How Sewing Patterns all started...

Butterick Sewing Patterns

Ever wondered how it all started? Well, here's how....

Ebenezer Butterick started his company in 1863 but the sewing patterns were for just for men and boys clothing. In 1866 the company began to produce patterns for women and were a great success.  It is reported that the pattern pieces were folded by members of Mr Butterick's family.

According to the official website for Butterick, Mr Butterick got the idea for making graded patterns from his wife Ellen. Ebenezer was a tailor by trade and when his wife voiced that she wished she could have a pattern that was made to fit their young son to make his clothes, he began to experiment with the idea.

He tried using cardboard templates but realized that they would not be easily folded and shipped across the country. Mr Butterick finally came up with the idea of using tissue paper for the patterns.

Without a doubt, Ebenezer Butterick changed the world of home sewing with his invention.

I knew it wouldn't last!

Oh well, my reorganisation of the my Etsy shop sections didn't last long! I've now changed it to Vintage Vogue (coming soon!); 1930s Patterns; 1940s Patterns; 1950s Patterns; 1960s Patterns; 1970s Patterns; 1980s Patterns, Vintage Maternity and Vintage Fancy Dress...I wonder how long that will last??

1930s Sweetheart Dress

What a girly era the 1930s were...lots of dresses with sweetheart necklines and button fastenings, swishy skirts and tight belts...all very sexy! Why not make your own 1930s style dress?

Being creative!

The shop sections on Etsy are driving me crazy! As Etsy only give you 10 sections, with no sub-sections, you have to be creative with the section titles!

I started with Vintage 1940s; Vintage 1950s; Vintage 1960s; Vintage 1970s; Vintage 1980s; Girls/Boys; Wedding; Buttons; Collectibles and Antiques. Then I realised that if someone was looking for bust size 34" (size 12 in modern day terms that is, as vintage patterns were made much smaller decades ago), then they (I deliberately didn't put 'woman' there, as men also look for patterns), would have to trawl through everything I had for sale!

So...armed with that information, I set about changing the sections again.  I thought that I would create a section solely devoted to Vintage Vogue patterns, as I am aware that several people like to collect these fab patterns, so there's number one gone already! Then I realised that if I put a title saying Modern Bust 34, then that could be interpreted to mean that my patterns are modern and not genuine vintage at all! So...I changed it to 'Actual' Bust 34. I wanted to put 34" but Etsy was having none of it!

 So...now I have Vintage Vogue (haven't got any yet, so not showing up); Actual Bust 31/32; Actual Bust up to 34 (I didn't put 'up to 31/32, because I didn't think they would be still alive!); Actual Bust up to 36; Patterns Over 36 (I didn't put plus size, as some do, as I don't believe these measurements are plus size!); Skirts/Mens (I ran out of sections); Wedding/Maternity (funny how they follow-on isn't?); Vintage Girls/Boys, Vintage Buttons and Collectibles! Well, that's how they are for now anyway...:)

I love the Mad Men look!

This fab pattern can be found on my Etsy shop!

Tilly and the Buttons

I Love this! 

Tilly and the Buttons: First foray into sewing vintage patterns: Praise be, I have FINALLY finished my first vintage sewing project!   I used Simplicity pattern 4255, from 1953, with some £4/m poly-...

Tilly and the Buttons

Lovely vintage pattern!

Really sweet children's pattern from the 1950s!