Butterick 3110 jumpsuit, Butterick catalogue, June 1980.
The PatternVault blog turns six today. To celebrate, I’m doing something a little different—I’m hosting a giveaway linked to a poll:
Vogue 2366 by Bill Kaiserman. Vogue Patterns catalogue, April 1980.
To enter the giveaway: (1) Vote in the poll, and (2) Comment to let me know you voted. The winner, chosen at random, will win one $25 CAD gift certificate for the PatternVault Etsy shop.
Poll closes Monday, July 17th. Poll results and winner will be announced Tuesday, July 18th.
With thanks to Elizabeth C., who made sure the two 1980 retail catalogues pictured reached me all the way from Amherst, Massachusetts!
The PatternVault blog turns five today. (It all started with my first post, on Alexander McQueen for Givenchy.) To celebrate my blogiversary, I’m hosting a giveaway of one $25 CAD gift certificate for the PatternVault Etsy shop.
Image via PatternVault on Etsy.
To enter, leave a comment with your answer to the question: Of the designers who have licensed (or otherwise authorized) sewing patterns, which one is your favourite?
The giveaway closes Sunday, July 17th at midnight EDT. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on Monday, July 18th. Good luck!
Paris and Style Patterns booklet, June 1934. Image via PatternVault on Etsy.
To enter, leave a comment mentioning what you’d like to see more of on the blog. The giveaway closes Monday, July 14th at midnight EDT. The winner will be chosen at random and announced this Tuesday, July 15th.
Detail of an illustration from a Paris Patterns promotional booklet, 1929.
Today marks two years since my first post on this blog. The past year was a busy one: a pattern from my collection was transformed into a new Vintage Vogue, and I participated in not one but two Toronto meetups. Much of the year was spent cameraless, so I have a growing queue of projects to photograph, including a 1920s bathing suit.
To celebrate my blogiversary I’m throwing a giveaway: one lucky reader will win their choice of 4 instant downloads from PatternVault’s Etsy shop. I’m in the process of adding more e-booklets reproducing rare, vintage sewing ephemera from companies like Vogue and the Paris Pattern Company.
To enter, just leave a comment below. The giveaway closes Sunday, July 14th at midnight EDT. The winner will be chosen at random and announced this Monday, July 15th.
Last June a Vogue Patterns representative contacted me about borrowing a pattern from my collection, to be reissued in the Vintage Vogue line.
Because Vogue Patterns doesn’t have all their patterns archived, the company runs an ongoing Vintage Vogue search to find patterns for reproduction. (More details in pattern junkie’s post here.) I had e-mailed a few scans of my vintage, non-designer Vogue patterns (designer patterns are ineligible due to licensing issues) and they chose this 1950s Vogue Special Design:
Vogue S-4595 (1955) Dress and redingote.
The envelope description reads: One piece dress and redingote. Slim skirt joins the bodice at waist-line. Low, oval neck-line. Short kimono sleeves. Fitted redingote flared below hip-line. Shawl collar and detachable top collar. Tied closing at waist-line. Below elbow length sleeves cut in one with front and back.
The updated description reads: Misses’ dress, belt, coat and detachable collar. Dress has close-fitting bodice with side front/side back seams, inside belt, front pleated skirt, side zipper, and self belt with buckle. Fitted and flared coat has front extending into back collar, detachable collar, princess darts, hook/eye closure and tie ends. A and B: front and back cut-in-one with sleeves.
Recommended fabrics: A (dress): crepe, shantung and tissue taffeta. B (coat):wool crepe, flannel and worsted.
To celebrate the new Vintage Vogue release, I’m giving away two copies of V8875, one in each size range—B5 (8-10-12-14-16) and F5 (16-18-20-22-24).* To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below by midnight on Thursday, February 7th (deadline extended), and mention your preferred size range. (Size chart here.) The winners will be announced on Friday, February 8th. Good luck!
* Copies of V8875 courtesy of Vogue Patterns; worldwide shipping costs covered by me.
** This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to everyone who participated! **
In honour of Labour Day, here is an advertising comic strip about sewing and a young woman’s job search. From my copy of the October 1939 McCall Style News, it’s another comic strip promoting J.C. Penney’s sewing department (click to enlarge):
I love how Ginger’s transformation involves not only a freshly sewn dress in a cute diagonal print, but also a new hat and a good hair day. Our heroine wins over her new, male boss with help from a girlfriend wise in the ways of properly un-dowdy femininity. Ginger’s new hat also points to how department stores like J.C. Penney’s could expect further sales connected to purchases from their sewing departments—accessories to match the customer’s soon-to-be-made new outfit.
A high resolution PDF copy of the October 1939 McCall Style News is now available in the shop:
I’m also giving away a copy of the PDF to one lucky reader. To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below by midnight (EDT) on Saturday, September 8th. The winner will be chosen at random and announced this Sunday, September 9th.
It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year since my first post on this blog. It’s always a pleasure to present my research on sewing patterns and meet fellow bloggers and readers who share my interest in the rich history of home sewing.
Over the past year, between research posts, I even managed to squeeze in some posts on my (sporadic) sewing: on an older project, my black tartan wedding dress, Vogue 1894; on a set of designer 1920s costumes inspired by True Blood; and my 1960s Yves Saint Laurent dress, Vogue 1556. And it was a true honour to be featured on We Sew Retro and in Vogue Patterns’ blog watch in my first year of blogging. I recently got some outstanding academic work off my desk and can’t wait to do more vintage sewing—particularly from my 1930s patterns. In the coming year I’m also looking forward to doing more research posts on designers and models, as well as sharing a surprise or two.
To celebrate my blogiversary I’m throwing my very first giveaway: one lucky reader will win a gift certificate of $25 CAD, good toward anything in the PatternVault Etsy shop.
To enter, just leave a comment below. The giveaway closes Saturday, July 14th at midnight EDT. The winner will be chosen at random and announced this Sunday, July 15th.
