Tag Archives: sewing

A Remade Sari Dress, 1971

I was ready to call this remake of a sari an unwelcome appropriation of traditional clothing.  A South Asian woman on my block who sold her saris before she died expressed a final wish that they not be cut up … Continue reading

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A Sewing Pattern for the Older Woman, ca. 1936

The gray haired woman on the envelope is the first clue that this pattern was aimed at an older clientele.  There are others, though.  The size—a 42 inch bust and 45 inch hips—is another indication, since women generally gain weight … Continue reading

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Unquilting/Requilting, 1970

This picture portrays a West Virginia coop turning old quilts into new items.  If you look carefully, it appears that the oldest woman in the back on the right is hand stitching a pillow, while the woman at the far … Continue reading

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Final Fitting, 1966

This photograph from the Chicago Tribune shows the sewing instructor Essie Cannon, on the right, checking the fit on a coat made by Mary Davis, on the left.  Cannon was a teacher at the Midwest Senior Center in Chicago where … Continue reading

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Celebrating their 90th Birthdays, 1949

This celebratory photo marks the ninetieth birthdays of Effie Appleby and Amy Bigelow. Both were members of the Women’s Guild of the Pilgrim Congregational Church in Madison, Wisconsin, which threw a party in their honor. The photo description explains that … Continue reading

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Hope Skillman Fabrics

I’ve been wanting to write about textile designer and manufacturer Hope Skillman (1908-1981) for a long time, but pictures of her—especially with any sense of what she wore—are hard to find.  This Vogue advertisement, featuring her fabric on a dress … Continue reading

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Domestic Scene, 1954

This snapshot evokes happy childhood memories for me.  Some of my fondest recollections of my grandmother are when she was at her sewing machine.  One Easter she made matching dresses for me, my sister, and my four cousins.  For an … Continue reading

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Imaginary Sewing

As a historian, I relish finding secret messages from the past—sketches in book margins, shopping lists and the like—that no one but the writer was meant to see.  I discovered several such notes in an old issue of Vogue Pattern … Continue reading

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Mrs. Exeter’s Fall Wardrobe, 1962

Do you remember Mrs. Exeter, Vogue’s older woman of fashion?  I recently came across her again in a Vogue Pattern Book from 1962.  By that time, she had all but disappeared from the fashion magazine.  Apparently editors believed she was … Continue reading

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A Sewn Wardrobe, 1978

In the 1970s, Vogue Patterns magazine did occasional features on women who sewed most of their own clothes.  As an added bonus, the editors asked the women why they had chosen particular styles.  What could be better for someone interested … Continue reading

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