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“Itnsure would be easier to sew if the pattern was the right size!”
“Itnsure would be easier to sew if the pattern was the right size!”n
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nEllennPollard Butterick said words to this effect to her husband around thentime of the American Civil War. She was attempting to sew a new shirtnfor her son, but the paper pattern she was using to cut out all thenpieces she needed for the front, back, sleeves, and collar of thenshirt was a very different size than her son. n
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Asna matter of fact, all paper patterns back then came in only one sizeneach—and not some medium or “ideal” size, either—a differentnsize for each pattern. Home sewers had to customize the patterns tontheir specific family members—and this resizing was apparentlyntime-consuming and difficult. n
Asna matter of fact, all paper patterns back then came in only one sizeneach—and not some medium or “ideal” size, either—a differentnsize for each pattern. Home sewers had to customize the patterns tontheir specific family members—and this resizing was apparentlyntime-consuming and difficult. nn
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EbenezernButterick (today’s birthday boy, Ellen’s husband, and a tailor)nthought his wife had a very good idea—that selling “graded”npatterns—that is, patterns in multiple standard sizes—was in factna great idea. So he drew up some graded patterns on tissue paper andnbegan to sell Butterick patterns in 1963. n
EbenezernButterick (today’s birthday boy, Ellen’s husband, and a tailor)nthought his wife had a very good idea—that selling “graded”npatterns—that is, patterns in multiple standard sizes—was in factna great idea. So he drew up some graded patterns on tissue paper andnbegan to sell Butterick patterns in 1963. nn
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nThenButtericks’ invention is said to have revolutionized home sewing!
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Theynstarted off creating the pre-cut tissue-paper patterns in their ownnhome, but within a year the business had grown so much that theynopened a factory. At first they only created patterns for men’s andnboys’ clothing; later they created patterns for women’s and girls’nclothing as well—and that ended up being the best-selling portionnof their pattern business, with 13 sizes offered in blouses, dresses,ncoats, and skirts. The Buttericks used to give only the briefest ofninstructions about how to cut out and sew the garment, but customersnclearly wanted more help than that, and the Buttericks began to printninstructions on the envelopes and, later, extensive instructions andneven cutting diagrams on folded papers inside the envelopes as well.nThese days, there are even some instructions printed on the patternnpieces
Theynstarted off creating the pre-cut tissue-paper patterns in their ownnhome, but within a year the business had grown so much that theynopened a factory. At first they only created patterns for men’s andnboys’ clothing; later they created patterns for women’s and girls’nclothing as well—and that ended up being the best-selling portionnof their pattern business, with 13 sizes offered in blouses, dresses,ncoats, and skirts. The Buttericks used to give only the briefest ofninstructions about how to cut out and sew the garment, but customersnclearly wanted more help than that, and the Buttericks began to printninstructions on the envelopes and, later, extensive instructions andneven cutting diagrams on folded papers inside the envelopes as well.nThese days, there are even some instructions printed on the patternnpiecesn
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nInn1867, the Buttericks began publishing fashion magazines to promotentheir patterns. By the “turn of the century” (when the 1800snended and the 1900s began), their magazine called The Delineatornwas the most important fashion magazine in the U.S.
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nBoy,nwhen I was a kid, I used to love to pore over giant books ofnButterick pattern styles—with all the colorful illustrations of nlovely girls and women in fashion-forward clothes. As a matter ofnfact, if I asked nicely, the women who worked at the fabric storenwould save the pattern books for me when they became outdated andnreplaced—they’d just tuck those books under the counter with a notensaying “Save for Cathy,” and I’d go pick them up for free! It wasnlike having a giant book of paper dolls, because I’d cut out mynfavorite 50 or 100 illustrations to play with!
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nInwonder if people still do that?
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nInimagine that patterns don’t sell nearly as much nowadays. Sewing yournown clothes used to be something almost everyone did, but nowninexpensive clothes—often sewn in other countries—make sewing thenmuch more expensive option.
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nAlsonon this date:
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nAnniversary of a solar eclipse confirming the Theory of Relativity
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nAnniversary of the first successful climb of Mount Everest
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