I’ve been thinking a lot about duct tape this week, all because of a visitor we had recently – my niece Leanne.
I had my first introduction to duct tape – not by Leanne, of course, – but by my husband Gene who operated under the theory that if he couldn’t fix it with duct tape, it didn’t deserve to be fixed.
It was originally called duck tape when it was introduced in 1902 because it was constructed of cotton duck fabric. It didn’t get famous till World War II when a factory worker named Vesta Stoudt suggested it be used to tape boxes of ammunition with it. Once the military got hold of it, the rest is MacGyver history.
According to abitape.com, “Today, the military uses duct tape for a multitude of reasons. Often referred to as 100mph tape or sometimes 1,000mph tape because of its durability even under high speeds, duct tape has been used for anything from shoe and gun repair to fixing Jeeps, tanks, jets, and helicopters. Soldiers have also used duct tape as emergency bandages for blisters, wounds, and splints.”
It’s even used in space to avert disasters. After Apollo 13’s explosion in the main module, in 1970, when the command vehicle was hopelessly disabled, the crew was able to use a duct tape workaround to repair a fender on the space vessel’s lunar module so it could be used as a lifeboat.With the ground crew relaying instructions to the flight crew, the duct tape repair got the lunar module working, saving the lives of the 3 astronauts on board. From Wikipedia: Ed Smylie, who designed the lifeboat’s modification in just two days, said later that he knew the problem was solvable when it was confirmed that duct tape was on the spacecraft: “I felt like we were home free”, he said in 2005. “One thing a Southern boy will never say is ‘I don’t think duct tape will fix it.’”
Whenever you’re packing for a survival trip, for heaven’s sake, don’t forget to jam a roll of duct tape in your bag.
In case you’re wondering why Octo-woman is so fixated on duct tape this week, it’s because our visitor reminded me of its value. My niece Leanne was making a stopover visit here on her way to visit her Mom, Peggy, who is recovering from a serious medical condition. (I hope Peggy reads this, that it’ll give her a smile, and that it will help her get well.)
Leanne and her sister Elizabeth are both beauties who really lucked out on the gene pool. Their mother has the looks, style, body frame and “presence” of a high fashion model. (She’s also one of my favorite, most-admired persons. I wrote a blob about her earlier at https://goingon80.com/2011/08/09/337-peggy-gorman/. Or for other blobs about her, search for “Peggy” in one of the search fields on the right side of this page.)
But to get back to duct tape, the reason it came up this week is because of Leanne’s clothes. Especially her latest design for pants! (Notice how cleverly Octo-woman can jerk your attention from the subject of Apollo 13’s near tragedy to the benefits of being able to create a really cute pair of pants. But that’s the way it is with duct tape. It unifies us and inspires all. Well, maybe not ALL of us. An EMT once told me that the crime scene the EMTs dread the most are the ones where duct tape had been used on the victims!)
Leanne has never murdered anyone, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she has a roll of ever-useful duct tape hidden in her suitcase because who knows when she might need it. Like her mother, Leanne is a really gifted designer who can squeeze charm and beauty out of a dish towel or a diaper with whatever tools she can lay hands on. For instance, Leanne sews. By that I mean, she SEWS! Like nobody else. And not just clothing.
One time, she told me she had just purchased about a hundred yards (give or take) of white canvas. Who besides Keds or Nike or Reeboks could possibly think of a use for that ornery hard-to sew fabric, especially in white. But the next thing I knew I was viewing photos of hers and husband John’s home. Newly re-decorated. All in a dreamlike white. And every couch, armchair, ottoman, and kitchen chair had been deftly slip-covered in creamy white canvas. I still wonder how much blood, sweat and tears, and how many broken sewing machine needles must have been sacrificed in order to achieve that spectacular result.
I learned about how Leanne got addicted to using duct tape though when she told me once “I never used to wear pants. They looked terrible on me. And they didn’t feel good. I could never find any that would fit right!”
Enter duct tape! Leanne found a way to construct a dress form of her body’s torso – out of duct tape.
Now take a second look at those perfectly fitted gauzy white pants Leanne is pictured wearing here. They’re gorgeous. You can’t see it in the photo, but the legs have snaps that can open the legs for a cooler (or shall we say “hotter”?) look. And long ties at the waist. All perfectly fitted to her body like a glove! And the asymmetrical top she made for it is drop-dead gorgeous. It’s made of a fabric that must have been made on some other planet. Both the top and pants are a bit see-through so Leanne wears nude-colored undergarments. Yes, I know the Sisters at St. Patrick’s wouldn’t approve, but still, it’s modest, I swear.
Leanne had made several variations of the pants. She doesn’t sew from patterns, but you can hardly tell the inside from the outside of a garment she’s made, so serged and clean are the seams and interfacing. Leanne belongs on Project Runway!
Whenever Leanne wears a variation of the pants’ design, she invariably is asked by another woman, where she “bought” the garment!
Here’s another view of the pants. This time, Leanne is keeping cool with the leg’s side snaps open. P.S. She also made the black patio cushions, raises doodle dogs, probably did the landscaping from scratch and most likely painted the purple door with nine coats of nail polish.
All this, kiddies, is due to Leanne’s use of duct tape and becoming the creator of her very own duct tape dress form. (Someday, I may try to let you in on the unorthodox uses she has concocted for Velcro, but that’s another story.)
Leanne told me this week, she’s going to crank out a duct tape dress form for her petite 19-year-old daughter Gigi. I don’t know what kind of product to expect to come of it, but I know it’ll be spectacular.
I hope this will inspire both of them: this is a Seattle Times photo of Neha Nanubhai who lives here in our neck of the woods. Neha is an aspiring fashion designer who recently graduated from Skyline High School in Sammamish. She’s wearing her prom dress which she made entirely from actual duct tape for the Duck Tape “Stuck at Prom” Scholarship Contest. Note that she even managed to pleat the duct tape. It took her 120 hours and 14 rolls of tape to complete the gown. Here’s the URL so you can see the other entries for this year’s contest. https://www.duckbrand.com/stuck-at-prom The voting closed four days ago, and the winners will be announced later this month. I hope Neha will win! She – and the gown – are truly beautiful. The dress will probably still be around in perfect condition a hundred years from now, and it sure beats fig leaves for style.
So now let’s have a cheer for Leanne, Neha, and everybody’s humble, faithful friend — duct tape!
To conclude today’s blob, though, Peggy, please get well soon! Your children and grandchildren have worlds more to reveal and neither of us want to miss it!
And if you still haven’t had enough about duct tape for one day, check this out:
https://bouncymustard.com/25-hilarious-duct-tape-repairs-that-made-me-laugh-to-my-tears/
Hi Leanne!!
So glad you had a chance to catch up! I didn’t know Leanne was a talented seamstress! I love the idea of the dress form, but I have nightmarish images of me trying to create one! The headlines might read “The Great Oregon Duct Tape Massacre”. I just started watching the newest season of Project Runway and I always admire people’s ability to not only construct but visualize and design these amazing creations. Respect!
No wine stains on a duct tape dress!!!
Oh my goodness, what an interesting post! You made me laugh out loud multiple times! I appreciate your ability to jerk my attention from Apollo 13 to cute pants. 🙂 And the idea of painting that purple door with nail polish! You are so funny. Leanne has amazing crafting skills. Get well soon to Peggy!
I never knew that about “duck” tape, but it makes total sense. Duct tape just limits the purpose of the stuff to, well, ducts. I didn’t know about Leanne’s sewing prowess either. Go girl!