Vintage Sewing Patterns

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Yarn Bombs: In the '70s, Knitting Was Totally Far Out

A decade ago, Debbie Stoller, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of "Bust" magazine, published the first of her knitting books and made knitting cool again. Since then, it seems like almost every woman my age knits (and many men), mostly making scarf after beautiful scarf—and the occasional baby blanket for a shower. However, not a single knitter I know has found the time to make a sweater, let alone a skirt or pair of pants. And matching sweaters for the whole family? Forget about...

Antique Sewing Machine Collector Harry Berzack on Singers and Manhattans

I work for a sewing machine distribution company that was started by my late father. We mainly distribute industrial sewing machines. At a very early age, I became interested in sewing machines in a general sense, and I started collecting old machines mainly to see the technology and how it had developed. Then I immigrated to the States—I’m originally from South Africa—and my new life caused about a 20-year hiatus in which I did very little with sewing machines, although the passion never...

Angry Chicken's Amy Karol on Sewing, Vintage Slips, and Her Apron Obsession

I think I started collecting vintage aprons seriously probably in 1991, my first year of college. I was an absolute junkie for vintage clothing, which was pretty much all I’d worn for a long, long, long time. I was finding aprons everywhere and just started collecting them. I can specifically remember buying a full vintage apron in L.A. at some sort of vintage craft shop. At the time it was $5, and I was like, oh, my God, that was so much money for this. I was so poor, and it was back when...

Collecting Vintage Sewing Patterns

Paper sewing patterns were first manufactured in the middle of the 1800s. These first paper patterns were designed by Ellen Curtis Demorest. Starting in 1860, these patterns were sold through her magazine, Mme. Demorest’s Mirror of Fashion.  In 1863, American tailor Ebenezer Butterick was the first to create a sewing pattern in various sizes.  It was his idea to use tissue paper for the mass production of sewing patterns. Butterick’s company was also the first to introduce an enlarged and...