Beatlemania February 14, 2014 – Posted in: Sewing

I’m really excited to be participating in the Sew In Tune series! When I started thinking about what song I wanted to be inspired by, I immediately knew it was going to be something from The Beatles. When I think about music I love and that inspires me, nothing comes close to the Fab Four. But how can you choose just one song?

My love for the Lads from Liverpool started the summer after the 6th grade. We were traveling from Kansas to South Carolina for summer vacation, by way of Atlanta to spend a few days with my Grandparents. I had my walkman with me, and enough Debbie Gibson to get me to the moon and back. We were somewhere around the St Louis arch when my oldest brother asked, “You want to try listening to something you’ve never heard before?” and handed me Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. I listened to it the entire way to South Carolina, by way of Atlanta, and I couldn’t get enough.

“We’re Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, we hope you will enjoy the show…”

When we got in the car to leave South Carolina, he took Sgt Pepper back and gave me Abbey Road. The music filled my little headphones, and I remember feeling so emotional–I’d never been so moved by sound before and it was an overwhelming experience. I adore the whole second side, how it flows from one song to the next as if it’s one long, glorious piece, building to one of the sweetest lines ever written in music.

“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make”

And that’s all it took to get me hooked for life. When we returned to Kansas I borrowed every tape my brother had and spent hours listening, memorizing, absorbing. The Anthologies came out soon after and with them, a surge of Beatles love. I got my girlfriends hooked and we all became obsessed with the 60s.

“Here comes the sun do do do do”

I’ve read every book, article, and blurb ever written about them that I can get my hands on. I read Beatles nostalgia the way my Dad reads Civil War books–the past isn’t going to change, but I want to know every nuance of every minute. I’ve often wondered what it felt like for them in the height of Beatlemania. The excitement and isolation all rolled into one. I’ve wanted to be a fly on the wall during their writing sessions, to soak in that pure, raw talent. There isn’t a person out there who doesn’t know some song of theirs, even more than 50 years after they began writing music! That’s downright incredible.

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly”

When I had a boy I struggled with style for him. I’m not into the baby look, and I definitely don’t like generic graphic tees and sweat pants. So there’s not much other than preppy or old man so we’ve been weeding through them and figuring out a style for my little guy! I’m nuts for this outfit and I think it’s totally something the Beatles would wear if they were a young band now.

“There are places I remember all my life though some have changed”

Okay, maybe they wouldn’t wear a shirt with their faces on it, but some other unique tee for sure!

His chartreuse and teal pants are the amazing Tree Climber Trousers by Go To Patterns. His wee legs make it hard to see the unique details of these pants, but I cut the knee piece on the bias to give it interesting detail.

The incredible little jacket is Blank Slate Patterns basic blazer. I made it in a dark wash stretch denim. It wasn’t the easiest fabric to work with, but it moves great on him and that’s what matters. Channeling CoCo Chanel, I lined the blazer with the same fabric from his pants.

The tee I made using a freezer paper stencil and an image I found while searching. I absolutely adore it and think I’ll be making many more of them for Sir Oliver in the years to come!

Melly Sews and Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy to see all the other great music-inspired boy fashions!