1960s

Blue Sequined Mermaid Gown Inspired by the Supremes

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Click for larger version (PNG); click for PDF version. Click here for the list of dolls.

In my recent music contest, Bella’s entry of Diana Ross and the Supremes was the first one picked by the random number generator, so we are starting off the week with an outfit that I like to think they would have looked good performing in. (As this replaces Mermaid Monday, that did inform my color and dress shape choice…)

I didn’t really get into the Supremes until I started using last.fm; vague memories of singing Chapel of Love in middle school choir led to the Dixie Cups, then on to other girl groups until I reached the Supremes. Now I listen to the last.fm The Supremes-tagged radio all the time. I’d say my favorite song by them is I’m Gonna Make You Love Me. If I’m gloomy, singing that with as much power as I can always cheers me up. (There’s something even my husband doesn’t know about me! I don’t think he’s ever heard me really belt that one out. I tend to do it in the car.)

You may find your thumb going numb in solidarity when you look carefully at this dress. I don’t think I’m going to make a habit of sequins. Still, now I’m done, I’m happy with it, and I hope you like it too, Bella (and also Monica, I guess, since she also voted for the Supremes).

Prismacolors used: Black, Aquamarine, Denim Blue, True Blue, Light Cerulean Blue, Peacock Blue, Light Aqua, Peacock Green, Parrot Green, Sky Blue Light, Non-Photo Blue, Light Green, Black (verithin), Indigo Blue (verithin), Souffle white gel pen

1965 Leopard Print Bikini from How To Stuff A Wild Bikini

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Does it look like I’m phoning it in today? Technically I phoned it in earlier this week and then couldn’t upload the finished drawing, got distracted and whoops it’s Thursday already? Sorry about that.

Anyways, How To Stuff A Wild Bikini is one of those 1960s “beach party” movies, and for my money it’s got to be one of the stupidest pieces of entertainment I’ve ever encountered, but since I didn’t pay for it that doesn’t mean much. I watched it on Hulu the other day, for some reason… I think I must have been bored, and the name floated into my mind from when I was on a Buster Keaton kick a while back, because he plays the shaman. Anyways, if you can turn your brain off entirely, it’s reasonably fun and silly, the Bewitched shout-out is hilarious and I liked the costumes (I had no idea until I was reading later that the lead actress was actually pregnant at the time – nice disguising work!) This is the wild bikini of the title – that is to say, it actually spends some time walking around on its own – plus headband. I am not quite sure it would stay on the paperdoll, so good luck with that.

The exact number of colored pencils I ordered was 69, so that makes Melanie Ann’s guess of 72 the closest. Melanie Ann, please post in the comments how you’d like me to color the princess gown and I’ll post it soon!

Min’s Royal Blue Pillbox Hat with 1960s Dress via Dress A Day

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I found Min’s blog when she linked to me a while back, and I’ve quite enjoyed perusing her charming vintage hat collection since then. (It’s called “It’s Raining Min,” which always makes me think of warriors falling off a cliff…) I really liked this royal blue pillbox, but what to partner it with? The answer came in a recent A Dress A Day post in which the weird poses of the models were discussed at length. But the outfit, a slim 1960s dress, was cute, so I borrowed the look to go with the hat, and voilà.