Sew What's Next: Inspired By Elvis--The Making of Memories, Part 3

Even in the concept phase, I knew I would need some models to use so I could create the Elvis 'fans' as realistically as possible. One day while having lunch with friends at McAlister's Deli, I asked them to pose for some photos. A nice young man who was working there saw us posing for group pictures and offered to take the pictures for me so I could be in them. I politely declined, explaining that I needed backsides only. I'm not sure *what* he was thinking as he walked away with that odd look on his face!

This photo below was chosen because it depicted the song lyrics about holding hands. I took liberties, giving Jeanie long pants.

Below, you can see my fabric version of Jeanie and Jenny. They are the ones holding hands in the foreground.

To make my people, I fused a skin-colored fabric to a piece of freezer paper which I had cut to 8 1/2" x 11". Then I ran it through my printer, to print my scanned figures onto the fabric. Alternately, I could have traced them using a light box, but this was quicker and easier.

That paragraph makes it sound so easy. The truly HARD part of this was FINDING a skin colored fabric! My friend Jeanie, pictured above, gave me several options to consider. In the end, I used an off-white that I already had in my stash as opposed to the fleshier colors which just read as too pink.

The figures were made paper doll style...I cut out whole figures as opposed to individual body parts that would have to be assembled.

While I couldn't remember exactly what Elvis was wearing the day I saw him, I feel like it was casual wear. I selected the jacket in the image below to depict on MY tiny Elvis.

I was pretty sure E had been wearing sunglasses the day I saw him, but I struggled with creating those tiny frames! Taking artistic license, I decided to forego the shades.

I used two of the figures from the image below. I liked the way Jenny (the blonde) was turning part way around, and her hand was in a nice position to be holding a bouquet of flowers, again, to depict song lyrics. Yes, I had already used Jenny once already, but a quick change of clothes and who would be the wiser! I gave her a blue shirt and jeans and a red bouquet.

I also used Jane (wearing the striped shirt, with short hair). But she was looking too much like a boy in the jeans and shirt I gave her, so I gave Tiny Jane some longer hair!

Tiny Elvis' tiny shirt was a bear to construct! I wanted the collar to stand up a bit, as was his style, but not too much since he was just chilling at home. Making it peek out from under the jacket took some effort!

I wanted a figure in a dress, too, because I feel like in 1975, at least ONE of the fans would have been wearing a dress! I searched through several years of my photo files, looking for someone wearing a dress. Who would have thought that would be so hard to find! But I did finally hit pay dirt when I looked through the photos I took at my daughter's friend's wedding. The groom's sister provided just the right pose! I did take liberties with her dress, though, changing the green to pink and eliminating the strapless feature.

My tiny fabric figures were temporarily pressed to my Teflon sheet and details were added with color pencils and paint to make them more realistic.

After the background was laid out, the figures were added at last. I arranged the fans as though they were gathering as I watched...standing back respectfully but hurrying to get inside the gates.

Also, notice, between the front fence and the road, there is a shrub bed on each side of the driveway, as well as a grassy right of way along the roadside. The whole frontage was not always paved with concrete, as it is today.

This old photo (found online--sorry, I cannot give credit) shows what the front of the property used to look like. The concrete curbing along the driveway had recessed lights to illuminate the drive.

Also notice, the gates and ironwork are painted white in this old photo. In my mind, I also 'saw' the ironwork as white, but as I looked through the many online photos of Graceland, I found versions painted with green as well as black accents. I chose to keep mine white.

In my landscape, I used tiny leaves from artificial ferns to represent the boxwoods beside the entry. The grassy frontage will be discussed in the next post (tease!).

And just a little bit about the guard house...

Behind the brick fence on the right of the entry is a small guardhouse. Although most of it wouldn't show, I felt the windows would have been reflecting the setting sun through the ironwork. To make this window, I again turned to the silver lame', but this time, I overlaid it with a spider-wed embossed organza. Not a likely choice, but it provided just the effect I wanted.

The trim and roof was added to the building much as before (with Graceland). Only the upper portion of the building was constructed this time, however, as I KNEW it would be hidden behind the wall.