I recently found a letter from McCalls to my aunt, in response to her pattern designs she had sent them. They essentially said that whilst they really liked her designs, they only used in-house designers. It was from 1939, she was 13 years old. A decade later and after acquiring her degree from the Rhode Island School of Design, she had the satisfaction of becoming a highly regarded and very well employed children's fashion designer, and yes, had her patterns published by McCalls:-).

My mother tells the story of standing me on the kitchen table so my grandma could cut a pattern for me. She used paper grocery sacks that she had pressed flat, holding them up to me and cutting freehand. She had done this for all of her six girls as children. My mom would then cut out fabric using the pattern and sew my new clothing. I wish videos of my grandma doing this process had been available!

Another reason for the decline of sewing and fabric stores was the elimination of sewing classes and home economics in schools. Some independent fabric stores had no interested family member to take over management when the owners retired. A great loss to seamstresses everywhere.

Ive been sewing for almost 60 years, and i am impressed with your research(i almost went into fashion design after high school)! Didnt know patterns had been around for so long. I do collect a few vintage patterns, mostly from the 50s. I still have most of mine from the 60s- 80s. Keep up the good work. It appears clothing is getting sloppier and less formal. There is a time for public clothing and a time for private clothing. I hope the public comes back.

My mother used to sew in the 60-70's. She made me a ruffled twin bedset that I still own 50 years later! I learned so much from her that when I took Home Ec in high school, I already pretty much knew what I needed. I remember making a velveteen skirt that won a prize, and a 'Gunne Sax' dress that I wore for a prom, and my drill team even got permission to sew our new uniforms in class for credit! I didn't sew a lot after high school but made a full nursery set for my youngest, and costumes through the years. What a fascinating video! I had no idea of that history. I was especially intrigued by how the various wars actually changed women's fashions due to scarcity and fabric rations.

Home sewing is a relief from unimaginative, cheap, poorly made, ill fitting, garments made in (mostly) China from non sustainable fabrics. Loved the history of patterns which I’ve been using for 60 years.

I've been sewing 60 years. I found your article fascinating. I remember when patterns went to multiple sizes. That was wonderful! I continue to sew both clothing and quilted item. I just bought 3 patterns on Tues. Thank you for this article

I’m a guy who sews so that really puts me out on my own. I find all history of home sewing so very interesting. I have books that match the years of my sewing machines to see what the intended and expected capabilities of them were. The ones published by pattern makers are quite a bit different from the ones published by sewing machine manufacturers. Ones by pattern makers are really specific to their brand while machine and others are more generic. One book I found published in 1917 is probably the most interesting. Loved this video, looking forward to watching more.

I'm 36 now and the only person I know my age who can sew something besides a Pillowcase... thanks Mom!... who learned from her mother.. recently I set myself a goal of creating an 17th century style dress for our local renaissance faire.... surprisingly I did it in 10 hours with nothing but the stockpile of fabric(another thanks mother)🥴🥰 , KZfaq and the knowledge shared with me.💜

I would love to see a video about household sewing and pattern making in Europe and the UK. For instance the Burda Moden patterns are a great hit in Germany and EU / eastern Europe to this day.

This was incredibly well done, i really appreciated it!

I read online somewhere that before sewing machines, women had to spend most of their lives sewing clothing for their families. It was very time consuming and tough to do with only candlelight to see by. If they did not sew the clothes back then, there was not always ready made available to buy. Men worked and wore out clothing, so the women had to sew enough to replace or repair when needed. Apparently the sewing machine helped pave the way for free time to get out of the house because sewing by hand was not taking up every minute of the day.

This was really well researched. Thank you for the work you put into it. This was very interesting. I agree that being young and sewing seems to be a novelty but it seems there is growing interest.

I lived the 80s, 90s, and current problems with the big 4 pattern companies. I watched as they changed sizing to adapt to current trends. I still own many of my original patterns as they were labors of love and works of art to a young mother. Now I occasionally purchase a printed pattern but prefer the experience of supporting indie designers and their PDF designs. This was a very interesting and well-done video! I hope to see what else you have to offer!

Great video! I'm 72 and have been sewing for 60 years, since I made my first simple a- line skirt out of blue sailcloth in 7th grade. Sewing in the mid and late 60s was immensely fun, with the simple shift patterns and psychedelic prints. And it eas cheaper to make my own clothes than buy them. Now its just the opposite, but I still enjoy making something once in a while.

I adore sewing but seldom need anything so I volunteered to help the local high school with their plays. I enlist the students to help and be assistant costumers. I have taught some basic sewing, embellishments and machine sewing. One of the kids came back from break saying she got her 1st machine for Christmas. I am thrilled

Here in Spain. We never had those patterns you talk about in your vídeo. Instead, we had Burda Magazine, a German magazine with lots of patterns and sizes you have to transfer to tracing paper and the, to your fabric. It was a real revolution for seamstresses and sexists. My mother used them and I learnt from her. Thanks mother. Thanks for your vídeo.

Very informative. I worked at Hancock Fabrics in the 80s and still remember a dress I made using a Vogue pattern. I mostly do freestyle sewing, creating, altering, mending types of sewing nowadays. The price of inferior quality fabric, in my opinion, definitely is not helping the situation.

I really enjoyed this! I love vintage patterns and having a more complete history about them is really great! thank you!!

Wow. What an interesting and comprehensive history of something i think most of us have totally taken for granted. I grew up learning to sew on these old patterns starting when i was about 8 years old. I remember we learned to sew in my girl scout troop as well. I even sewed one of my winter formal dresses in the late 80's (i used an iridescent taffeta to make a strapless fitted coctail dress. I had no experience with sewing taffeta and boy was that a tough dress to make. Every single needle puncture left a mark! It turned out pretty cool though). Even then I never ever thought about them in the context of history. I guess now even my sewing of those patterns is now in the context of history. How fascinating. It is one of those things that can tie a regular staple that we all use into history. It helps us get perspective on history and why things have had to change and for what reason. Ceramics also did this for me. Very very interesting. I hope that patterns do not go away permanently. i think it is something that is so useful to know how to use! Maybe in the future we will have more time to sew again! I think fashion is going to eventually become an art/craft for those making it by hand. This was such a great video! Makes me want to go out and sew again! Thank you!

Great video, very informative. When graduating high school, late 1950's.we couldn't find a decent dress so my mom made it. I made quite a few dresses for work in the 60's and then in the 80's I came home from Alaska and no clothes to wear in an office setting in Boston. My office manager pointed out the dress code (I had worn dress slacks). That weekend I made two skirts with zippers by hand. Didn't have a sewing machine . I did make more clothes. Couldn't afford store bough for a while. This started out as necessity but moved on to enjoying sewing. The plus side of sewing is that everyone wants to know where you buy your clothes. So cool! Keep up the good work.

Wow ❕ thank you for putting this history on patterns together. I always wondered about the pattern industry and knowing the consensus on sewers today is a sad reality. I used to sew in my teenage years and even then it was praised because hardly any of my friends sew except if they were in home economics class. I never sewed with my kids and it's only now that they are teenagers that I'm making the time to pick up sewing. Needless to say, they couldn't believe I sewed in my youth. Sad but true. Thank you for the history. I'm actually inspired to go pickup a pattern and start with an apron or a pretty garment bag.💗🙏

I just found your channel. I love your historical information. I had a friend give me her grandmothers pattern books from Michigan State University from the turn of the last century. It’s really interesting. I learned to sew from my mother who was a master seamstress and my Aunt who was the queen of short cuts and hacks. So I learned the best from each of them. Mom taught me how to design and sew without the use of patterns- which I think is like a lost art now. There are not that many people who sew anymore, it worries me that it will be a dying art form.

Thank you Caroline. I learned a lot. Great job! 👍

Super interesting! I've been sewing for 25+ years and watched the industry really change over time. One of my fav books is a home sewing/dressmaking guide from the late 1800s :)

You hope it was interesting... It was fascinating! Thank you so much for sharing with us!

Thank you for making this video. I've wanted to know about the history of pattern making and you have really explained it very well. Sounds like a research paper. Really appreciate all your hard work.

Really interesting and satisfyingly detailed!

Hey Caroline, Great Video! Well Researched! I got into sewing, maybe three years ago. I was living remotely and needed a hobby. I come from a very large family and my two oldest sisters learned how to sew beautifully through 4-H but I never did because by the time I was old enough for sewing 4-H there were basically no groups in our area. As you say, people lost interest. Anyway, I find it a challenging and rewarding hobby and learning new techniques on one's own is quite doable with all the sewing how-to (s) available on the internet.

OMG, I love to sew and found your lecture wonderful. When Corona hit and we all had to stay home, I got out my old sewing machine, had it maintenance, and started to sew first simple Christmas gifts, then quilts and now I am working on a crazy coat. You are so correct regarding home ec and patterns. Back in the 70s/80s boys and girls had to take home ec and shop. This meant that we all had to buy the same Butterick or McCalls patterns for aprons, shorts and skirts. Pupils were kitted out at Woolworths, Sears, JC Penny's, Target (then called Air Way) and K-Mart. There students bought a sewing kit with scissors, pins, needles, etc. (for one low price) along with their pattern and fabrics. I still remember my mother writing the home ec teacher a letter telling her I didn't need to make a skirt as we were six girls but needed a pair of winter pants. She literally sent me to school with a pants pattern and wool material along with my sewing kit, ignoring the instructions of the teacher! I still remember what the note said, "Winter is coming. Therefore, my daughter will have need of a pair of winter trousers to wear under skirt, according to school rules!" We joke she saw Game of Thrones before it was filmed. Well, the nuns took it well and I made my pants which because of the multiple sizing of McCalls, I wore for three years straight before I outgrew them. The secret is in the back seam which had two inches of additional fabric sewn in a v-seam while the front had pleats. I gave my son sewing lessons, but his hands are so big that it is very difficult for him. It's a pity because he is so hard on his clothes and always ask me to mend them!

18:59 I own McCall's 4587. I made the top when I was a teenager. I'm 65. Never t throw a pattern out. I might have a few from Mom and Grandma from the 40s and I know I have some from the 50s. Mom could follow a pattern beautifully. I designed my own.

Spot on video! I searched for 'sewing pattern history' to listen to while sewing. Fascinated 🥰

I Really enjoy your video. I had general knowledge of paper patterns, but this was really detailed and very informative. Ive been a tailor for 30yrs as was my grandmother and I collect vintage patterns. It started when my grandmother passed away. I inherited her tailoring supplies and was excited to find paper patterns in a box from 1910s 1920s and 1930s that she had obviously bought back in the day. They totally fascinated me and I started collecting. My grandmother was the MacGyver of tailoring. Give her a yd of fabric and some thread and by dinner time she would have made u a dress good enough to meet the queen in..lol She taught me everything she knew starting when I was 5yrs old. She use to say to me....learn to sew little one and learn to sew well and u will always have a job. I miss her terribly.

Excellent deep dive into the pattern industry. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've been sewing since I was 6 yrs old and love collecting vintage patterns. My grandmother used to make her own patterns using newspapers during the Depression. We have great photos of the prom dresses she creates for her 3 daughtera.

This is a FANTASTIC video! A recollection of history, struggles, courage, and resourcefulness. Thank you to all of those who have gone before us. ❤️

An interesting presentation. Thank you. I've been using paper patterns for almost 50 years and watched my mother use them before that. Lots I didn't know. The Kwik Sew patterns were basic and simple, with flexible fit. Being simple made them quick to put together. Very easy to vary by choice of fabric, embellishment, minor adjustments like hem length. If you find them 2nd hand they're worth collecting, if only for inspiration.

Incredibly well researched and edited. Thank you!

Really enjoyed your video! 71 years old & grew up making most of my clothes. I still love to sew & make most of my dresses & tops.

Very informative thanks 😊 I really enjoyed it. I’ve been sewing since I was 8 years old my mum taught me she made most of my clothes growing up, from both new & old fabrics and upcycled clothes from the opportunity shop (NZ) (thrift store USA), I sewing through school & entering inter school sewing comps, it was my favourite subject & I was a bit of a teachers pet, my nana was a milliner - I never got to meet her but I feel like sewing brings me closer to her. I aways loved vintage clothes. 4 years ago I learned n roll dancing & the dresses were way out of my price range so I started sewing rock n roll dresses for myself & my mum, I now enjoy making my own vintage clothes (1940s-1950s) and I now make clothes for other people.

i have always been amazed by how my mother would sit for hours, sewing. and now i'm doing a research for a homework, and i choose this subject beceause mom always show me what she does after finishing the sew and she's realy good , she's a fucking artist. And you make it very easy to me, and i relate to a lot of things that you said. Thanks a lot beautiful lady ♥♥ ❦

I'm not sure I qualify as 'young' anymore, but at 42, I found and restored a 1951 Singer sewing machine, and I'm starting to learn to sew. I haven't sewn much since sewing classes in high school, more than half my life ago. It's fun to make things, especially if I can make them out of stuff that would otherwise go to the landfill, like worn out and/or stained cloth items. I usually buy my clothes second hand and wear them out, but this way maybe I'll get a bit more yet.

Will have to watch several times, so much info so fast but REALLY interesting thanks a lot! Subscribed and will now check out the sewing room video with the hope to see your sewing supplies 🤗

I used to visit an old building that held a hoard of misc. antique stuff collected by a flea market seller. She had a very old dressmakers form that just fascinated me. It had these small, hand sized square puffed out platforms around it that cranked out to accommodate various sized patterns. It looked like it dated back to the era of really poofy mid 1800's dresses.

I'm only at 3:31 in, and am already impressed with your research and knowledge - my first time watching your videos - thank you for sharing this! I'm also impressed with your to-the-point delivery, no extraneous chatter. I'm subscribing!

So interesting, thank you!

Thank you for all the helpful info! Very interesting! I struggle with finding appropriate fabric for garments. I realize Covid also took down manufacturing to non existence in some areas. Hopefully we will see a resurgence of fabric being made again!

I love sewing!!! Loved when the new pattern catalogs came out every couple months...could spend hours poring through them!!! When I would sew a lot when my kids were at home, I'd cut out everything I wanted to sew one night, then sew all day long, or sometimes two days!!!! It was so relaxing to me!!! They had homemade Halloween costumes every year...something Christmasy to wear!!!!

Very interesting video! Lots of information! Thanks 👍 I am now a subscriber! ❤️

I love this book I got from Amazon, but I REALLY enjoyed your video!! Love patterns old and new and appreciate the history behind it. Thank you so much!

Wow! Good job! One tidbit I loved to learn about was the inclusion of a cloth tag with the Vogue patterns. I wish they still did that! I learned how to sew in the 80's and 90's, so I remember when Joann's had rows and rows of lovely suiting and dress fabrics.

Fascinating! As someone who has sewn since my teen years, it was interesting to hear about the history of patterns, something I confess I never even thought about before.

i sew all of my clothing and loved learning about this! thank you

That was great! Really enjoyed all that research you must have done!

As a long time sewer, I really enjoyed your presentation! Thank you, so appreciated the knowledge you brought! I learned to hand sew before I learned to read: sewing and making clothing is a huge thing and will always important.

So informative and interesting - I was watching/listening to this whilst putting together a PDF pattern - loved it :)

Well done. I anticipate that society will see an increase in home sewing as the economy falters. I have made clothes since I was a teenager in the late 70s, and was raised by a mother who made all her clothing, including her nursing uniforms which she modified from dress patterns (yes, she wore white with white stockings, nursing hat and shoes!). As a former WWII nurse,, she too pride in her appearance at work- starched hats, clean shoes! She could do everything from draping to tailoring, and taught me all she knew. My son's girlfriend wants me to teach her, after I recently made her a vogue designer lounging dress with added grommets for lacing the low cut bodice with contrasting ribbon. I am currently making a skirt of my own design with draping at the sides; next project is a wool skirt/vest ensemble which will combine a folkwear fitted vest pattern and a 1910s skirt pattern which I will modify for daily wear. Like my mother, I am always complimented on how nice I look. Also, as a nurse myself, I believe when one fashions one's own clothes it is natural to maintain good health. Going to all the trouble to make one's own clothes keeps excess weight from piling on. I am not supportive of the movement to accept the overweight body; I see the effects on public health, and it is not good. Further, the deconstructed, boxy look has made it easy for people to let themselves go. Lastly, I am heartened by the many younger people showing interest in recreating historic designs for their daily wear. One point, it was not unfortunate that women stayed home with their children. My mom did that for her 6, and I did that for my two sons who I was blessed with after many miscarriages. The role of women as mothers is to be applauded. I valued my mother being home, and my sons tell me they did as well. A stay-at-home mom is an honorable part of a healthy society; please, do not discount it. Thanks again for your research and presentation.

Such an interesting video...thanks for making it. I have been sewing since about 14 years old and now I'm 60 years old. I enjoy sewing my clothes and my daughter's clothes too. When she was a young teenager in the 1990s...I could sew her dresses and tops to make her look cute and modest unlike what was available in the stores. I am thankful that I know how to sew all these years.

That was really interesting. Thank you for putting it together.

Bravo. What a comprehensive presentation. Enjoyed this so much, thank you.

Thanks for investing the time in this video. I've been sewing since I was a teen in the 70s, and I've never found all the information you did for this video. Very interesting to this dedicated home sewer. Interestingly, it wasn't until about the last 5 years (probably since I discovered youtube) that I figured out how to make the fitting changes that my figure needed to make the sewing of my own garments practical--very narrow shoulders & wider hips. Now I sew my wardrobe almost exclusively. I can't look at an overpriced, ready-to-wear item without knowing I could make it better in all ways. Home sewers are still out there, but I haven't been able to get my college-educated daughters interested, because of time, of course--and they don't have the fitting problems I do. But, my attorney daughter-in-law is interested, mostly for home sewing, I think. Subscribing to your channel. Best of luck.

This was a fascinating watch

love this video! Thank you for making and sharing it. I learned a lot from this and found some new pattern companies through it too.

This was great. I always wondered about the sewing pattern industry history. Thanks for this.

This is so amazing. Thank you so much for all your hard work into educating us. I'm a novice sewer but hopefully will get good enough to make pieces for myself and loved ones.

Just found this. Great video!

Such an impressive and interesting video. Thank you so much.

A BIG THANK you for this!😀😀😀

Thanks for history lesson, it is wonderful to think that someone along life’s history in the us put a high value on woman making the home a wonderful place to be.

This was such an interesting video. I don't think i've never heard before and I loved hearing the history of all the sewing pattern companies ❤

Excellent - such a subject of study and research never occurred to me, even though I used to paper patterns for all of my sewing.

So interesting! Thank you for sharing ❤!

This was very thorough thank you for your work!!!

The indie companies seem to have captured most of the home sewing market these days. I’ve notice that Mcalls has started “naming” their patterns like the indies do! Vogue is so disappointing - their designers are awful these days IMO. You didn’t mention Burda magazine. They have an interesting history too and is still going strong. Anyway, my mom always sewed and I learned from her. I remember all of this pattern history from the 60’s on. In the 80’s I used to collect vintage patterns from garage sales and junk stores and use those because I hated the current patterns. They were cut so huge! That was the style but the bigness was ridiculous. These days, I like indie patterns best!

Fascinating information!!!

I really enjoyed your program. I have patterns from my husband's great great grandmother. Some of them came in the mail. No instructions, no markings, very confusing. I have been sewing for 50+ years and they are intimidating. I have thought of getting rid of them but after listening to you, I guess I will keep them for nostalgic purposes. Thank you so much for your information.

Great info and pictures, thanks

wow, really great video, I am impressed

Really enjoyed this!

Im 63 and I ve been sewing since I was 6. Home sewing used to be the economical way to make clothes for your family. Nowadays the cost of patterns, fabric and supplies far outweigh the cost of buying clothes in the stores. Very sad. Thank you for a great video.

Very well done. Very informative.

Thank you so much for your great videos. 👏

Hi Caroline, I believe you heard about the closure of one of the two companies that used to print paper patterns. I'd love to watch a part 2 of this video with more historical information on this event and the future of patterns.

I loved this video. I have been sewing for 65 of of my 71 years. I have been design and publishing hand applique quilt patterns for 25 years. Have you ever thought about doing a video on quilting history in America?

Very interesting! Thank you.

This video is fascinating

Lots of good interesting info, thanks.

I just watched a rerun of the little house on prairie and saw Caroline Ingalls cutting out a dress with a pattern and I was wondering if patterns existed back then. This video showed up in my feed. I also didn’t know why/how Mccalls and Butterick were named that. This was a really educational video

what a very interesting and enlightening video thank you so much

This was a great video! Thanks! I didn't know McCall's own Butterick and Vogue.

Fabulous, informative video. 👌💕

Thank for this very informative video!

So interesting. Thank you ❤

woooow amazing video!!!

Thank you for such an interesting and highly informative video! I had no idea what he history of patterns! Incredible! Between that and the sewing machine, it was a virtual revolution for women!

Im actually tempted to sell my patterns for wedding dresses but they’re usually one size because I used my measurements as a basis with being alterations being expected and done by the sewers themselves. It’s perfect for original designs with the use of basic patterns for bodices, sleeves, skirts, and other parts and details would be sold either as sets or separately. Historybounding patterns would be an option with certain garments like blouses, jumper dresses, skirts, and full ensembles being only the tip of the iceberg for my dream pattern selling. This idea was mostly from my mom who said I should open up a textile store and I thought patterns would also be great since there are people who couldnt afford to have a dress made for them but they could make the dress they want for a much more affordable price.

Thank you for this informative video !

Thank you. I Love this video 💖

Thank you! I enjoyed your video, learned some things, and appreciate the research that went into it. I have the Wheeler & Wilson No. 1 machine showing at 4:35, although my cabinet is a bit different. I think the machine is about 1866. I'm currently refurbishing it. It has curved needles and still sews. It has glass feet and other accessories that I haven't figured out yet because they are very rusty and still need work.

Loved the video!

Incredibly concise explanation. So well researched. A lot of old patterns do not have dates. Other than knowing the history of changing fashion is there a resource for looking up manufacturer dates? At this time I guesstimate by style and price but I’m not always accurate.