Friday, June 20, 2014

Miss Catherine's Pattern Mysteries

I do love it when I can pick up any vintage item and see traces of the previous owner, like second hand clothing that has been altered or handbags with small notes left inside the pockets. But my favourite things to find are the tiny notes on sewing patterns from a hopeful seamstress or from a fashion loving daughter to a mother.

When this pattern - Simplicity 5670 arrived the other day, the notes written so many years ago were quite interesting!  

It took me a while to realise the numbers were pattern numbers, so I decide to look them all up and an interesting story started to form


The notes read;

(Purple)
5640 - Wide leg pants & top (looks bought)
5615 - Pullover top & wide leg pants
5737 - Beverley's pattern
5671 - Wrap around to and wide leg pants
5143 (D)

I think this person really loved wide leg pants!


I wonder, was the original owner trying to find the perfect wide leg pants pattern? Or perhaps they were trying to build their dream summer wardrobe? Or perhaps it's a list for their mum to sew up for their years away at college?







Most of the patterns are from 1973 and are pretty dang nice! I was surprised to find that some of the ones written down already sit in my favourites list on Etsy. Clearly this person and I are sewing soul sisters

What do you think the story behind this pattern collection could be?

And speaking of pattern collections, the entries for the Glory Days/Pattern giveaway are now closed! I will be drawing the winner sometime this weekend so be sure to keep checking back!

Have a fab weekend everyone!

Cat xo

28 comments:

  1. Looks like this gal had some sweet fashion sense! I have a few of these wide-leg patterns and can't wait to try them out. I haven't done too many pants patterns, so I'm kind of scared, but hey! Nice score! I'd love to see you make a pair!!!

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    1. Oh im scared of pants too! but i would love to make any of these for sure!

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  2. Fabulous patterns! I've just made some wide-legged pants from a 1973 pattern, and I love them, I'll definitely make more. They were surprisingly easy, actually. Yes, it's delightful to find notes like this one - I'd say that's a wish or a To Do list! xxx

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    1. Yes a wish list!
      Oh super! did you post them on your blog? one of my sewing resolutions is to make pants! and the year is half over. oops!

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  3. What incredible patterns - I'm green with envy! I never find trousers ones in my size! I bet the previous owner was one cool biatch. xxx

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    1. By the sound of her pattern collection, she is indeed a cool biatch! xo

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  4. All of those pants are AMAZING!!

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  5. Wow, this would have been so exciting to discover, especially seeing as some of them were already in your favourites list! I wonder if whoever owned it ever got about to making them all. The girl they were for definitely had style!

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    1. ooh i wonder too! She would have had such an enviable wardrobe if she did!

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  6. I LOVE when old patterns or magazines have writing in them! LOVE! I collect old paper from 1910s-1970s and it's always a delight to see someone's notes inside. I especially like the "retrospects" when the elderly owner went back and wrote "Died, 1964" (or some other year) in their old yearbooks or fan magazines.

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    1. ooh yes their always intriguing to see. My mum is one of those people who likes to notes things on photos, which is rather handy for family genealogy! Any notes are always to exciting to rad. what what that persons frame of mind? what was their life situation at the time? exciting!

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  7. 5671 was one of my favorite patterns in high school. I graduated in 1976.

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    1. oh wow! did you get to make the whole outfit? i hope it made you feel awesome!

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  8. I love it when sewing patterns have things written on them, I often wonder how their versions turned out in comparison to mine! The person who owned your pattern was obviously a fan of wide legged trousers and with good reason, they look fab! Wide legged trousers are currently on my 'to sew' list!

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    1. oh wow id love to see your version of wide leg trousers! I hope you get around to making them soon

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  9. Wow, that last pants are amazing, what a great pattern.
    I love finding traces of previous owners in the pattern envelopes or old magazines. I own a 1940ies magazine, one of the patterns was copied on a 1940ies newspaper, so onto a fascistic and right-wing extremist paper, another onto a 1960ies German Democratic Republic one, a communist, far left-winged newspaper. Was interesting to see so much of history on only two bunches of paper. i don't know if it was the same owner, but this magazine witnesses two dictatorships in a row and whoever owned it was unpolitical enough to keep the pattern despite the material it was made of.

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    1. wowee! that would have been so interesting to read! and how amazing to see such extremes in political opinion. perhaps the owner cared for neither which is why they ended up being cut up and used for pinning and writing on! I hope you enjoyed finding those, it would have been rather exciting, scary and interesting at the same time!

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  10. So great that you did this research, I would have been wondering myself! I love love 5671, might have to add that to my list!

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    1. isnt it lovely! id love to own it, but i wonder if id ever get around to using it!

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  11. I love finding scraps of fabric, bits from magazines or notes on patterns too - although I myself never do that. Perhaps I should start so future owners of my patterns in the far off future can find these gems

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    1. ohh yes i agree. i dont write on the pattern, but ill pop a little note inside the envelope to make changes. Perhaps you can leave cryptic notes? just to give the future pattern owner something to ponder!

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  12. That first dress in the stripes is ahhmazing! I want it, will be searching my vintage patterns for that one.
    You would rock a pair of wide leg pants, maybe you should make this girls wardrobe?

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    1. i know right! i cant wait to make it! its so pretty. gosh if i had all the time in the world i totally would! id have so many pairs of pants by the end of it too! haha

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    ReplyDelete
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    1. hi! sorry for the very late reply! you've probably made your decision by now!. i use blogger, but i heard really good things about wordpress. if i could start again i might look around a little more. oh well!

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  14. Things like that is one of the many reasons I love vintage! All the hidden mysteries and stories. Which do you plan to make first with that pattern?

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    1. Oh yes i agree! I think i may make the short version for summer! so i have some time before i have to do that

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