pattern junkie

So Noted

I always love patterns with notations on them.  Jottings about hem lengths, fabrics, adjustments...all are peeks into the lives of the seamstresses who used these little pieces of history. 

And then there are the notes scrawled in frustration and madness...those moments all too familiar to anyone who sews.  McCall's 6079 from 1961 has both:

"Dark print," "Summer or winter," "Make in suiting or washable tweed."  Such great planning, don't you think?

We all know what they say about God and plans.

Check out the note to the left of the brown skirt:

"do not make this in brn, short sleeves, looks like an overgrown brownie!"

I'm assuming she meant a Girl Scout-type brownie, but it's just as amusing to imagine someone laboring over the washable tweed just to put on the finished dress, gaze in the mirror and think, "Shit.  I look like a giant pastry."

Like the pattern?  You can get it in a B32 -- complete with the notes -- over at DellaJane!

A Sewing Machine Is A Girl's Best Friend

Or so says the narrator in this British newreel from 1955.  Be sure to listen all the way to the end -- one of his last comments will make you want to slap him silly!

(Clicking the picture will take you to the clip -- unfortunately I couldn't find a way to embed the video  Be forewarned -- the site, British Pathé, an archive of over 3500 newsreels -- is addictively fun and capable of sucking up many hours!)

SEWING MACHINE

"Skill had played little part in the operation?!"  We're talking matching stripes on diagonal seams!  You try it yourself before declaring it so easy, buster!

Preparation is Everything

Nothing beats being well-prepared.  When it comes to sewing, I really have to work on that.  My space isn't organized AT ALL, which means it's not uncommon for me to spend 20 minutes searching frantically for a seam ripper.  This weekend I found a great 1971 book on decorating that has a chapter on sewing rooms -- check this inspiring example out:

Really, who hasn't wanted to shoot their sewing machine at some point?  (Don't even get me started on the violent thoughts an uncooperative serger can inspire.)  Having a whole rack of rifles also guarantees that you don't have to worry about any pesky reloading!

I have to say, though, that I'm worried about what's happening outside the photo borders.  Note the project abandoned mid-stitch and the missing top rifle -- I don't think that white carpet is going to stay that way for long.

We Don't Need No Stinking Pockets

Here's another great note I found on a vintage pattern, Simplicity 6175:

 

No Pockets!  Apparently the seamstress who owned this pattern was so upset about the pocket situation that she wrote the same thing on the envelope back -- lest she forget her anger during the process of flipping it over, I suppose:

At first I thought the fury stemmed from a sneaky "fake pocket" situation -- but no, the patch pockets on the jacket are real.  Was she upset that the pants and skirts didn't have pockets?  Or was it a Joan Crawford-inspired "NO MORE POCKETS!" rage?  I'm hoping it was the latter -- in which case I shudder to think how she would have responded to this skirt or this dress that were featured over on Dressaday.

God-Awful.

You gotta appreciate a seamstress who's honest in her feelings about a pattern -- in this case, Simplicity 3600:

  I'd really love to see the garment that prompted the summary "GOD-AWFUL BIG NECK!"