Sewing Patterns: Vintage Mail Order Patterns

I love looking at vintage sewing patterns but so often the patterns are for smaller sizes....so, was everyone a size 5 or less in the 1940's or 50's? Did anyone have a bust larger than 34 inches or a waist larger than 25 inches? I remember a few ladies that were on the fuller side of the pattern scale so where did they buy their sewing patterns? The answer is this.....mail order.  In the 1970's the pattern ads were tucked away in the classified section of the newspaper and, for one dollar, plus 25 cents for shipping and handling, you could buy a pattern (at least it was $1 in the 1970's....it was less in the 40's, 50's, and 60's). Sometimes the patterns were available in women's magazines like the Delineator, Ladies' Home Journal, or, the star of every needleworkers home, Workbasket.

Courtesy of VintagePatternsWikia

Courtesy of Vintage Patterns Wikia

So, in honor of these unsung heroes, those patterns who provided fashion to the not-size-1-anymore set, I offer these patterns for your consideration (Oh dear, I sound so full of myself and then some...hee hee hee).

Marian Martin 9021 includes pattern, instructions, original postmarked envelope, and newspaper clipping.

Printed pattern 4982 in size 16, Skirt and blouse. COMPLETE

Printed Pattern 4982

Marian Martin 9064 Country Aprons in size Large, bust 38-40 inches. Includes ad and original envelope. COMPLETE

Anne Adams 4824 in size 18 1/2, bust 39 inches. COMPLETE

So....Thank goodness for mail order patterns because not everyone is a size 1.
Enjoy.
Post by Eileen

4.16.11 New Listings in GoofingOff

If a person were to look for a pattern in today’s store he or she would be surprised to learn of the changes that have taken place over the years. Sizes are very different for one thing. Some companies are gone, completely vanished from the marketplace, while others have taken their place. Patterns from the early 50’s and before were unprinted. Very different from today.

One company that is no longer is Advance.  The Advance Pattern Company was the house brand of J.C. Penney and sold exclusively by J.C.Penney from 1933 until it was sold to Puritan Fashions in 1966.

  

Advance 5876 Size 18 Bust 36

 

Another pattern group that only exists in antique shops and vintage sewing supply shops is Mail Order patterns. Several companies produced mail order patterns, such as Anne Adams, Marian Martin, and Patt-o-Rama. These could be found in magazines and newspapers and were a big hit with people living in rural areas.

Patt-O-Rama 8197 Size 14 bust 34

Post by Eileen Patterson of GoofingOff.etsy, GoofingOff.artfire, and MissEileen.etsy.com

Cutting Down Time at the Post Office

I don’t know about most people but the post office isn’t high on my list of places I want to be. Don’t get me wrong, there are some lovely people at the post office in my town and getting to see them is OK but I don’t like to stand in line when I have other things to do. I found a couple of tips that save me time and money and could do the same for you.

For a long time I thought I could only use PayPal shipping labels if I received money from a customer but that’s not so. If you are sending things in the US and using USPS First Class Parcel, Priority Mail, or Express to ship use this link

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_ship-now

You can ship to customers who sent you money orders,  send gifts to your grandkids, or anyone else you want to. If you use the flat rate boxes from the post office it is very easy, if not, make sure you have a scale for an accurate weight. Delivery confirmation is 19 cents, too cheap not to add it on.

If you don’t have a PayPal account you can set up an account with the Post Office and print out shipping labels for Priority Mail.

If you are sending packages out of the country you have to ship Priority or Express to use the online shipping labels. Since the bulk of my shipping out of the country is First Class International, I keep a few Customs forms handy so I can have them filled out before I get to the post office.

Remember, too, if you use Priority Shipping you can schedule a pickup. It’s an available option.

The best part of the PayPal labels is I can drop off the package on my way to work without having to wait on a line or worry about the post office’s hours. So much easier and a lot less stress.

Post written by Eileen Patterson.

GoofingOff.Etsy.com

GoofingOff.Artfire.com

Spadea Trim Slacks Pattern by Brigance

What a wonderful pattern! This pattern is from 1961 with slacks in two variations, full length trim slacks and slim, lean capri slacks. Size 16, waist 28; Hip 39. Pattern is complete, unused and in original factory folds. With this pattern is the original newspaper ad for it from the Sunday edition of the Miami Herald, dated Sunday, October 8, 1961. You can find this pattern in the GoofingOff shop. Just follow this link: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=43169479