Dating Vintage Sewing Patterns

So I know this is a sticky topic because unless you've actually seen the year printed on the pattern you might not trust what others tell you. Well I completely understand that aspect because it drives me bonkers not being able to figure a year out but I have also noticed that any website I go to never gives an overly clear picture of multiple pattern companies. I've compiled information on Advance, Butterick, DuBarry,Hollywood, McCall and Simplicity patterns from the internet into one place so hopefully this helps someone trying to date a pattern. If you find something that is contrary to your knowledge please let me know so I can adjust this post to be more helpful. 

For all pattern a size 12 indicated a 30" bust until 1956 when a size 12 indicated a 32" bust and then in the 1960's sizes changed again and a size 12 changed to a 34" bust, this sizing continues today. Also from 1933 - 1935 a blue eagle emblem can be found on some patterns in support for the National Recovery Administration. NOTE: the number of the pattern is not always the best thing to look at because some companies reuse numbers or don't go in numeric order so look at the illustrations too. Since I'm a little OCD (CDO is what is should be) I will start with Advance patterns because it comes first alphabetically (but Butterick is the oldest tissue sewing pattern producer).

1934 or 1935

1938

Advance patterns did not print the copyright date on their patterns. During the early and middle 1930's the Eiffel Tower is part of the logo. In the late 1930's the word Pattern was added next to the name, and then between 1944 and 1945 the word pattern is written under Advance. In the late 1940's the type face was changed from a script font. From various Advance pattern booklets http://www.cemetarian.com  has gather these pattern numbers.

Advance 1933 Aug 896-1060

Advance 1941 Oct 2810-3540

Advance 1944 Jan 3419-3637

Advance 1946 Dec 4408-4423

1945

late 1940's (1947?)

Around 1939

Butterick also didn't print the copyright of their patterns anywhere on the pattern. In the 1930's to the early 1940's the Butterick logo was across the whole top of the pattern or in script print anywhere on the pattern. During the mid 1940's the logo was placed in a black box and in the late 1940's the logo was fixed in the left hand corner. In the 1950’s Butterick added a color box around logo and eventually this just became a light  gray.

1944

1951

DuBarry patterns were printed from 1931 to 1947 by Simplicity Pattern Company. These are difficult to date because some have B, D, or T after their Pattern number. In the early 1930's the logo was a black with white lettering and featured a woman with a wig and three feathers in her hair. During the mid 1930's the logo became a square box at the middle right hand side. Then in the late 1930's the DuBarry logo moved to the bottom left hand corner with the price of the pattern above it. With the 5000 series the logo moved to the upper left hand corner and was written in a script font. The 2000 series and the 5000 series overlap for the years 1941 and 1942. Around 1945 the logo changed to white font in a black strip http://www.cemetarian.com has compiled this list of pattern numbers.

1930's Lower than 2408 

1940 2408B-2561B 

1941 2562B-2666B and 5001-5126 

1942 2716B-2769  and 5273-5500 

1943 5501-5752 

1944 5753-5972 

1945 5973-6140

1946 6141-6212                                                                                                     

1931

Mid 1930's 

1939

1941 2000 series

1941 5000 series

1945

Hollywood patterns are known for the radio and movie stars that have graced the pattern envelopes (including stars Bette Davis, Lucille Ball and Betty Grable to name a few.) These patterns were in print from 1932 - 1947.Not all Hollywood patterns had glamorous radio and movie stars on their envelopes though. During WW2 Hollywood patterns had a star in the upper left hand corner. and they also had patterns from the 1930's with four stars below the logo on the left hand side. Some patterns lacked any of these other special markings. Originally it appears that the logo was along the top of the pattern envelope and then in 1935 the logo was along the left hand side of the envelope. This is where it stayed until the war when the star was used. After that the logo was written in script and kept in the upper left hand corner. http://www.cemetarian.com has compiled this list of pattern numbers.(They say 1932 - 1938 are estimates) I've found a pattern with the number 873 that is distinctly 1930's)

1932 1000-1099

1933 1100-1199 

1934 1200-1299

1935 1300-1399 

1936 1400-1499 

1937 1500-1599

1938 1600-1705 

1939 1706-1928 

1940 1929-1998 and 400-558 

1941 559-788 

1942 804-1021

1943 1022-1255

1944 1256-1489

1945 1490-1770 

1946 1770-1972 

1947 1972-2170

approx 1932

1940

1944

1946

McCall was the name of the pattern company until it changed it's name to McCall's in 1952. McCall did print their copyright dates on their patterns it's just a matter of finding them because Dates printed on envelope they were printed in various location.During the 1920's it seems the dates were anywhere on the envelope back, in the 1930's it was moved to the flap of the pattern and then 1940's and later it was moved to the back edge of the envelope. During the 1920's pattern envelopes were not the size they are today, with these patterns the McCall name was on the top. It then moved  to the right side of the pattern envelope during the 1930's. At this point the type used was a regular font which changed to script in early 1940's and then back to a regular font in the mid - late 1940's. Accessory patterns had a different  position of the logo along the right side still but in the middle not toward the top as the other patterns were.

1928

1934

1943

1947

1951

Simplicity printed their copyright dates on their instruction sheets with the exception of the early 1940's when they printed it on the front of the envelope. Their logo went through lots of changes through the years with the only exception being its location on the left side of the envelope. 1940 - 1941 Simplicity was in black font with Printed Pattern in yellow font with a black background. 1943 saw the introduction of the word Printed in red instead of yellow and the black background was dropped. Unprinted patterns cost .15 and printed ones cost .25. After 1944 all patterns cost .25 because there were no longer unprinted patterns and during  1951 the price increased to .35. There are also special designer patterns from simplicity that have larger pattern envelopes and cost twice as much as a regular Simplicity Patterns. Costumes during the 1930’s had their own sequence with numbers in the 7000 range and then there is the coveted S600 sequence of fabulous 1930's lingerie. http://www.cemetarian.com had compiled this list

1940               3264-3625

1941               3625-4046

1942               4043-4479

1943               4480-4845

1944               4865-4999 1000-1177

1945               1178-1195

1946               1490-1882

1947               1823-2274

1948               2275-2688

1949               2689-3043

1950               3057-3379

1951               3380-3758

1952               3759-4136

1953               4137-4520

1954               4521-4956 1000-1026

1955               4957-4999 1027-1408

1956               1409-1865

1957               1866-2330

1958               2331-2791

1959               2792-3296

1960               3299-3734

Simplicity S605

1938

1941

1942

1949

1951

I hope to add to this as is necessary and feel free to send me a message or comment if your research has turned up something different =] (PS I will get to Vogue but my eyes are starting to go cross eyed at the moment) I would also like to thank these websites for information on dating vintage sewing patterns 

http://reviews.ebay.com/Simplicity-Patterns-Dating-by-Envelope-Design1927-1957?ugid=10000000001470405

http://vintagefashionlibrary.com/dating_vintage_patterns

http://www.vintagestitching.com/dates.html

http://www.cemetarian.com

Merry Merry Christmas!

Christmas is a great and crazy time of year. After faulty lights and running around like a chicken with its head cut off it's finally here. I made amazing gingerbread cookies last night (M almost bit my finger trying to eat the rest of the cookie I had in my hand) and we went to his aunt's house for Christmas Even dinner. It was wonderful and full of family. I got JoAnn's gift cards (M is going to warn the store before I get there) an Etsy.com gift certificate which has already been used to buy myself that lovely pattern you seen on the side there. It has front pocket and.... BACK pockets. I have never seen a dress with pockets in the back like a pair of jeans but I can't wait to make this up and see what people say. My grandmother and I spent a lot of time together and I'm soo happy that she is feeling good and is in good health because this time of year is a great time to count your blessings because everyone has so many if we only take time to look. Enjoy your Holidays and your crazy family because sometimes we all need a break from trying to be normal and just need to be ourselves. Update on the Merry Making. Christmas is now over but that doesn't mean the warm fuzzies are =] For Christmas my grandmother bought me Gerty's New Book for Better Sewing and can I just say Swoon? I've been reading it and I can't get over how awesome the book is. It includes patterns and directions on how to do just about everything when it comes to sewing. I can't wait to go fabric shopping with all of my JoAnn's gift cards. She also got me earings to match the locket M got me last year for Christmas. M got me books, Disney dvds which we will watch together (you are never too old for Disney) and a 1950's petticoat!!! I'm super excited to wear it underneath the dress I'm making now (Butterick 5556) which is a 1955 reprint pattern. My grandmother's boyfriend got me McCall's 9615, a 1950's teen dress (possible 1953) I also got three bags from  my aunt and two new sets of pjs.

Christmas came Early!!

This is a grainy picture of the newest addition to my sewing space!! She is a Singer 150G Adjustable Dress form, and for $99 she became my early Christmas present from my grandmother. I asked for suggestions for a name from my friends and I do believe she will be named Audrey. She modeled almost my whole collection for me today so I could get a feel of how close she is to my body shape. We're pretty close I just have to figure out how to lock in her height better because she keeps getting shorter each time I put something on or take it off. Audrey is going to be extremely helpful because over winter break I hope to learn (teach myself) to draft/ drape my own patterns. I'm so grateful that I have an awesome grandmother who supports my sewing, I'm working on a suit for her and doing of the mock-up of the jacket and I can't wait to have something to give to her for a change.

I am so lucky

This isn't a sewing related post but I thought it was important to document this amazing day. Tonight I will be attending Alexz Johnson's concert in Philadelphia. She is an amazing artist who has been working to make her own music and go on tour for years. That day has finally come and now M and I are going. Because he is so sweet he is taking off work a tiny bit early so I can meet her! I can't explain how excited I am to be able to meet Alexz. Her music has gotten me through some very tough times in my life and I feel so lucky that I can go up to her in person and tell her that. This is her website http://alexzjohnson.com/ you should go and check out her music. Some of you might know her from her part in Final Destination 3, Devil's Diary, Superman (some newer season) and Stranger with my Face. She was also the lead in Instant Star and was in   So Weird for the last season. She is an independent artist with personality and drive to succeed no matter what. Oh I did make a tee shirt for the concert (is that still cool?) so it kinda ties in to my blog. I'll update this post when I actually have a good picture of it.

Butterick 4919

This dress was a dream to sew up except for hemming the circle skirt. The shoulders of the front gather and give the dress detail along with the wrap around bodice. 4919 is a much better Butterick pattern than the "walk away dress" B4719. The walk away look horrible on and doesn't drape nicely at all but 4919 fits wonderfully. The only changes I plan on making to this pattern is to bring the shoulder up a little because the neckline is a little bit too low for someone who doesn't have a well endowed bust. The ties when tied correctly don't show the wrong side of the fabric too much, I did contemplate lining them too but then the ties would be too thick to drape nicely. Because of the skirt being a full circle skirt this dress does eat up a good chunk of fabric but twirling around in it and watching it flare out is totally worth it. I hope to buy a petticoat to make the skirt puff out more but the skirt's drape looks great as is too.  As you can see by the updated pictures I now own a petticoat, it was a gift for my birthday from M

The Scoop:

Fabric: 100% Cotton Quilter's Premium Fabric - Sprigs Brown

Pattern: Butterick 4919 a 1952 reprint

Year: 1952

Notions: One zipper and two hooks with bars


Hours: One week of on and off sewing

First worn?: M's birthday dinner

Wear again?: Yes!

Make again?: In pink and yellow striped fabric I do believe.

Total cost: Pattern approx $8.50  Fabric approx $27.47 and Zipper $3.29. The thread and hook/bars were from my stash, so the total comes to approx. $39.26

Make Do and Mend

Believe it or not this dress was made out of an old fitted bed sheet, the elastic was shot but it only cost $2.48 at Goodwill and it turned into a fantastic dress. The pattern is Hollywood 1271; the only change I had to make to the pattern was to shorten the hem but I plan on opening up the collar because it is a little to high for my claustrophobic side. This was my first attempt at bound button holes and some turned out better than others.  The facings for the dress were a little funny especially with the bound buttons but they turned out well enough to wear the dress. My grandmother made me a snood to match my dress. It turned out beautiful with a scalloped front. I wore my dress and snood for WWII weekend at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum.  

There was a downpour while M and I were waiting in the car for the shuttle but it stopped so we had overcast skies for the rest of the day. It's always amazing to see all of the airplanes out and all of the reenactors who really love what they do. We sat a bit for the live radio show and walked through all of the encampments. I found a new sewing pattern Du Barry 2347d (which I can't seem to find a picture of on the internet). It said it was a 40's pattern but I wanted to confirm the date. It's a shirtwaist style with buttons and a zip closure plus you can add pockets to the center panel. (Have I mentioned how much I LOVE pockets?). M was looking for a rifle while we were in the flee market part but he couldn't find one. Oh and did I mention that he was dressed as a British soldier and we spoke with an accent to each other all day? Yeah we're goofy like that but I really wouldn't have it any other way.

The Scoop:

Fabric: 50% cotton / 50% Polyester fabric; cream with orange and yellow flowers

Pattern: Hollywood 1271

Year: 1944

Notions: 8 cream buttons with gold around the edges

Hours: I honestly don't want to think about it. (Let's just say the shoulder ruffles and I didn't get along...)

First worn?: June 3rd 2012 for WWII Weekend

Wear again?: To WWII weekend again for sure, and maybe out and about if I'm feeling ruffly...

Make again?: I want to make the second version with the sailor collar, but I have to decide if I want a red, blue, white, or black dress with all the possible color combos for trim.

Total cost: $5.00 for the pattern, the fabric was a gift, the buttons were in my button jar and the thread was in my thread box

McCall's 3378

This is the pattern I used to make my ill fated jumper. Why is it ill fated you ask? Well after making a mock up that fit it's disheartening when your finished product is too big. I figure I can solve this problem with a thicker sweater underneath. Then as in my other post I mentioned the invisible zipper. It's not perfect but because it's my first one I can let the imperfections go. I had to rip that one out because I realized I used the wrong size, the zipper I used was meant for another dress. The inside seams are all encased in bias tape aka a Hong Kong finish. I had to use white instead of brown because Joanns was out. Oh well just another little imperfection that I can live with because no one will see it. I am making the red skirt on the front with the pockets. It's coming along nicely even though I've never done pockets before. I added some rickrack along the bottom of the pockets just for some detail. I hope to have it finished by the end of the week and then I can ask my grandmother to take some pictures of me in both. I do need to make a fluffy petticoat so the skirt has the right shape. (Hmmm so many options, any pointers on making a 50's petticoat?) I finished the red skirt and once again forgot I didn't re-size the pattern so I had to adjust it the day before I was supposed to wear it and I made it too small. Both the skirt and jumper are on my sewing table waiting for me to finish the so expect another update on both of these crazy projects soon. (I hand finished the hem in the car and then ripped it out when I got home because it looked so bad.)

In the meantime here is a picture of me and M at his graduation. You can't really see the skirt but I think it's a cute picture of us. I wore the too small skirt for the event and it worked out ok because of the belt that I had made (and secured with safety pins because I didn't have time to put on snaps)