Cooly Rocks On held in Coolangatta every year, is one of Australia’s biggest nostalgia festivals and it just keeps getting bigger and better each year. Cooly Rocks On goes on for 5 days and is jam packed with events, live shows, contests, food, music, shopping, dancing and so much more. It really is a must-see event for anyone who loves retro culture. As someone who has been lucky enough to go several times, Cooly Rocks On is always a fun time to share your favourite retro outfits and show off your styling skills. One of the best parts of Cooly is seeing everyone dressed up in their finery which means that I always like to sew something a little special for the occasion. This year, I made a few Cooly outfits but there was one that just hit all the briefs when it come to “Cooly style”.
For my perfect Cooly outfit, I wanted something that was simple but held a bold moment. To be honest, this project starting with the most common lie I tell my husband, “I’m not going to buy it, I’m just looking”. Several months ago, I was at Homecraft Textiles grabbing some fabrics for my Disney Cruise, and I saw in the cotton section a bold adorned with a stunning Red Maccaw Parrot. Maybe I’ve been shopping for fabric with my Dad for too long but I instantly could hear his voice exclaim “That’s the one!” which he likes to do during fabric shopping adventures. It was the kind of fabric pattern that my Dad would just love for its simplicity but boldness due to it’s rich colour pops and I pulled it out of the display to inspect further. At the time, it turns out I wasn’t shopping with my Dad but was with my husband instead so he didn’t share the same joy at finding this gem at the store. After being reminded that I at Homecraft Textiles to purchase very specific items and those items only (yes, we had a list), my husband made the choice of asking me, “do you actually have a project for it right now or is this for the stash?”. Yes, I am on a self-imposed fabric buying ban unless it’s for very specific projects that I cant complete with my current stash, but I instantly knew that this dress would have it’s Cooly Rocks On casual moment because the image of the dress sprung fully formed in my brain. I was at the cutting counter so fast, it caused a draft in the store.
Keeping true to my word, the time for sewing something for Cooly came only 5 months later and from the stash came several meters of Red Macaw cotton fabric. At this point I’m considering the Very Easy Vogue V9100 pattern a recurring obsession on this blog. The obsession will never stop and I will sew another 100 of this pattern before I’ll ever give it up. Ever since I first made V9100, she just gets me and hits me in all the good feels. I really tried to stop sewing her so frequently but she just hits a home run every single time. End of discussion.
My ideal Cooly Rocks On dress would be simple and summery; the patterns thin straps, covered bust and full skirt gives a classic, elegant and simple feel. The pattern would be striking and unique; the Red Macaws are giving a very tropical and exotic summery vibe. It makes me feel like I’m on vacation and having a great time. The plain white background gives the pattern time to have it’s space and I think had there been more to the pattern, the simpleness would have been lost. The multitude of colours in this dress would also give me many styling options; I’ve had all sorts of weather at Cooly going from super cold, wet and windy to sweaty and hot so it makes packing a challenge as all weather must be accounted for. This pattern would give me the option to add different coloured cardigans if I were wanting to add more colour (red) or tone down the vibe (deep green). I also wanted to be able to play with accessories; the pattern would allow anything from white colours, bamboo and natural wood textures, fun tropical motifs such as flowers, fruit, leaves, birds and animals, as well as just simple tiki-inspired jewellery. So much fun!
Having made multiple posts on my blog about this pattern already, there’s not much point going into too many details. She’s already been featured here, here, here and here…. oh and here and here. There’s only a few thing we really need to know; as per usual I was going to make V9100 using the size 12 c cup bodice, a self drafted circle skirt, and adjust the arm straps by an inch either side.
After laying out my fabric, I took my time lining up the pattern pieces. The fabric had such a fun pattern but I didn’t want it a parrot too centrally focused on my chest. Moving the parrot slightly more to my right, it would create a more cohesive look of the whole bodice being covered in well scattered parrots. I may have overthought this project a little too much if I’m trying to explain ‘strategic parrot pattern placement’. Whilst sewing the bodice, I realised that somehow, all my back bodice pieces were cut out on the most boring part of the pattern, just the white background. There was no way I was going to let this happen so I ended up going back and cutting out a few new back bodice pieced which incorporated the parrots a little more. My dedication to perfect parrot pattern placement really paid off as I’m super happy with the final resulting bodice.
From the fabric stash, I took out an old bed sheet that I’ve been chopping up for lining and used that for lining for the bodice. This helps me use up old sheets (especially fitted ones after the elastic goes) without throwing things directly into the trash. Sheets are really soft and easy to sew with and I love being able to smell laundry detergent still clinging to the fabric as I work with it. I’m nearly done with the current bedsheet I’m chopping into so I’ll soon be shredding the final scraps for toy stuffing.
For my ideal Cooly dress, I wanted a really swirly skirt because at Cooly, you simply must be ready to swing dance with Elvis at a moment’s notice. This meant that a circle skirt would be perfect as they just look fantastic when twirled. Because the fabric pattern was so scattered, it didn’t matter what direction the parrots would be, so it would look perfect all the same. I made sure to purchase plenty of fabric to allow for a circle skirt, and it really paid off. I managed to make a 27″ long circle skirt with two pockets. Pockets at Cooly are a godsend, so I made sure to add two large pockets, which came in so handy. Since we’re being honest here, when it came time to sewing the hem of my circle skirt, I got a little discouraged in my own skills. The last few circle hems of mine have been a bit, questionable. I didn’t want my current skill level to ruin the final look of a project that was coming along so well so I opted for bias white bias tape. This was the only deviation I made to the original garment idea that happened immediately after spotting the fabric in the store.
My Cooly dress took me half a day to sew up but I did cut out my skirt and let it hang over night before sewing with it to let the bias drop. This pattern is super simple and quick to make. Although I deviate from the instruction as I personally rather sew everything inside out before turning it right way out (I think some call this the bag out method) and the pattern makes me hand sew the straps and I just don’t want to to be honest. So yeah, just sew this pattern how I do every other bodice pattern and it works out just fine (I think because it can be a challenge to pull the lining through the inside of the narrow strap, the pattern tells you to hand sew the straps to avoid this issue. I say just pull everything gently through the straps bit by bit and you will be fine. For the most part.
When it finally came time to debut my creation at Cooly she did not dissapoint. The dress came out really well fitted and so much fun to twirl in. I ended up pairing her with a fruit salad necklace and matching earring set from Luxulite, my white petticoat from Banned Apparel and my Charlie Stone sandals. I originally had a red belt but it was voted down by all the housemates so I went sans. As cute as little heels would have been, my Endo flare up told me my good old faithful Charlie Stone sandles would get me through despite how beat up they are starting to look. Might be time to repurchase a new pair. I did end up pairing this dress with a red cardigan which came in handy once the sun went down. Whilst walking around the festival, I received many compliments which made my day. This dress was my dream Cooly Rocks On dress and I’m so happy with the final result.
One of the icons of Coolangatta is the legendary Pink Hotel. Although I’ve never stayed, I have photographed in their courtyard at every Cooly I have been to so this year was no exception. The Pink Hotel is so kind to let guests use their space for photos, catchups and gatherings and I really apprciate them for it. Thank you again Pink Hotel for letting me use your amazing space.
I might not be back in Cooly in the next year or two but I will certainly be back. This dress will return for more Cooly fun and I’m excited to see, if I sew for my next Cooly, what I will make in comparison to every other Cooly outfit I’ve ever made. In closing out my time as a Cooly Rocks On title holder, I’ll list below some of my favourite Cooly sewing projects from years past;
See you at Cooly one day!
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