Mysteries, Solved!

I've taken much of the past week off from posting because of Domestic Chaos. (New flooring, anyone?) But I have to add a juicy update. I have been in contact with my lovely aunt--the person who knows the *most* about all these patterns--and she has already given me answers to some questions.

First, on Vogue 2027--she said my grandmother made that for her--for my aunt--in "a beautiful Chinese red and gold design for a Christmas party when I lived in Las Vegas." And then the kicker: "I still have it!!!"

Now I am dying to see a photograph of this. It sounds perfectly 80s and perfectly Christmasy and perfectly wonderful.

Next, she solved the mystery of Simplicity 9362 (read about my musing over which garments she made and what was cut out to see what the mystery was, in my mind).

Brace yourselves--my grandmother made View 3 (center view) as a *bathing suit.*

For HERSELF!

How much do I love this? Can you imagine? A bathing suit! How clever. And why not? It's modest but stylish. I can definitely see my 50ish-year-old grandmother sporting a long tunic-topped bathing suit. And so she likely did make a muslin of the shorts--probably because, if she used swimsuit-esque material, she wanted to get the cut right first. I remember her making muslins of garments, but did not think she'd make one for something as basic as shorts. But now it makes sense.

My aunt's memory is priceless!