I collect sewing patterns, mostly vintage. I sew a lot, but I’ll never sew enough to use the over 800 patterns I own! I love patterns, because they are a great way of tracking what society was up to at the time. Along those lines, here’s a little gem I came across a while ago, a true freeze frame of an era… A Dashiki pattern!
There are precious few styles out there that both a woman and her man can wear, but the dashiki is the answer to everyone’s prayers for unisex clothing. I guess.
I just love the illustration. That guy in the back looks a LOT too square for a dashiki. Maybe he got lost on his way to the Christmas pageant where he plays a shepherd. Also apparently wearing a dashiki means you can’t wear shoes, but have to go barefoot or wear sandals.
Dated 1972, which incidentally, is the year “dashiki” appeared in an English dictionary, or so says Wikipedia.
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Allee Willis
The largest part of my kitsch collection is on the soul tip and I’m happy to say that I also own this exact same pattern. If you really want to see it in use, perhaps not the exact same material which is so astounding here with the ever expanding heart shape on the upper torso, but dashiki after dashiki head to Netflix and get Wattstax. That was 1972 as well and LA was full of them that day.
Lisa Rios
Wattstax was a great movie. I also want to recommend Soul Power. It’s about the concert that takes place in Africa surrounding the Ali/Fraser fight. Unfortunately the Pointer Sisters didn’t make the final version of the movie but look for their clip on youtube. I love early Pointers, when they dressed in their 40’s garb. Such talented ladies. Great stuff.
Allee Willis
If Soul Power is the documentary that’s been running on cable about the Ali/Fraser fight it’s FANTASTIC!
Great that you love The Pointers. I hope that you love their later periods as well as “Neutron Dance” helps pay for AWMoK! I was just with Anita Pointer a couple of nights ago: https://www.alleewillis.com/blog/2010/05/25/allee-willis-kitsch-o-the-day-%E2%80%93-the-soul-grabber-and-patti-labelles-suprise-birthday-party/
Lisa Rios
Pointer Sisters now or then…. always talented. I was happy to see Anita pop up in your photos.
Here’s their SMOKING clip that was left out of Soul Power:
http://tinyurl.com/36wqvsq
The outfits might be kitschy enough for the museum!
Allee Willis
I was just interviewed for a Pointer Sisters documentary that’s in the works now. Here’s a link to a tribute site to them that has tons of their early stuff: http://www.facebook.com/l/ac535;pointersisterstribute.com/ Including an audio clip if “Don’t Take the Fifth”, their very first record.
Douglas Wood
Love these illustrations! Don’t often say this about sewing patterns but they’d look great matted and framed.