Neckline "How To"

Today's "how to" on finishing necklines comes from Simplicity 1283, a 1955 blouse pattern.

Whether the blouse has a collar or just a facing, this Simplicity "How To" gives valuable info for making your creation look great!

McCall's 3922 Dress and Coat Ensemble

I love finding newspaper clippings in vintage patterns. Reading incomplete scraps of stories, then using the information to date the clipping (easy with Google!) can help to establish the publication date an undated pattern. Even better, it is a brief look at history and the events which were news-worthy on a long-past day. This clipping is from September 1958. I know this because the only complete article on the back of the dress clipping was about a man named Leo Turck, who was jailed when he claimed to have killed Serger Rubenstein in 1955. Online copies of various newspapers dated September, 1958 say he was not the killer. Another incomplete article quotes sources that say President Eisenhower will appoint Lieut. General Elwood R. Quesada to head the new Federal Aviation Agency. Quesada was, in fact, the first head of the FAA, which was formed in 1958. There is another incomplete article about Chiang Kai-shik, Chou En-lai and the Formosa situation.

The front of the clipping is a dress - an empire sheath trimmed with French rose lace. I found the clipping inside McCall's 3922 - dated 1956.

The dresses are very similar, even though they are 2 years apart. McCall's was quite fashion forward, right? It is a beautiful dress!

Apron Patterns! They Are The Best!

I love apron patterns! To be honest, I say that about almost every category of pattern. I love costume patterns. I love toy patterns. I love hippie patterns. I love swimwear patterns. I love patterns for toddlers. And the list goes on and on. But apron patterns! They are the best! m

These are just two apron patterns I've found recently. Both were published around 1955.

The black "Mammy" face on Mail Order 534 is a stereotype which was used frequently in the 1950's. Interestingly, the pattern was published with the same face in a "white" shade as well. I've never come across that pattern. It seems rarer, maybe because the women making aprons didn't want a bland white girl face.

Both patterns and more are available for purchase at DellaJane Apron Patterns.