In today’s video, I’m giving you a peek inside my vintage sewing pattern collection. (You will want to grab a cup of tea or coffee before you start watching because my collection is big and this is a long video packed with eye candy.) I’ve loved vintage patterns for as long as I’ve been sewing. I don’t actually sew with them a lot but they are a huge source of inspiration for me. I love looking at the fashion design from decades past as well as the graphic design of the patterns themselves. If you like vintage patterns too, make sure to watch the video and if you would like to add some to your personal collection make sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for an exciting shop update.
My collection started as a teenager when I inherited my grandmother’s sewing patterns. She loved sewing her whole life and saved a lot of her patterns. I used to spend hours looking through these patterns and admiring the designs. I think in some way they gave me the confidence to believe that I could truly sew any kind of garment that I wanted.
Sadly, I never really got the chance to talk about sewing with my grandma. My one memory of talking about sewing with her is that she did not want to give me her fabric. She had this beautiful piece of pink rose printed fabric and even though she could no longer sew, she didn’t want to give it away. I think I was a little disappointed at the time but I can also understand wanting to keep your precious fabric for yourself. I certainly hoard a lot of fabric (and patterns!). By the time she passed away, I was still very new to sewing. I wish I had known then how special it would have been to talk to her about this craft that I’ve come to love so much and that I know she really loved too.
I am consoled that I was able to spend a lot of time with my grandma’s sister, my great-aunt Miriam, and share the love of sewing with her. My great-aunt Miriam passed away earlier this year, just one month shy of her 103rd birthday. Until the very end, we would talk about clothing that we had made, sewing techniques and pattern details. She was my favorite person to show my makes to because she could truly appreciate the effort that went into them and was sure to notice all the details of a garment. I’m lucky to also have a few sewing patterns that belonged to Aunt Miriam. She very generously gave me the few that she had saved and even some fabric. When you watch the video, there is one section with patterns from Aunt Miriam. She had great style.
Things to consider when buying and using vintage patterns
1 Sizing Many vintage patterns come in only one size. So, you often won’t find nested patterns or be able to grade in between sizes. If the vintage pattern matches your size, you can do a happy dance. If not, you’ll want to consider whether you want (or can) grade it to your size.
2 Printing The older patterns did not have printing on the tissue. Instead, there are dots punched into the tissue paper to mark the edges of the pattern and the pattern markings. It’s much more challenging to use these older punched patterns. You can see a couple of examples of this in the video.
3 Uncut vs cut Most pattern listings will say whether the pattern has been cut out or if it’s uncut. Ideally, it will be uncut and in the closest to original condition. But sometimes, it’s not a big if it’s cut because there’s only one size anyway. Or, maybe you’re just buying it for inspiration and not actually to sew with.
4 Storage Ideally, vintage things should be stored in an acid free environment free from light, damp or mold. It’s also recommended not to tape or iron a vintage pattern as that can degrade the pattern.
5 Using a vintage pattern For vintage patterns, I recommend tracing because you won’t be able to just print a new copy like you can with pdf patterns. (By the way, did you see my video from a couple weeks ago on tracing vs cutting?)
Now that you have all my vintage pattern tips, I’d like to invite you to check out the vintage patterns in my Etsy shop. I’ve been collecting patterns for many years and while I LOVE them, there are a few that I’m willing and dare I say even excited to send off to a new caretaker (that’s you!). I will be keeping most of the patterns in the video but I have lots more that did not make it on camera and a few of those are in the shop.
The pattern listings have all the details on condition of the pattern and size. I selected the prices based on competitor pricing and the pattern condition. So, if it’s a hard to find pattern in excellent condition it will be priced higher than an easy to find pattern in so-so condition. If you live in the US, the shipping is free. For international orders, it’s $10 for the first pattern and $3 for each additional pattern.
Thank you so much for supporting my small business. Happy sewing!
