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Gia Carangi
One of the fun aspects of vintage patterns is that they sometimes show famous models, familiar to us from the pages of major fashion publications and the work of top photographers. This is the first in...
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Blogiversary + Giveaway
It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year since my first post on this blog. It’s always a pleasure to present my research on sewing patterns and meet fellow bloggers and readers who share my interest...
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And the Winner Is…
The results of my random number generator are in! The lucky number is 8, and the winner of my blogiversary giveaway of a $25 PatternVault Etsy voucher is: Jackie (the 8th person to comment)...
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Gianni Versace for Genny and Complice: Vogue Patterns
This month marks 15 years since the death of Gianni Versace. This week’s post will be the first of two on Versace sewing patterns, in memory of the late designer. Before he founded his own company,...
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Gianni Versace: Vogue Patterns
This is the second of two posts on Gianni Versace’s Vogue patterns. (See the first post, on designs by Versace for Genny and Complice, here.) Today, Gianni Versace may be best known for his flamboyant...
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Lauren Hutton
This week my new series on fashion models and sewing patterns continues with the great American model, Lauren Hutton. (See the first instalment, on Gia Carangi, here.) World traveller, former Playboy...
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Stop the Traffic with Acrilan
It’s been a busy summer, and if you’re anything like me, you’re finishing up your summer sewing and preparing for fall. I’ll be posting some summer projects as soon as I have photos. In the meantime, I...
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How Ginger Got the Job!
In honour of Labour Day, here is an advertising comic strip about sewing and a young woman’s job search. From my copy of the October 1939 McCall Style News, it’s another comic strip promoting J.C....
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And the Winner Is…
The results of my random number generator are in! The lucky number is 1, and the winner of a free PDF e-booklet of the October 1939 McCall Style News is: Debi of My Happy Sewing Place...
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Maud Adams
How many pattern models can say they’ve been a Bond girl? Since the Toronto International Film Festival is underway, this instalment in my models series focuses on Swedish model-turned-actor Maud...
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Caped Crusaders: Vintage Cape Patterns
The cape trend of the last two years shows no sign of abating. (Read a Fashionising post about the trend here.) In terms of sewing patterns, Donna Karan’s V2924 was ahead of the trend (see Erica B’s...
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Practical Luxury: W. Mury’s Dressmaking Illustrations
My 1926 copy of Vogue’s Book of Practical Dressmaking has endpapers charmingly illustrated by W. Mury. They’re a great example of aspirational marketing in that they situate the dressmaking process in...
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Zig-Zag Glamour
Speaking of aspirational marketing, I wanted to share this early ’60s, Mad Men-era ad for Singer’s Slant-O-Matic sewing machines and Singer Sewing Centers: The ad shows a model (Dovima?) in full...
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Angeleen
Southern beauty queen and model Angeleen (1950-2009) is a familiar face to vintage pattern aficionados. Born Angelina Marie Gagliano, she was also a keen equestrian—she is the model in Chris von...
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Isabel Toledo: Vogue Patterns
Isabel Toledo in her 2007 Ribbon Roller Dress (2009) Photo: Ruven Afanador. Typography: Ruben Toledo. Image via Ms. Muse. Cuban-American designer Isabel Toledo has been called a “radical classicist”...
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Black Friday – Cyber Monday Sale
Vogue S-4641 (c. 1945) Image via PatternVault on Etsy. I’m having a sale in the PatternVault Etsy shop from Black Friday to Cyber Monday (November 23rd to 26th): 20% off with coupon code BFBLITZ. I’ll...
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New Page + Meetup!
This blog now has a ‘designers’ page: The page is a handy index to all my posts focusing on patterns by a single designer. I have posts on Kenzo and Marc Jacobs in the works, as well as a couturier or...
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Daenerys Targaryen Costume
This Halloween Naomi wanted to go as Daenerys Targaryen from George R.R. Martin’s series A Song of Ice and Fire via HBO’s Game of Thrones. The show’s meticulous costuming won costume designer Michele...
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Quaithe of Asshai – Vogue 2014 by Givenchy
Since Naomi was going as Daenerys Targaryen, this Halloween I went as Quaithe from George R.R. Martin’s series A Song of Ice and Fire. Quaithe is a minor character from shadowy Asshai who meets...
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A Fourth Givenchy Pattern by Galliano
Givenchy advertising campaign, Fall 1996. Image via eBay. Thanks to a runway video posted by blogger Fubuki, I’ve been able to identify a fourth Givenchy pattern designed by John Galliano. (See my post...
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