Anatomy of a 1920s Pattern
As we approach 2020, there has been a marked uptick in interest in the 1920s. (How many Great Gatsby parties have YOU been invited to for New Year’s Eve? Remember, ain’t no party like a Gatsby party until there is a sizable body count!) I’ve been beefing up on my 1920s dressmaking for a couple years now, and I wanted to share an original pattern with you.
There were variations between the pattern companies, but this Pictorial Review pattern is pretty typical of the era. The pattern is only provided in one size per envelope, and the pattern pieces are unprinted tissue. There is no separate instruction sheet – all the instructions given are what you see on the pattern envelope. There is actually quite a bit of information provided, but it is certainly much less than modern sewing patterns contain!
The front top of this pattern envelope gives the size (Bust 36″), the price, a sketch, and a basic written description of the garment.
Underneath the sketch there are yardage requirements listed for different widths of fabrics and it tells us that the seam allowance for all seams is 3/8″, and then a visual construction guide for the pattern is provided. The pieces illustrated represent all the pattern pieces provided inside the envelope, and there are notes labeling what the pieces are (Front, Back, Sleeve, etc). This construction guide also numbers all the notches which shows how the pieces fit together – notch 3 on the skirt front matches to notch 3 on the skirt back, indicating that those seams will be joined. Less obvious are the armhole notches – notice that the front armhole has notches 11 & 12, and the back armhole has notches 13 & 14. These notches correspond to notches 11, 12, 13 & 14 on the sleeve cap (both the long and short sleeve versions). ALWAYS mark your notches when cutting out your fabric, as this is how you’ll know how the pieces fit together!
On the back of the envelope, it tells us a bit more about the symbols used on the pattern pieces. Large (O) perforations (like on the long sleeve) indicate the grainline. Three (TTT) notches show where to place the piece on the fold (like at Center Front or Center Back). Some of these symbols are more relevant during the cutting phase, and others are needed during the construction phase.
Next up, we have the cutting guide. This shows us, in diagram form, which pieces to cut on the fold, which ones should be cut separately, and the grainline alignment of the pieces on the fabric.
And finally, we have our written cutting and sewing instructions. I’m sure you’ll notice how brief the sewing instructions are, and that none of the stages are illustrated. At the time, it was expected that you would use a separate sewing manual if you needed clarification on any of the steps. Patterns were blueprints for a garment – they weren’t intended to teach someone how to sew.
This pattern showed up in a newspaper advertisement in The Scranton Republican on April 12, 1924. Big thanks to Erin Lufkin to finding this image and confirming the pattern date for me!
