Growing up in the 60s (that’s the 1960s!), there weren’t nearly as many clothing choices as we have today. So, when my Aunt Mary offered to teach me how to make my clothes, I jumped at the chance!
(Aunt Mary in light pink dress with her mother, sisters and sisters-in-law)
One of the surprises that awaited me was the choice of folded tissue paper patterns that I could choose. Looking back on it now, I’m not sure how I imagined clothing was made. But from those early sewing lessons, I continued making clothes throughout high school, college, and even into my early years of marriage and motherhood.
Fast forward to the present…when author Elaine Manders opened up spots in her Westward Hearts and Homes Matrimonial series, I quickly signed on as I’ve never done a mail-order bride romance.
While creating a profile for my heroine, Olivia Glennon, I came across a post about Irish women who came to America. They’d become maids, servants, laundresses, etc. However, I wanted to make Olivia something a bit more…modern. Giving her an occupation not only as a seamstress but as a pattern maker would add another layer to her profile.
Since the matrimonial agency was headquartered in Boston, I searched the Internet for pattern-making companies in the 1800s…enter Ebenezer Butterick.
Home sewing had just begun to proliferate with the introduction of the sewing machine in the mid-1800s. Around the same time, women’s magazines were gaining in popularity and many of them printed patterns, increasing the average woman’s access to stylish garments. However, these early patterns and illustrations were printed on small magazine pages and were difficult to use. By the 1850s, Godey’s Lady’s Book printed full-sized patterns, but in only one size, with no scale measurements for enlarging giving the reader no choice but to size the patterns to her own figure.
During the Civil War era, tailor Ebenezer Butterick experimented with the idea of graded patterns
and discovered that tissue paper was ideal to work with and much easier to package than the heavy cardboard templates he first created.
The first graded sewing patterns were cut and folded by members of the Butterick family and sold from their home. In no time they needed extra space and expanded, first into an adjoining house and then to a larger house outside of Boston. In the next year, they established a second branch in New York City. Butterick first specialized in men’s and boys’ clothing but in 1866 began to manufacture dress patterns. Soon the women’s line included dresses, jackets, and capes in 13 sizes and skirts in five sizes. By 1873 Butterick was selling some six million patterns a year, at 25 cents each.
Corporate headquarters were moved in 1903 to the new 16-story Butterick Building in what is now known as Manhattan’s Soho district. Butterick was now one of the largest manufacturing concerns in the industry, and the building, constructed expressly for the firm, featured interiors designed by Louis Tiffany. Here, new styles were made up in muslins, and inspected for appearance, practicality, and suitability to the customers. After the season’s styles had been chosen, patterns were created, graded into sizes, printed on tissue papers, and cut, folded, and inserted into envelopes, complete with instruction sheets. These patterns sold for ten or 15 cents each.
Soon, other companies developed their line of women’s clothing patterns—which gave the American woman some options for clothing. Harper’s Bazar (later Harper’s Bazaar) offered pattern sheets printed on both sides of the paper. Shapes had to be traced for use. Begun with one-sized patterns in 1867, Harper’s offered individually cut paper patterns in 1870.
Glasgow tailor James McCall emigrated to New York in 1869 to work for Wheeler and Wilson’s Elliptic Sewing Machines and went on to publish a Catalog of the Bazar Paper Patterns. Despite the similarity of the names, McCall had nothing to do with Harper’s. McCall then published a fashion periodical called The Queen of Fashion in 1891 which became McCall’s in 1897.
By the late 19th century, tissue paper patterns became common. Holes and various shapes indicated the placement of darts and pleats while cut notches showed where to join cut fabric pieces.
In 1927, Joseph Shapiro established the Simplicity Pattern Company, which created the reproduced patterns that were affordable for the average household. Most patterns on the market sold from between 25 cents to $1.00, depending on the type of garment. Around the same, Vogue introduced Hollywood Patterns—which sold for 15 cents each—and capitalized on women’s desires to look like Silver Screen stars.
As the railroads increased the speed of transport, it became easier to order patterns from magazines and catalogs. The introduction of money orders made it simple and safe to order products by mail. The pattern business took off in a big way.
Pattern companies began to offer patterns in general magazines like Farm Journal and newspapers hoping to sell to rural and lower-income women, giving these women the chance to dress in current fashion without having to shop at a major department store.
Though home sewing with paper patterns may never gain widespread popularity as it once had, there is a resurgence of at-home sewing encouraging individual style over trends.
Did you or someone you know ever use a paper tissue pattern to make clothing?
Born and raised in western Massachusetts, Jo-Ann Roberts was fascinated by America’s Old West and always felt she was destined to travel on a wagon train following the Oregon Trail. With her love of history and reading, she began reading historical romance during high school and college. Victoria Holt, Jude Deveraux, and Roseanne Bittner were among her favorites. Influenced by her father, she fell in love with John Wayne, James Garner, and her all-time favorite, James Stewart and grew up watching Wagon Train, Bonanza and Rawhide.
A firm believer in HEA with a healthy dose of realism, Jo-Ann strives to give her readers a sweet historical romance while imparting carefully researched historical facts, personalities, and experiences relative to the time period. Her romances take her readers back to a simpler time to escape the stress of modern life by living in a small town where families and friends help one another find love and happiness.
When she isn’t creating believable plots and relatable heroes and heroines, Jo-Ann enjoys spending time with her husband, children and grandson. She also enjoys baking, quilting and eating way too much chocolate.
After 38 years in public education in Connecticut and Maryland, she’s now calls North Carolina home.
My mom made so many clothes for me when I was a kid. I loved looking at pattern books. She used them.
Yes indeed! I made lots of skirts and some jumpers for myself from about the age of 12 or 13 into my 30’s. Now my sewing is mainly shortening slacks (even the ones supposedly constructed for short women are a bit too long) and mending. My mom taught me the basics of how to use her Kenmore White sewing machine. Home Ec in 7th grade included one quarter on machine sewing; that was where/when I decided it wasn’t worth it to sew slacks with fly front zippers.
Hi, Mary! I feel your pain about shortening pants…they never seem to be short enough! Putting in zippers was NOT my favorite thing to do when sewing. Thanks for commenting.
My mom had a treadle machine and she sewed two different sets of matching outfits on that thing for five children and my dad and herself, three dresses and four shirts, well actually six dresses and eight shirts plus everything else she made for us. She said she pedaled her way around the world with that Singer. I don’t know how she did everything she managed to fit into a day. She got an electric machine in 1962, I remember the year because she got it when we moved to a new town. She always used the tissue patterns but her sister could look at a garment and cut it out freehand. They both made beautiful garments.
Welcome, Rachel! How fortunate to have your mother sew clothes for you and the family. My Aunt Mary (the one I mentioned in the blog) could cut out a garment freehand. What a gift! Thanks for commenting.
My mother did when I was a kid.
Welcome! How wonderful to have a mother who sewed! Thanks for commenting.
Yes, my Mom was a beautiful seamstress!
Welcome, Rhonda. So many readers have commented that their moms were an accomplished seamstress. I’m not sure mothers of my generation could say the same thing. Thanks for commenting.
Hello Jo-Ann! What a nice write up! I think I’ve used all those patterns at one time or another! My mother sewed. She still has her ‘60s Singer sewing machine! She would sew her dresses and with the left over material make me dresses. I have a few pictures of us from back then wearing them. She made a prom dress for me also. But, yes, we used those tissue patterns and I still have some! LOL
Best wishes!
Welcome, Tracy. I remember making a blue and white print empire waist dress for a wedding, a jumper, and a maternity bathing suit when I was expecting my daughter. Unfortunately, those pictures were probably thrown in the trash when my mom went into the nursing home. Thanks for commenting
My mother made lots of clothes. I used the patterns to make Halloween costumes as well as Santa’s suit.
Welcome, Debby. Oh, I loved the Halloween costumes. I made a Blue Crayola crayon, a gypsy, pirate, and princess costumes for my children. Thanks for commenting.
as a teenager in the 70’s I made all my clothes as did my Mom and siblings, even my brother was very good – he’s 6’6″ tall and could not find pants with a 38″ inseam back then!
Welcome, Teresa. Sewing our clothes in the 60s and 70s was popular where I lived. As I mentioned in the blog, there truly wasn’t the volume of choice back then, so if we wanted something “cool” out of Seventeen Magazine, we had to make ourselves. Thanks for commenting.
Yes, I learned to sew in home economics class in high school. We started out making a dish towel, then a skirt, and a dress. After I got out of school I bought a sewing machine and continued making a lot of my clothing.
Welcome, Connie. My mother didn’t sew so my Aunt Mary stepped up to get me started. When my mother saw my interest, she bought me a sewing machine inside a wood cabinet. I wish I still had the cabinet now. I would have my husband retrofit it with my current machine. Thanks for commenting.
I’m of your era. Took Home Economics and had to sew an outfit..I passed, but barely. Button holes were in ‘wrong’ side..all the while in my class was the teacher’s daughter. A lovely gal who was experienced and talented…sewed a matched plaid suit..talk about being 10 levels past the rest of us. she was such a sweetie though.
Hi Kate! Button holes….I still don’t like to make them. Wow…a plaid suit! That must have taken some talent. Even now when I see something plaid, I look to see if it “marries up” as Aunt Mary always said. Thanks for commenting.
I took a home economics class in middle school and made a skirt. It turned out okay but oh it was a less than enjoyable experience for me. I much prefer paper and glue crafting over thread that knots. lol My mom, on the other hand, is an amazing seamstress who can make or alter just about everything. She made most of our clothes when we were kids. She also took custom orders for clothing and was hired to make costumes for a local ballet company several times as well as making drapes and furniture slipcovers and completely reupholstering furniture. She’s seriously talented.
Welcome, Christy. What a wonderful gift your mom was given! I think costume-making must be exciting. I think making costumes for shows like Downton Abbey and Bridgerton, etc. would be a dream job. Thanks for commenting.
Yes I did make some clothes, also made curtains a few years ago. I still make my own aprons that I use when I am cooking.
Welcome! My late father-in-law owned a fabric factory in Connecticut. So, when we got our first apartment, he brought me yards of fabric to make curtains. I can still recall the print and the ruffles on the edges. Thanks for commenting.
Yes. Like you I grew up in the 60’s (I graduated from high school in 1969). I made my first dress in Home Ec when I was in the 8th grade. I loved sewing and began making my own clothes in high school. I started on a treadle machine because it was what we had. I was so excited when my mother got our first electric sewing machine. I continued to sew into my married life, making clothes for my six children, and have made bridesmaid’s dresses, flower girl dresses and banquet dresses for my girls and granddaughters. I still have my machine, but I don’t sew much any more except to do some alterations.
Welcome, Elaine. How talented you are to make such special dresses for yourself, your girls, and your granddaughters. Such precious memories. I hope you have photos to mark the occasions. Thanks for commenting.
When they were little, I made a lot of my children’s clothes and quite a few for me. I had a collection of patterns. My mom was a better seamstress. She often made her own patters from old saved newspapers.
Welcome, Janice. I had quite a collection of patterns, also. I sewed until the time I went to work full-time. In my research, there was some mention of women who made their own patterns from newspapers. But I think it’s interesting that tissue paper was more readily available than newspapers. Thanks for commenting.
Good morning, yes, my mom sewed some and then my middle sister loved to sew and she used them. I also learned how to sew in Home Economics class when I was in HS. I only made 1 dress as I was really not into sewing, especially after the dress we had made in Home Economics class because we had to wear it one day to school and I had messed up on the zipper. I guess I really didn’t have the patience for sewing, even though I have alot of patience , but not for sewing. I do love to embroider.
Welcome, Alicia. For me, putting in zippers was nearly as bad as making button holes. There were just some aspects of sewing that tried my patience. Good for you to find something you enjoy doing. I would love to see some of your embroidery. Thanks for commenting.
I learned to sew in home economics. We had to make an outfit and I bought the wrong size so my teacher taught me how to adjust the pattern. By the time I graduated I had made a wool pant suit, dresses for my two sisters, and my prom dress which needed alterations as I raised the back. Later I made a two-pieced swimsuit, but i don’t sew much anymore. I enjoyed your history lesson on pattern making.
Welcome, karijean. So many readers commented on learning to sew in Home Economics class. If they still teach it in high school, I imagine they’ve given it some fancy name like Life Skills. Thanks for commenting.
My mom used patterns to make me and my sister dresses.
Welcome, Linda. What great memories you have to look back on. I hope you have pictures of your mom’s creations.
Mom used to used Simplicity, MacCalls, and Butterick patterns to make me clothes! And her and my sisters, too! The was one brand, I think Simplicity, that I could always get the same size and have it fit me, until I was in my 30’s, and then everything changed! My size was pretty much the same, but the patterns weren’t! Mom got really frustrated with one dress she was trying to make me, that she decided she wasn’t going to finish it. It was the last dress, but she’d still make me skirts! The pattern pieces didn’t even line up like they were supposed to, so there was really something wrong! lol!
Welcome, Trudy. How frustrating! I wonder if they changed the dimensions to go along with the changing body types. Thanks for commenting.
Good morning, Jo Ann. YES, my mom taught me how to sew in my early teens. I took off with it because I fell in love with making my own clothes. It continued most of my life as I even made my own face masks with Covid-19. I continue to mend clothes, hem them and minor fittings as needed. I made 3-piece suits for my son as well as my husband. He also had a few leisure suits which were popular in the 70’s. My daughter never caught the bug, so no more sewers in my family, sad to say.
I forgot to mention, I am 79 now so not much gets sown anymore.
Welcome, Judy. I made a leisure suit for my husband…but only once! And made masks, as well. My daughter never wanted to learn to sew either. I guess we have a lot in common. Thanks for commenting.
I started sewing clothing, with tissue paper patterns, at 12yo in 1976.
Mom bought everything she needed to sew a couple of sundresses but gave up after cutting the fabrics… and I took over.
Four years later she was bring home fabrics and patterns for shirts and blouses that I’d make for her coworkers at a fabric store near the garment district in LA.
I even managed to rework patterns so I could mix and match elements that were not intended to go together.
I even took pattern drafting classes in college.
I loved this post so much, Jo-Ann! Sewing clothes was something my grandma taught my mom, and then she taught me. I used to make all my dresses. Mom helped me make my wedding dress. My grandma would make her own patterns using newspaper. Mom would show her the dress she liked from a magazine or catalog and Grandma would draw out the pieces on the paper, and then she and mom would cut them out and sew a new garment. Such fun memories! I have a box full of those old tissue paper patterns.
Shanna, What wonderful memories to hold onto! While doing the research for the blog, I read that women did use newspapers to make patterns, which made me wonder why tissue paper was readily available in the 1870s but newspapers were highly coveted. Thanks for commenting.
Yes, my mom sewed all of our clothes and taught us girls to sew. My brother also sews. We were taught using those patterns from Butterick and Simplicity.
Welcome, Barbara. How wonderful to have memories of sharing an activity with your family. My favorite patterns were from Simplicity and McCalls. Thanks for commenting.
I remember pinning the pattern pieces on the fabric and carefully cutting out each piece, and sometimes cutting off notches. I managed a few decent articles of clothing. My mom was the real seamstress.
Welcome, Terri. I also have memories of pinning the paper to the fabric and cutting off the notches until my mom told me to use straight shears instead of pinking shears. Thanks for commenting.
Between my mom, Home Ec. In High School and 4-H, I learned to sew. I made a lot of my clothes, even my wedding dress 50 years ago. Just made a sweet Christmas outfit for my great granddaughter this year. It was the first time in a long time I got to work on something from scratch with a pattern. Most of the time people who know I can sew bring me mending projects, even to just sew on a button! I have worked with 3 of my granddaughters teaching them the basics on the sewing machine.
Welcome, Marcia. Many of the readers learned to sew in Home Economics classes. How sweet you made an outfit for your great-granddaughter. I love that you are passing down this essential skill to your granddaughters. Thanks for sharing.
Loved your post, Jo-Ann. I began sewing as a teenager and made a lot of my own clothes and later my daughter’s clothes. I even made a couple of pairs of pants for my husband. Always used tissue paper patterns. My favorite was Simplicity. I knew the women of the past sewed their dresses, but never realized how early tissue paper patterns became available. Wonderful research here.
Welcome, Elaine. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Like you, I began sewing in my early teens, through high school, college, and my early years of marriage and motherhood. Once I went to teach full-time, I limited my sewing to Halloween costumes and mending. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for sharing. Yes, I used paper patterns when I was in high school. I have my grandmother’s foot pedal sewing machine. God bless you.
Welcome, Debbie. How wonderful you have something of your grandmother…a foot pedal sewing machine! I imagine it holds lots of memories for you. Thanks for sharing.
Altho my great-grandmother was a seamstress and taught her own daughter, for some reason my grandmother did not teach my mother. So, when my sister and I began to need larger clothes, my mother measured us, when to probably JCPenney’s and bought patterns. She went by the suggested yardage for the right size in each pattern and made our clothes. Other than jeans, we didn’t have a “store-bought” dress until in our teens. I’ve made some of my own clothes down thru the years and all of my daughter’s dresses until I went to work outside the home. I’ve made leisure suits for both my ex and I and even made him a western suit, all using patterns. I still enjoy sewing but don’t have the room like I used to
Welcome, Ginni. I made many dresses during my high school and college years. When I married, I made my husband a leisure suit, and sundresses and rompers for my daughter using patterns, usually Simplicity and McCalls. Thanks for sharing.
My mom didn’t have much time for sewing, but her mom certainly did a lot of it. She sewed for most of the grandchildren (there were over 40 back then, over 60 now). I took sewing in Home Ec. like most high schoolers in the 1960’s. Didn’t much like it, buit worked with my grandmother over the next few years and learned to enjoy sewing. I sewed some clothing for college, sewed my clothes for going overseas with the Peace Corps, sewed all my attendants’ dresses, hats, veil and ring pillow for my wedding. I sewed much of my maternity clothes, regular clothing, and made a lot of our children’s clothing. More recently is was mostly costumes, pillows, curtains and tablecloths. Now I am doing mostly mending and easy skirts.
Thanks so much for the information on the history of patterns. I never really thought of it. I know a lot of people just took the old clothing they had apart and used the pieces as patterns. I have patterns for a few Native American pieces, but they are not like the Simplicity style patterns. The directions are more suggestions than anything else.
Welcome, Patricia. Goodness, you certainly put your sewing skills to good use over the years. How wonderful! I’m sure the recipients of your efforts appreciated it. Thanks for sharing.
Thank-you for a memory making post! I can’t remember a time I didn’t sew. Grandma set me on her lap, put her hands over mine and showed me how to run fabric through the machine while she operated the treadle then later her electric with a knee control! She taught me how to use tissue paper patterns too. Junior High Home Ec saw 2 friends and I making matching dresses for the 8th grade fashion show. I sewed for, then taught my daughter to sew – she took Grand Champion Wool garment in 4H at the Wyoming State Fair one year. After the high school drama department found out I sewed I was tasked making their costumes for several years, including 8 brocade coats for the guys in one of the productions. Now I stick to quilting.
Welcome, Carol. What a sweet memory of you with your grandmother! And congratulations to your daughter for her achievement. Your skills and patience were certainly put to good use making costumes for high school drama & music productions. Thanks for sharing.
I made all my own clothes from a very early age – around eleven. I had tons of paper patterns to choose from. My cousin worked at a fabric factory and constantly brought ‘end of roll’ fabrics to me. Mostly there was enough to make a full outfit. I made all my own clothes for around 30 years. I also made my children’s clothes and my grandchildren’s. I haven’t done any sewing for quite a while – a bit over twenty years, I believe.
Welcome, Cheryl. Like you, I began sewing in my early teens through high school, college, marriage, and motherhood. I loved making sundresses and rompers for my daughter. My late father-in-law owned a fabric mill in Connecticut and every Friday when he came for supper, he brought a bundle of pieces for me. Now, I only make patchwork quilts and a bit of mending. Thanks for sharing.
That’s wonderful! My mother was a patchwork quilter, but I never learner how. Yay on the fabric!
I grew up with my mom sewing for herself and three girls. Her mother sewed for herself and three girls as well. Both my sisters sewed for themselves and their girls. I took up the sewing bug after graduating college in the ’90s. Styles had simplified from the 80s. I used all the “Big 4” patterns and sewed 90% of my wardrobe. I married, had a boy and the sewing slowed. Nine years ago I was blessed with a girl. It was much easier to sew for her them since she wasn’t concerned about looking too girly. I still sew for her and myself as well as many craft type items. I don’t use the “big 4” patterns as much since I’ve discovered independent designers who draft for more realistic sizing and have much more unique designs with simpler construction methods.
Sewing is something I feel is starting to be a lost art and it’s too useful to just let fall by the wayside.
Welcome, Kendra. How fortunate to have the skills handed down through the generations in your family. Sadly, my daughter had no interest in sewing…I’m not sure she can even sew a button on a blouse. I’m not even sure they have Home Economics in school any longer because of the lack of interest. Thanks for sharing.
My Mom made a lot of our clothes from patterns, and I also learned to sew from these. I made some of my own girls clothes, several Halloween costumes, and Barbie clothes for my daughters Barbie’s.
Welcome, Carol. I made rompers and sundresses for my daughter, and later on made Halloween costumes for both my children. I didn’t sew Barbie clothes, but my mother worked with a woman who made dozens of Barbie clothes. My daughter was so surprised to get evening clothes, dresses, and hats at Christmas. Thanks for sharing.
Interesting blog post. Pretty sure my mother-in-law used them.
Hi, Vickie. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for sharing.
Your blog hits close to home. My mother sewed and by the time I was eight, I was sewing close for my dolls. That would have been around 1949. When I became a teenager, I was making my own skirts, 3 yards wide and gathered onto a band, which I did by hand. In 7th grade, I had home economics in school. The teacher wanted us to make skirts, so I went home and did exactly that, took it to class the next day. She was, I think. a bit flabbergasted, and didn’t like what I’d done. She said I was supposed to do it on a machine instead of doing some by hand, like the gathering and the hem. It was a nice skirt I could have worn to school. I had to go home, takes it all apart and start over. Doing the seams was fine, but my mother’s machine was old and didn’t gather very well, so that part wasn’t very successful. In fact, the whole skirt was a mess. I did not get a good grade and never wore the skirt. But I went on to sew all my clothes until I was in my 40s and my husband convinced me to quit. I would try on something I’d worked hard on and either didn’t like it on me or it didn’t fit. This was in the 1980’s and patterns and sewing notions had become expensive. I’ve been buying my clothes ever since. I did, however, make him clothes and made us each down coats. So I’ve sewn almost everything, including bedding and clothes for my nieces and nephews when they came along. Now, I don’t have a working machine but I still have my mothers old Singer from back in the ’40s. You work it with your knee. Enjoyed your post.
Hi, Charlene. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Too bad your teacher didn’t appreciate the hard work you put into it. I’m happy to read you weren’t discouraged, and went on to sew for many years. Thanks for sharing.