Tag Archives: textile patterns

Those Twenties Textiles

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Lynn

A rule of thumb with sewing is to choose a simple pattern when you have a complex textile.  Simple lines will make the fabric shine, while a complicated design might not even show up well. Might this be why the … Continue reading →

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Book Review–The Devil’s Cloth: A History of Stripes by Michel Pastoureau

Posted on September 14, 2019 by Lynn

For those of us who love stripes, it is fascinating to learn something of their controversial history.  In this short gem of a book, French historian Michel Pastoureau traces the meaning of stripes from the Middle Ages in Europe to … Continue reading →

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A Lover of Stripes

Posted on September 7, 2019 by Lynn

If you sew, you know that you can do a lot with stripes.  They can go every which way, making all kinds of interesting patterns.  I’m not sure that the dress on the left is homemade, but the wearer is … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Girl Group, 1940s

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Lynn

This lineup of women with great legs comes from a Chicago antique store.  Perhaps this is a family gathering of mothers, daughters, aunts, and nieces.  The skirt lengths and cuts indicate that this photo was most likely taken in the … Continue reading →

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Five Generations in the Valley Times

Posted on June 11, 2019 by Lynn

Have you discovered The Library Book by Susan Orlean?  Ostensibly about the Los Angeles Public Library, it is a love letter to libraries and librarians everywhere.  One section of the book reminded me that the LA library held digitized photos … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, 1960s | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Cis and Sally–Style across Generations

Posted on September 22, 2018 by Lynn

Meet my friend Sally, on the right, a historian of photography and a photographer herself.  She has been a consistent help on this blog, providing background information, ideas for posts, and wonderful photos from her side career as a yard … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, 2010s | Tagged , | 2 Comments

My Grandmother’s Quilt

Posted on August 7, 2018 by Lynn

My grandmother Madge had exquisite sewing skills. She made clothing for herself, her children, and eventually her grandchildren.  That must have added up to a lot of scraps, but quilting was not high on her list.  As far as I … Continue reading →

Posted in 1920s, 1930s | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Harford Frocks and the Older Woman

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Lynn

The 1947 packet for a Harford Frocks saleswoman contained something for almost everyone in the family, from young children upwards. There were school clothes for girls and boys, outfits designed for teenagers, and even a few things for the man … Continue reading →

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Bessie McHugh from her Thirties to her Sixties

Posted on January 9, 2018 by Lynn

“On a steamer going to Catalina, June 25, 1934. That was the way we celebrated Our Anniversary.” So reads the message on the back of this romantic photo.  It depicts John McHugh, born in Ireland in 1889, and his wife … Continue reading →

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At the Craft Fair, mid 1970s

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Lynn

These brightly colored pictures might document a women’s club charity sale. Although they have no date, I think they come from the mid 1970s. My first clue was the lime green check pantsuit worn by the woman on the right.  … Continue reading →

Posted in 1970s | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments