It's almost like a title for a Fairy Tale, The Brave Little Tailor," "Little Red Riding Hood," "The Little Engine that Could," "The Little Black Dress."
I can never think of "The Little Black Dress" without mentally translating it to its older name, "Basic Black," which in turn makes me think of Licorice Ice Cream. That was the result of a game that went on some time in the 1960s on KPFK in Los Angeles, in which people would brainstorm names for Ice Cream -- improbable ones at the time. Remember Baskin Robbins' 31 flavors was new around 1959, long before Green Tea Ice Cream and its southern cousin Tempura-Fried Ice Cream -- two names which at the time this game was played would have brought ROTFLMAO laughter from players and listeners alike.
The name that has always stuck in my mind as the most wonderful imaginary flavor they ever came up with was "Basic Black," and for that reason, I can never think of The Little Black Dress without the horrific urge to break into completely inappropriate laughter.
That said, the corners of my mouth and the lip edges of my nostrils have been twitching this past two weeks, a period in which I decided to take it easy on the challenge and stick to a drawing instead. I worked into the wee hours many nights on the Ellowyne (gosh I keep forgetting how to spell her name, with or without an "e") challenge, happily playing with my wonderful Angel, who just might be named Esther or Estelle.
I had just gotten some new tracing paper, very heavy, like a vellum, which I used for making permanent patterns from Ellowynne's (spelling again!) dress, and decided to use it to do my final drawing on, after sketching it out on drawing paper.
That said, the corners of my mouth and the lip edges of my nostrils have been twitching this past two weeks, a period in which I decided to take it easy on the challenge and stick to a drawing instead. I worked into the wee hours many nights on the Ellowyne (gosh I keep forgetting how to spell her name, with or without an "e") challenge, happily playing with my wonderful Angel, who just might be named Esther or Estelle.
I had just gotten some new tracing paper, very heavy, like a vellum, which I used for making permanent patterns from Ellowynne's (spelling again!) dress, and decided to use it to do my final drawing on, after sketching it out on drawing paper.
Besides feeling like drawing instead of making, making, making, I avoid black fabric for my dolls: even lined, it's deadly; what better time to take time out? All my fabrics I prewash in hot water and Tide with bleach, at least to get the starch out. Some I machine-wash, others I hand wash. The black gauze I used for Ellowyne's dress was well-used fabric I had gleaned on one of my trash-picking Tuesdays -- and prewashed in hot water and Tide with bleach.
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