The Boyfriend

Kooky Quilted Lounge Suit

The Boyfriend, 1971, Ken Russell

Coming to you with another Ken Russell movie as the launch pad for garment making as there is a new retrospective up this month on the Criterion Channel … finally, a way to watch The Boyfriend (you can now also catch The Devils from Octobers newsletter), for me, highly anticipated!!

I had a fabulous time watching this movie, and I think that’s a result of it being unlike any movie I’d ever seen. It satirizes the MGM musicals of the 20s and 30s, but uses their same tactics of over the top scenes with lots of chorus girls, that are so seldom seen nowadays, I couldn’t help but love it. The iconic Twiggy as “Polly” is an assistant director at a theatre that has low-attendance. With her unofficial duty to understudy all roles, and the star being injured, she is thrown in at the last minute to save the show. This particular show means quite a bit more as there’s a hot-shot Hollywood scout in the audience. And not only that, but Polly is hopelessly in love with the man she stars opposite of, Tony! How many more theater tropes can we throw in? It’s got em all! Tap dancing numbers morph into visions of big-budget Hollywood versions with loads of extras and giant sets. Polly gets her confidence up and as the show goes on, she becomes more and more the star she is.

I’ll tell ya the movie doesn’t have the best reviews, and if you tire easily (“Another dream-sequence musical number with gals forming kaleidoscope visions!?” said with exasperation instead of glee), maybe just watch the trailer or dance clips to get a dose of it, but I can say I had a smile on my face from beginning to end!

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I have never had a harder time figuring out what direction I wanted to go in for my movie inspired make … there are so many different song-n-dance numbers and fantastical scenes in this movie that I had too many options! This would be an amazing watch pre-Halloween, or a great jumping off point for a costume party, and I think it may prove to be a frequent reference point for me. Pierrot and Pierrette, dice and playing card gals, music-notes and more. Maybe not the best to watch when you want to make something practical, which I did!

The first dress Twiggy wears, while she is still just behind the scenes, immediately struck me, as it’s quite in line with a Sandy Liang dress I saw and loved on @double3xposure's instagram— drop waist, pleated skirt, vertical tucks in the bodice and an oversized collar. This was the first option I considered, and one I’d still like to emulate, maybe if something akin to it crops up again come Spring?

Movie Still, Reese Blutstein (@double3xposure) wearing Sandy Liang

Then there is this scene where all the players are gnomes living in toadstools and singing a jolly song, and I know you are probably thinking, “what happened to the practicality?” BUT hear me out ;) . I have had an unfinished blue and white polkadot quilt in my stash for a while, maybe 2 or 3 years, and as soon as I saw a gnome prance out in blue and white polka dots I knew it was my shot to make something with it. Something rather practical even! Or as practical as you can be in head to toe polkadots.

I adapted a vintage bed jacket pattern (Simplicity 4935) into a collarless wrap coat that fastens with two buttons and has a bit of a bell sleeve and flare to the hem (that does harken back to those gnomes at least a little!). The quilt had some cross stitched motifs and it was fun to incorporate that into the cuffs and pocket, but I did use it sparingly, putting most of it to the inside (like the intact moon scene pictured below) because they were definitely nursery themed, and I also wanted to be able to get more use out of the fabric and not waste through centering certain designs. With that, I was able to squeeze out a pair of basic pants too. I think it will be fun to split this set up as well as wear it all together. With this big snow storm that Nashville got, I’ve been living in it, especially the pants, as they are a toasty layer I can fit on over anything!

And wearing a favorite alphabet sweater by Hades Wool... inspired addition from Tommy Tune's T sweaters throughout the movie!

I’m gaining comfortability in working with quilted fabric with quite a few of these types of projects under my belt, and am interested in you-supply-the quilt type work, so hit reply if you want to scheme anything! Otherwise be on the lookout for some quilt scrap bustin’ projects, in the form of quilted bonnets coming soon.

This movie really could furnish a whole year of makes and newsletters, but I will leave this one here. But don’t forget it come Halloween, I don’t wanna have to explain my reference ;) .