroidery piece. I was thinking 

bats or maybe ghosts. What do we think?

 

Bea has been doing pretty good since she started her allergy vaccine last week. I have to spray it in her mouth once a day, and that has been a whole thing. She's usually pretty good with taking medication but this isn't like the times I've had to give her meds orally. The spray has to go under her tongue and close to the gums. She hates it. I'm still certain this is better than the shots but man, is she a wiggly cat. Even when I purrito her she squirms. My hope is that she'll get more used to it as the weeks go on, but we'll see. She's still a menace so there's that. 

I'm also continuing my new quest to dress like a high school art teacher. I don't know why I'm all of the sudden super interested in layering dresses over jeans and pants, but here we are. I have so many dresses to layer this fall. This is really going to be my season.

If you live near Old Town Alexandria and read horror, make sure to check out Long Dark House, the newest addition to the bookstores of Old Town. They opened earlier this month, and I finally had the opportunity to visit last weekend. It's a beautiful space and the variety is fantastic. The staff is super nice and knowledgeable. I picked up a blind date book and a copy of 18 Tiny Deaths. I have an e-reader version of 18 Tiny Deaths but the photos are terrible so I decided to buy a physical copy. Frances Glessner Lee is a fascinating human and is credited with helping to establish modern forensic science. Her work also served as an inspiration for the Miniature Killer story line from the original CSI series, which is arguably the best story line that the series had. I had the opportunity to see the miniatures in person in 2018 (I think) and they're amazing.

I also picked up the last of the books for my October themed reading - Egyptian Gothic horror. Old Town Books is so quick on orders and I picked up Tim Curry's memoir while I was there. So many books, so little time. 

I'll share more about the order and the vibe of the books in the first October recap post. 

Have a fantastic rest of your week! The first October recap post will be up on October 10 so no new post this Saturday. I'm getting my flu shot and COVID vaccine so I'm pretty sure I'll be lazing on my couch for most of the weekend. PSA: get your flu shot and other vaccines if you're able. It's the perfect time of year to go to the pharmacy, get your shots, and get a Halloween treat. Adulting!