Box!
Ok, this one’s been a LONG time coming.
You see, way back before Christmas, Bernie, a friend of my mom’s (my mom is my blog pimp) stopped by the blog and left me a comment that her mother had a bunch of patterns she no longer wanted, and would I be interested.
Um.
Hell yeah?
Of course, what with distances and things like that, it made the most sense for her to drop them off at my mom’s. I picked them up over Christmas, and got—well, a little more than I bargained for. 🙂
Magazines
Aside from the patterns (we’ll get to those), there was a bag of fabric—an assortment of wool tartans, one partially assembled into a kilt) and a bunch of 80s sewing magazines—too new to really feel vintage, but too old to just chuck. Hmm.
Patterns!
The vast majority of the patterns were 80s, as well, and a fair number aren’t in my size range. But, in amidst the dross, there were gems, oh yes. (oh, and do click to see the full-size photo below)
The gems
Isn’t this a cute 50s shirtdress (top right)? Classic. It’s the right size, too—the only issue is that that blousy top and gathered skirt absolutely don’t work on my figure. /sigh. And yes, there’s several simple full-ish skirts in there (one of them twice, now that I look closer… *headdesk*) The Vogue wardrobe pattern (bottom right) I mostly like for the cap-sleeve blouse, by the way. Erm, yeah, basically identical to McCall’s 6288.
But the kicker, oh yes, the one that made my heart go pit-a-pat, was Simplicity 7376. Yeah, I’m a sucker for a sleek 70s suit jacket, but there’s a bit of extra back-story here. I found this exact same Simplicity pattern at Value Village back in the fall, and fell totally in love—and then was crushed to realize it was in a size 20. I nearly bought it anyway, just to look at. But this is so much better—it’s a size 14, a little larger than my usual 12, but much more manageable than the 20!
So thank you very much, Bernie—because that pattern alone totally made my day!
Tanit-Isis Sews 
If you want to get rid of that Style 4148 pattern, I’ll be glad to take it off your hands 🙂
Fun haul!
I know, isn’t it adorable? (I can’t believe I’m saying that about an 80s pattern…)
Unfortunately for both of us, it’s like a size 40!
Oh oh oh – what a cache, which means you’ll have to make another something for yourself. Hooray!
LOL! Here’s hoping…
I love when things work out that way! So awesome.
I kind of love that vogue blouse pattern. And I think that middle view on Style 4148 (the one with the shawl collar?) has some serious awesome potential. So fun. The shirtdress pattern is so totally adorable but wouldn’t work on my figure either. Sigh.
Have fun!
Yeah, that one really caught my eye, too. See above about the size :P.
I’m kinda fantasizing about messing with the 50s shirtdress pattern so it had an extended bodice fitted through the waist… because I *can* pull off that kind of gathered skirt if it’s dropped a few inches… but we’ll see. It’s not as if my “dresses I’d like to make” list is all that short… 🙂
Eegadz I used to have that pattern. This is making me feel old. 🙂
I’m sorry! I have kinda developed a thing for 70s patterns in the last couple of years… it probably relates to 70s styles being really popular when I was in my late teens…
… which probably doesn’t help, does it? :P…
oh dear. I have that pattern too.. I am old too …
See above. 😉
Would it help to think of it as classic?
Very nice haul! I really like that shirt dress, but then, I’m on a big raglan sleeve obsession right now.
I wonder why there’s so many 80’s patterns out there. Is it because they were too distinctive of the trends back then and the shape is just so out of style now that everyone ditches these patterns (I’m thinking of the abundance at thrift stores), or were there just a lot more patterns produced in the 80’s? Or both?
Frankly, I don’t remember many people wearing these styles (except for maybe one of my Grandma, but she is always on top of the current trends). My Mom never really left the 70’s until about the early-90’s.
I think the 80s pattern abundance is that no one likes them much, so they tend to get donated and not snaffled up. And while there was definitely a distinct 80s revival going on on the street around here the last five years or so, I haven’t seen much sign of it in the online sewing world. But the main blogging demographic I read tends to be people like us who grew up in the 80s… maybe we’re the wrong group to be intrigued by them. I dunno. (Hmm, it occurs to me that you’re probably a few years younger than me so that may not apply…)
My aunt “matured” stylistically in the 80s (and there she still is). My husband also loves a large chunk of 80s style. But most of what he loves doesn’t seem to be reflected in the sewing patterns… not sure what exactly is going on there, frankly. I just remember hating all the ugly hair and clothes I saw everywhere when I was a kid. Not that I was into the bell-bottoms at that point, either, mind you… that transition required some major mental rewiring in the late 70s…
One word – SWEEEEET!
Wow, awesome box ‘o patterns. All the 80s styles remind me of my mother’s pattern collection….which I have little desire to inherit 🙂 I’m curious what that Kwik Sew pattern is in the first pic.
ooooh that 50s shirtdress butterick 2626 and the 60s kicky skirt simplicity 6707, soooo cute!!!! what a great present!!
Pingback: Round and round and round she goes… | Tanit-Isis Sews
happy you like the patterns ——gives me more room–Bernies Mom
Hours of fun! Now I understand your recent post about the need to organise! I am feeling quite overwhelmed by my recent pattern hauls too. But I am trying to match them to stash fabric and take it from there… belive that and you will belive anything!
Believe.
🙂