pattern junkie

Great Slanting Tucks!

Sewing pattern envelopes are generally mullets in reverse: party in the front, business in the back.  Oh, those illustrations!  Chock full of eye candy calling out to you: "Buy me.  Sew me.  With me your life will be joyous, glamourous, carefree."  But flip them over and it's time for Serious Business: bust measurements, yardage specifications and descriptions that are little more than a checklist.  "Raglan sleeves, center back zipper, waist tucks.  Choice of collar."

There are exceptions, however.  Take the Butterick pattern descriptions of the 1950s: they're things of fanciful beauty, little bonbons of prose that make my heart go pitter pat.  I first became aware of them when I bought this pattern, Butterick 7348: 

How great is this description?  "Gentle mannered dress has a fitted bodice with faced sleeves, a stand-up collar and a bouffant skirt that's spiced with two great slanting tucks on either side."  I've been trying to work "great slanting tucks" into my vocabulary ever since -- ie, "Great slanting tucks, Batman!  The Joker is at it again!"

Then, of course, there's Butterick 7162 -- the Blouse of Many Moods.  But it doesn't stop there!  Search for "Butterick" and "1950s" on the Vintage Pattern Wiki and a whole bevy of delights await.  Want more examples?  I'm happy to oblige.

Butterick 6153 has a bit of an attitude problem.  This "daytimer" dress "moves easily in city or suburbs."  What about the country?  6153 strikes me as a bit of a snob.

Butterick 6946, meanwhile, declares itself a "seven day wonder - the dress to reach for - feel just right on any day."  Not to be outdone, Butterick 8939 ("a "bevy of important jackets") promises to "cover all your needs."  I'm assuming they mean all your jacket needs -- I can't imagine it paying rent or anything -- but perhaps "needs" was a synonym of "breasts" back then.

Finally, here's Butterick 6903.  The description declares it to be "exciting news in jacket-dresses - versatility plus smart fashion" -- but I think the truly exciting news comes later in the description, when we learn that the "skirt takes a fling with oversized pockets."  The skirt and the pockets are having a fling?  How did they meet?  Will these (three) crazy kids make it work?  What happens to the dress if the skirt and pockets break up? 

Great slanting tucks, that'd be a problem!

The Ultimate Wiggle Dress?

Wowza.  That's about all my brain could muster when I first spotted Woman's Day 5104 (Woman's Day!) on the Vintage Pattern Wiki.  Have a look!

Where do I start?  The yoke seaming, the draped collar, the impeccable fit...the whole thing is just gorgeous.  No wonder they called it "a dream of a dress!"

Pajama Party!

I loved slumber parties when I was a kid.  Loved them.  Eating lots of junk food?  Screaming because...well, screaming just because you're a tween girl jacked up on sugar?  (One memorable slumber party of mine featured the lot of us laughing and shrieking in horror when our Irish Setter drooled in the chip bag.  The "ewws" and "grosses" probably carried for miles.) Staying up as late as you can manage?  Heaven!

So in my mind pajama parties are generally pure, innocent fun.  But when I look at McCall's 5649, I'm concerned about what Pink Ruffles and White Nightie have planned for Pink Gingham:

Ruffles and Nightie seem to be having a discussion about what medical procedure to perform on Pink Gingham.  (What IS Ruffles hiding in her pockets?)  Sadly, Pink Gingham -- who, I hate to say, looks about as dim as my aforementioned Irish Setter -- is right on board with the shenanigans.  She's prepping by taking her own pulse!

McCall's 5693 is more of the happy PJ vibe I remember -- but damn if it isn't WAY BETTER than any slumber party I attended:

Here Flowered Muumuu and Green's conspiring have resulted in something fabulous: Pink is FLOATING!  And I thought "light as a feather, stiff as a board" was fun!

(But...what is up with Pink's left hand?  It's freakishly long and quite possibly double-knuckled!)

Good to See You Again!

Has it really been two months since I last blogged?  Bad, bad blogger!  Not to worry -- my sewing pattern obsession has not faded, but the other parts of my life (work, bill-paying, etc.) got a little crazy. 

Let's jump right back in where we left off with some eye candy, shall we?  I adore Advance 3132 here:

A sweetheart neckline and corset lacing?  Swoon, swoon!

I also have some exciting news to share.  Following the stellar logic of "if you're falling behind on one blog, you might as well start another," I've started a second sewing patterns blog called The Straight Grain.  Since I can't buy every pattern out there -- yet, at least -- I've started TSG as a way to share the latest in sewing pattern online sales, new styles, contests and giveaways.  Future plans include a page devoted to pattern sellers, be they the Big 4, independent designers or the smallest vintage pattern seller.  If you sell patterns, host a giveaway or start a contest, drop me a line at thestraightgrain (at) gmail (dot) com -- I'd love to share the news with the world!

You'll notice that The Straight Grain has a few ads in the sidebars, but rest assured that I'll keep them all sewing pattern-related -- and that they won't have an impact on what news I list.  Meanwhile, the snark and outright pattern lust will continue unabated and ad-free over here at PJ!

I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback on either blog!