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Martha McCain - guest blogger

7/4/2013

6 Comments

 
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Hi, I’m Martha McCain. As Andrea mentioned in a blog last week, she and I have been friends for ages. How can you be invited by a friend to talk about your work and not jump on it! “Do you want the twenty-five-words-or-less version or may I ramble on?” Andrea graciously invited me to ramble - within reason.
Martha WHO? 

 A few years ago I did a series of Civil War era patterns for Simplicity:
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As Andrea said, we worked together in costume shops in New York City. She was the best first hand a draper could hope for. Not only could she could sew up a storm, she was a handy fitting model. The only drawback to our professional relationship was that she was a full-time college student at the same time. My heart sank every time she had to run out the door to take a class
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Martha draping a costume from The Angle of Repose for the San Francisco Opera -costumes designed by Lawrence Casey
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Andrea modeling a costume from Mother Courage for The Acting Company - costumes designed by Jeannie Button
Andrea wanted to sing and I wanted to design, She graduated from the Manhattan School of Music and I went off to the Yale Drama School. A wonderful partnership, though certainly not the friendship, came to an end.
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So what am I doing now? Research. Patterns. Writing. That’s the quick answer.
But she did say I could natter on a bit - another time.
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6 Comments
Trudy M. Leonard
7/4/2013 12:19:25 am

Martha, we do miss your patterns very much. Are you self-publishing at all? Thank you for everything you did. My daughter's wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses were based on that evening gown pattern. Best of luck in whatever your current enterprise is.

Reply
Martha McCain
7/10/2013 09:10:26 am

Thank you so much. It's wonderful to know that my pattern was used for such a special occasion. I am, indeed, working on more patterns. Andrea is going to let me tell you about this project, bit by bit, in her blog. I plan to pattern an entire mid-19th century wardrobe from the skin out and also include bathing suits and riding habits and such. My first pattern will be a wrapper.
I really do appreciate your support.

Reply
Val LaBore link
7/9/2013 01:27:47 pm

Martha, I have bought every costume pattern with your name on, just because I like them. The yellow CW one is my favorite and I've made both my CW dresses from it.
I think both you and Andrea had a great partnership.
Val

Reply
Martha McCain
7/10/2013 09:11:56 am

Andrea and I are a wonderful team. She's fast and I'm slow. You should see us together in the kitchen!

Reply
Kathleen Duffy
10/20/2015 05:44:11 am

Hi I have purchased one of your patterns through simliclty. The fashion Historian. No9761 I am having trouble finding the material thats on the fromt cover of this pattern If you could help in any way I would be grateful Thanks Kath D

Reply
Andrea
10/25/2015 10:56:13 am

Kathleen,
This is Andrea answering your question. Martha McCain designed that pattern quite a while ago, so that exact fabric is not likely available any more. What I do when looking for specific fabrics is just do an on line search. Just type in a description of the fabric you want folded with "by the yard" example "plaid silk taffeta by the yard" You'll be surprised by what turns up.

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    From Andrea 

    I am a commercial pattern maker who is now "sewing over 50"!
    I love to sew and hope to encourage others to come back to sewing.
    The water is fine!!

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