Tests of Time - Sustainability and the Vintage Sewing Pattern

In an era when "Green" is the new consumer mantra, sustainability takes on a broader definition. What does it mean to be "Green"? Organic cotton, imported from halfway across the world, has a carbon footprint that surely negates any benefit its "Green" label boasts. Is Ethanol, a corn-based gasoline additive, a greener product than petroleum if the chemicals applied or engineered into the plant destroy the Monarch population? Do lower carbon emissions justify the vast amounts of propane used to dry the prematurely harvested corn, depleting a fuel supply that rural and remote homes depend on for heat? Is it ethical that Ethanol diverts a major human food source to fuel our vehicles? What defines something as "Green" or sustainable? 

Sustainability is not a new concept, just a forgotten one. There was a time when all you could buy or barter was local or seasonal, and when something needed mending you didn't throw it away and buy a new one... you repaired it. In our global economy, "Buy Local" seems like an antiquated notion and one that is difficult to implement. So how do we assess a thing as sustainable? There are entire institutions that dedicate their energies to this topic, but to my mind, sustainability is about something that endures.

Why does something endure? In Tests of Time by William H. Gass, he asserts that the "Test of Time" is not a test at all. Enduring is a result of the conscious effort to preserve something that is valued. That is not to say that all beautiful or wonderful things escape oblivion. It also does not imply that all that endure are worthy of their longevity. A thing may have been tucked away and forgotten. Perhaps a thing is preserved for it's sentimental value or because it is still useful. Or perhaps because it is beautiful. These attributions of value are not set by the marketplace.

As a collector and seller of vintage sewing patterns, I have witnessed time and again, a 100 year old paper sewing pattern, the most fragile and ephemeral material on the planet, used once, twice or many times, carefully folded and placed back into the envelope and saved. These patterns continue to be collected and used and saved. They have withstood the test of time through a kind of stewardship. For a thing to require nothing, be non-polluting and yet be useful for 100 years or more is the most sustainable of things.

When the consumer computer revolution began the thought was that it would lead to a paperless society and thus eliminate, or at least minimize the rampant deforestation occurring throughout the world to feed the need for paper. Computers = Green. It was a good theory but that really didn't happen judging by the sales of personal ink-jet and laser printers not to mention cartons of paper. Fortunately paper is one of the easier materials to recycle. Unfortunately, it doesn't account for the vast resources it requires to process, like water. 

The computer and the internet have made the exchange of information fast and fairly effortless. The Portable Data File, or PDF, is a file that compresses data to allow for easy travel through cyberspace. Medical records and legal documents can be sent and received quickly. They are read on tablets and computers and not necessarily printed onto paper. This is not true of the PDF sewing pattern industry. Independent designers and vintage reproduction companies, as well as the major pattern manufacturers now offer "instant download" patterns. They are instant only inasmuch as the download will appear on your desktop within minutes. The delivery imposes almost zero carbon footprint. But now the task of printing out several to sometimes hundreds of sheets of 8.5" x 11" sheets of paper (that come from trees), laying them out, taping them together and cutting them out... the "instant" factor and the sustainability quotient has dropped significantly. If they are used once, discarded and printed again...

The vintage sewing pattern, that has endured the test of time will usually be my first choice when I set my sights on a sewing project. But I also see so many wonderful designs from fabulous up and coming independent designers that I would love to try but won't because they only offer them as PDF's. A printed pattern, in a beautifully designed package is a pattern worth using once, twice or many times, keeping and treasuring. A Colette Pattern is a perfect example of a pattern that will endure. Her thoughtful attention to detail and the sturdy spiral bound instructions are attributes that will contribute to it's longevity and the legacy of Colette Patterns.

Albion by Colette

 

No doubt there are many contemporary independent designers with equally useful and beautiful = sustainable pattern designs and packaging. I encourage all sewists to choose vintage or contemporary printed patterns... real patterns. My CynicalGirl shops on Etsy, Goodsmiths, Zibbet and Bonanza carry a huge variety of vintage and contemporary patterns - all of them real, physical patterns that have endured. They remain both useful and beautiful.

Simplicity Pattern Catalog - October 1964

Simplicity Fall Pattern Catalog October 1964

The time is 50 years ago and I am only 7 but I remember my mother wearing some of these fall fashions. Just on the brink of the new Mod era, the fashions in this fall catalog emphasize necklines and capes. 50 years past and we are embracing some of these same designs once again. Shop vintage patterns for an authentic retro look. Visit my Cynical Girl shops on Etsy, Goodsmiths, Bonanza and Zibbet to find fabulous 1960's dress and accessories sewing patterns.

Find this 1960's catalog and others to download HERE.

Return to Elegance - McCall's 1954 Fashion Feature

After the austerity of 1940's War Era fashions, designers, with ready access to fabulous new materials, found delight once again in elegance. This November 1954 feature from McCall's magazine showcases creations from the top designers of the era. These names are still familiar and have endured the rigorous test of time that the fickle world of fashion imposes. A bit of eye candy for vintage enthusiasts but many of these or simimlar styles are readily available as vintage patterns allowing the seamstress to recreate with artistic license. 

McCall's 4868                Vogue 4884                        Vogue 4941                      Vogue 4513             Anne Adams 4662

A sampling of elegant selections from my CynicalGirl shop on Etsy.

Vogue 4270                  McCall's 5200                   Simplicity 4584                     Vogue 7512                   McCall's 9662

Elegant samplings from my CynicalGirl shop on Bonanza.

 

Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, Jacques Fath, lanvin-Castillo, Jacques Heim, Maggy Rouff, Madeline de Rauch and Patou. 

Less formal but every bit as elegant are these lovely dresses for day or evening cocktail attire.

Dickey Birds - Easy to Make Dickies from the Spool Cotton Company

Dickey Birds From The Spool Cotton Company 1948

Dickies were originally worn by men as a tuxedo front or false bosom. Though "Dickey" refers to either men or women's attire, the original ladies dickey was the chemisette, or a sleeveless type of blouse. The fronts were often elaborately pin-tucked or trimmed with lace and pretty buttons and bows.

Even in the 1960's and 1970's I remember having turtleneck dickies to wear under shirts or sweaters. Though they have fallen out of fashion I often think of how practical the dickey is for presenting a more formal appearance without the added layers and bulk.

In the 1940's, when supplies were scarce, the dickey would have been an easy accessory to make with small amounts of fabric. Worn under a jumper with a V or scoop neckline, the dickey could be easily removed for an evening appearance. Or switch out the turtleneck dickey for a frou-frou lace collar for another day to evening effect. Whatever way you wear them they are practical and versatile.

The educational bureau of The Spool Cotton Company (later acquired by J & P Coats) published Stitch in Time as a bi-monthly pamphlet from the 1920's through the 1950's. Each issue had helpful hints for some aspect of sewing and needlework and budget stretching ideas. This September - October, 1948 edition of Stitch in Time featured patterns for 6 dickies with neckline and trim variations. Download Stitch in Time and make some of these lovely dickies for yourself or for gifts. You don't even have to guess the size. Prints on 8.5" x 11" paper.