Merry Hull - 1940's Fashion Accessories - Free Pattern

 1940's Merry Hull Fashion Forward Accessories

Merry Hull is best remembered for inventing a modified gusset for the fingers and thumb in women's gloves. It was revolutionary and allowed the hand and fingers to move with ease.

She was also instrumental in creating what we now take for granted.... matching accessories. This 1940's Merry Hull pattern, first appeared in This Week magazine as a mail order pattern. It is reproduced for you here to recreate the bolero, handbag/muff, belt and hat. Download here.

Hannah Troy Designs for McCall Pattern Company

McCall's 5672 by Hannah Troy 1960©

Women have Hannah Troy to thank for figuring out that most women's figures were not the elongated ideal that most ready to wear was designed for. Instead, she observed, women tend to have shorter waists. She was the first to design for this shape and called it "Petite". This 1960 ad for Singer sewing machines (Woman's Day, December 1960) features a model in an Italian influenced bell skirt dress, McCall's 5672.

Hannah Troy designed a few dozen patterns for both Advance Pattern Company in the 1940's and for McCall Pattern Company in the 1950's and 1960's. Her designs are hard to find but worth every penny you will pay for that pattern because she designed for a good fit that would flatter any figure. 

Hannah Troy died at the ripe old age of 93 in 1993. Find patterns by Hannah Troy on the Vintage Pattern Wikia HERE.

Simplicity Fashion News April 1968 Pattern Preview

Simplicity Fashion News April 1968

1968 was a year in transition. The fashions were a melting pot of 60's Mods with a glimmer of the Hippie movement on the horizon. This Simplicity Fashion News pattern catalog included these patterns: Simplicity 7549, Simplicity 7574, Simplicity 7575, Simplicity 7576, Simplicity 7577, Simplicity 7578, Simplicity 7579, Simplicity 7580, Simplicity 7581, Simplicity 7582, Simplicity 7584, Simplicity 7585, Simplicity 7586, Simplicity 7587, Simplicity 7588, Simplicity 7589, Simplicity 7598, Simplicity 7600, Simplicity 7603, Simplicity 7604, Simplicity 7608, Simplicity 7610, implicity 7611, Simplicity 7612, Simplicity 7614, Simplicity 7615 Download Catalog HERE.

Find these in my CynicalGirl shop on Etsy

Simplicity 7598            Simplicity 7577            Simplicity 7600

Simplicity 7581            Simplicity 7591          Simplicity 7576 

Ship 'n Shore - Refashioning a Man's Shirt For A Vintage Style Blouse

Refashionistas are everywhere. To see garments that are oh so blah and totally last year transformed into something awesomely today and actually wearable is a sight to behold. But not all refashion projects are created equal. Far too often I see transformations that look like a pillowcase with holes for head and arms and a belt holding it all together. Fine for a beach cover up but not a sustainable refashion and probably more wasteful than if it was just left to the rag bag. 

Would you attempt to make a cake without following a recipe? So why would you attempt to draft a garment without a pattern? Refashioning doesn't have to be the lowly cousin of couture design. Remember that every garment, whether in fashion or not is a potential resource - fabric. Consider the garment and visualize what sort of pattern you could apply to it to create a refashioned masterpiece.

I was a kid in the late 50's and early 60's. Nothing said summer more than the little cotton Ship 'n Shore blouses we wore. They remain a staple in my wardrobe for their easy wear and easy care. 

My husband outgrew one of my favorite shirts - a pinpoint cotton button down oxford. The fabric was in great condition and the tiny blue and white stripes would make a perfect little cotton blouse for me using the Advance pattern for a front button blouse. I carefully removed the collar buttons.

This shirt had one breast pocket and I very carefully removed it by pulling up on the threads and not ripping the seam to ensure a nice clean removal. The tiny stitches make this step a bit tedious but those tiny needle holes will vanish after a couple of washings so it is well worth the extra time. If however, you are making a blouse that has no bust darts and you want to keep the pocket, just skip this step.

Depending on the size of the shirt and the size of your pattern, you can cut the collar and sleeves off and cut the side seams. If you think you may need that little extra seam allowance for size you can carefully split the seams as I did here.

I folded the back of the shirt to resemble the fold of a length of fabric.

I laid out my pattern pieces, adjusting the position so the shirttail hem would be equal - I wanted a longer shirt than the pattern allowed. I used my nifty DIY Pattern Weights covered in Plasti-Dip. You can find the instructions to make your own set of weights HERE.

The front bodice for this pattern had a button band which I lined up with the seam allowances and pinned to the bodice piece. This helped me line up the buttonholes on the front of the shirt with the buttonhole alignment of the pattern.

Using tailors chalk I marked the front and back with cutting lines and markings for darts and tucks. Tailors chalk washes out easily and allows you to mark the entire stitching line which makes sewing straight darts a breeze.

And then simply follow your pattern instructions for sewing darts and seams. I chose to add armhole facings cut from the shirt sleeves.

But decided on white bias tape for the neckline.

 A single little snap keeps the front neckline intact.

The bias tape gives the neckline a crisp, finished look to a front buttoned blouse that didn't require any buttonholes!

This blouse buttons opposite of a woman's blouse. There are a couple of things you can do if you prefer a blouse that buttons correctly. One thing you can do is to find a much larger shirt than the size you require and simply turn the front of the shirt upside down after separating the sections. Another thing you can do is to turn the front of the blouse to the wrong side. (Inside out) For most plain weave fabrics it won't make a difference but you will have to move the buttons to this side of the shirt and be comfortable with the button band on the inside.

However you plan to refashion-up a garment, use a pattern as a guide. It may require a bit more preparation but the finished product will be something you will be proud to wear again and again. 

Find vintage patterns to pair up with your next refashioning project in my CynicalGirl shop on Etsy.

Simplicity Pattern Catalog March 1974

Simplicity March 1974

 

Simplicity 5556           Simplicity 6200          Simplicity 6081

Simplicity 6147           Simplicity 6198           Simplicity 5866

Simplicity 5957

Simplicity pattern pamphlet - March, 1974© Features these Simplicity patterns:

Simplicity 6250, Simplicity 5975, Simplicity 6198, Simplicity 5845, Simplicity 5750, Simplicity 6171, Simplicity 5802, Simplicity 5857, Simplicity 6147, Simplicity 5931, Simplicity 6101, Simplicity 5982, Simplicity 6037, Simplicity 6250, Simplicity 5866, Simplicity 6109, Simplicity 6261, Simplicity 6082, Simplicity 6140, Simplicity 6081, Simplicity 5452, Simplicity 5957, Simplicity 5379, Simplicity 5958, Simplicity 6027, Simplicity 5556, Simplicity 5336, Simplicity 6239, Simplicity 5483, Simplicity 5654, Simplicity 6249, Simplicity 6003, Simplicity 5806, Simplicity 6206, Simplicity 6200

Storing Vintage Sewing Patterns

The first time that a pattern is pulled from it's envelope, unfolded and cut to create a garment is easy. Putting it all back together is the tricky part. Some seamstresses neatly press the tissues and slip them back into their envelopes. It's not always a perfect fit and often the envelope will tear in the process. So seamstresses have searched for alternative storage methods for their used but precious patterns.

I have in my collection, numerous patterns where the seamstress has split the envelope and pasted the front and back onto a manilla envelope with the contents inside.

The flat envelopes card shops slide greeting cards into are fairly common for pattern storage. But storing patterns in waxed paper folders was a surprise for me. I had never seen these flat sheets of waxed paper before. But what a clever storage idea for the 1930's seamstress.

On the back cover of the Perkins "Sanigenic" folder they have imprinted a space for a letter to identify the contents when filed and even suggests filing patterns in the folders. These envelopes are constructed from a lightweight chip board with sturdy folds glued at the back and a wide flap.

The folders preserve the pattern envelopes nicely with no tears and help keep the tissues in good condition. This extra effort by the waxed paper manufacturers reminds me of how the feed and seed companies aided the rural homemaker by printing pretty patterns on what would have been plain white muslin. By offering another purpose for the folder they extend it's usefulness and ensure it's longevity. What a great idea!

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.

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.

Make It With Towels - Cannon Towels Pattern For 1950's Playsuit

The Educational Department of Cannon Mills produced booklets with sewing patterns and decorating ideas using Cannon linens such as towels and sheets from the mid 1940's to the mid 1970's. This late 1940's booklet features clothing and accessories for women as well as toys, baby items and this fabulous playsuit pattern for a stole, shorts from a 1948 Simplicity pattern and a tutorial for making a washcloth bra top. 

Download the entire booklet for slippers, apron, drawstring bag and more made with towels HERE!

Visit my CynicalGirl shops on Goodsmiths and Etsy for more vintage and newer patterns.

Working Pretty - Working Versatile

I don't usually wear a dress when I clean house. It's the usual uniform ... jeans and a t-shirt. But in an era in the not so distant past, women wore dresses - not pants - every day - to scrub floors or do laundry - it was in a dress or skirt.

The February 1955 issue of Woman's Day Magazine features Woman's Day pattern 5086 - Work Togs. Skirts and tops, jumpers and aprons - to wear while cleaning your house. 

Woman's Day February 1955 - Woman's Day Pattern Number 5086

Woman's Day Pattern 5086 February 1955

Trimmed with colorful rick rack, these togs will brighten even the dullest wash day. Find this fun multi-purpose pattern for dress, jumper, skirt, top and apron at my CynicalGirl Shop on Etsy.

Find more fun apron patterns at my CynicalGirl shop on Etsy.

Paper Dolls with Real Clothes

Paper Dolls with Real Fabric Clothes Woman's Day August 1954

When I was a kid I played with paper dolls. I cut out Betsy McCall, pasted her to tagboard and dressed her with the fashions of the day... all in paper. Paper dolls, to my mind, left much more scope for the imagination (to quote Anne Shirley) than three dimensional dolls. And it was so much easier to design your own "garments" in two dimensions on paper. Add the little tabs and your doll is ready to go.

This 1954 Cut Out Dolly, from Woman's Day Magazine, includes Dolly and outfits made with fabric and photographed. Using each of the outfits as a guide, make your own fabric clothes for Dolly. This would be a wonderful Mother Daughter project, and with today's technology, you could print out photos of the two of you and make wardrobes that match. Download Dolly HERE. Prints on two 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper.

Dressing in vintage fashions is easy if you sew. Find vintage sewing patterns for mom and daughter at my Cynicalgirl shop on Goodsmiths and Etsy.

1940's Toddler's Sun Suit Patterns

8 June 1945 Younkers Ad in The Des Moines Register

 ...Fashioned for the minimum coverage and the maximum in good looks! This 1945 Younkers ad from the Des Moines Register for Summertime Togs depicts the small fry in suspender shorts and sun suits. The sun suit, in all of it's variations, is still as popular today as they were in their heyday.

Mail Order 2520 Sun Suit Pattern

The sweetness of the cherub-like face may have something to do with the popularity of this pattern. I can't tell you how many requests I have had for it. This is a Mail Order pattern from 1949. I found the advertisement for it on Newspapers.com from the 6 June 1949 issue of The Times Record from Troy, New York. 

The Times Record - Troy NY 6 June 1949

This 1948 Advance pattern adds a little kimono sleeve bolero for an easy to sew cover-up.
 

Advance 4927 from CynicalGirl on Etsy

With the popularity of sewing vintage fashions for both kids and grown-ups, it's no surprise that the Big 4 pattern companies have been reissuing some of the more popular patterns from the 40's and 50's. Simplicity released a ruffled pantie sun suit pattern similar to our Mail Order gem in 2013. With or without the ruffled pantie, Simplicity 1600 (a recreation of Simplicity 1944 from 1947©) is a good imitation of our 2520 with the bonus that this sweet sun suit converts to a bikini top and panties and includes a sun bonnet. 

Simplicity 1600 at CynicalGirl on Goodsmiths

Ms. Belle's Boutique made the original Mail Order 2520 with the most beautiful embroidery trim. You can visit her blog HERE to see the finished results. No doubt you will want to make this sweet little sun suit for your sweet little one. 

Find Simplicity 1600 at my CynicalGirl shop on Goodsmiths and my CynicalGirl shop on Etsy

Romantic Wedding - An Etsy Treasury

Romantic Wedding

Please visit this beautifully curated treasury by AllMadeWithLove on Etsy for ideas for your romantic wedding.

The Potholder

Cast iron pans are my favorite to fry or saute with. My pans have been handed down from from my grandmother to my mother and to me. Plain black or enameled. They conduct heat evenly and maintain the heat at a lower flame. No scorching if you are attentive. The downside of these sturdy vessels is that their handles are usually of the same material as the balance and thus get hot. 

Enter the lowly potholder. Two pieces of fabric with a couple of layers of flannel sandwiched between and tacked or quilted to place between your hands and the hot handles. Of course, as a child the potholder loom with cotton loopers was all the rage. But In my thrifting searches I have occasionally happened upon fanciful shapes that were from an earlier era. Some were crocheted with multi-colored pearl cotton, others were fabric.

McCall 1940 Potholder Pattern

This 1940 McCall pattern with instructions to make these fun potholders for fish and chairs and granny's panties must have been popular. My copy was well used and in the envelope were multiple tracings on brown paper, newspaper and tissues from other patterns. Few of the original tissues have survived but I have included the Strawberry and the Fish patterns for a free instant download for you to make for gifts or to brighten up your own kitchen. Download HERE. 

Find more apron and accessory patterns at my CynicalGirl shop on Etsy.

Sew Grateful Giveaway

Sew Grateful Pattern Giveaway Click Here for More Information

Visit my CynicalGirl Shop on Etsy this week for 20% off with the Coupon Code SEWGRATEFUL

Andy Warhol - The Pre-Fame Years

Magazine Ad 1950's Andy Warhol Sketch

I was an art student in the late 70's and early 80's. In the galleries, Abstract Expressionism, Op and Pop gave way to Neo Geo and Neo Expressionism. But in the text books Pop still reigned supreme and on that much esteemed throne sat Andy Warhol. We all know him because of his unmistakable imagery. The giant screen prints of Marilyn Monroe, Mao and Campbell's Tomato Soup. But like many artists, Warhol's start was slow and a bit more practical. 

While checking patterns I came across this advert tucked into one of the patterns. What a delight to see Andy Warhol's name as the illustrator of those sweet little collars and belt. He had quite a good career illustrating for magazines such as Harpers. 

The Andy Warhol Museum

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