Paper Sewing Patterns, Part 1
Stuff You Missed in History Class
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The Evolution of Women's Sewing Literature
This chapter explores the evolution of sewing books aimed at women, starting from the 1790s, emphasizing their practical focus over fashion trends. By examining early texts like 'Instructions for Cutting Out Apparel for the Poor,' it highlights how these publications served as essential guides for creating basic clothing for those in need.
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Commercially available sewing patterns have been a cornerstone of home stitching for a century. But well before they existed, there were people trying to share sewing patterns.
Research:
- Alcega, Joan de. “Libro de geometria, practica y traça.” Madrid.1580. Accessed online:https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_07333/
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- Bertrand, J.E. “Descriptions des arts et métiers faites ou approuvées.” l'Imprimerie de la Société Typographique. 1780. Accessed online: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=SAWFeeXzMgYC&rdid=book-SAWFeeXzMgYC&rdot=1
- Boullay, Benoit. “Le Tailleur Sincère, Contenant Ce Qu'il Faut Observer Pour Bien Tracer, Couper.” (Reproduction.) Hachette Livre Bnf. 2012.
- Buckley, Cheryl. “On the Margins: Theorizing the History and Significance of Making and Designing Clothes at Home.” Journal of Design History, vol. 11, no. 2, 1998, pp. 157–71. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1316192
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- “The Educational Legacy of Simplicity Pattern Company.” Simplicity Patterns. September 2024. https://simplicity.com/blog/the-educational-legacy-of-simplicity-pattern-company
- Emery, Joy Spanabel. “A History of the Paper Pattern Industry: The Home Dressmaking Fashion Revolution.” Bloomsbury Visual Arts. 2020.
- Freyle, Diego de. “Geometria Y Traça Para El Oficio De Los Sastres.” Sevilla, Spain. 1588. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/1588-geometria-y-traca-para-el-oficio-de-los-sastres/page/n1/mode/2up
- Johnson, Susan. “’Madame’ Demorest—The Woman at the Top of a 19-Century Fashion Empire.” Museum of the City of New York. April 15, 2020. https://www.mcny.org/story/madame-demorest-woman-top-19-century-fashion-empire
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Ebenezer Butterick". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 May. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ebenezer-Butterick
- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Ellen Louise Curtis Demorest." Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Nov. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/money/Ellen-Louise-Curtis-Demorest
- “Demorest’s Illustrated Monthly and Mme. Demorest’s Mirror of Fashions.” April 1865. https://ia802801.us.archive.org/8/items/demorestsillustr00newy/demorestsillustr00newy_bw.pdf
- “Design Group Americas Voluntarily Files for Chapter 11 Protection, Initiates Sale Process Aimed at Maximizing Value Through Going Concern Transactions.” BusinessWire. July 3, 2025. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250703734892/en/Design-Group-Americas-Voluntarily-Files-for-Chapter-11-Protection-Initiates-Sale-Process-Aimed-at-Maximizing-Value-Through-Going-Concern-Transactions
- “Joseph M. Shapiro of Simplicity, 79.” New York Times. July 31, 1968. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1968/07/31/76959179.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
- “Millinery.” New York Times. Nov. 7, 1853. https://www.newspapers.com/image/20309463/?match=1&terms=%22Mme.%20Demorest%22
- “The 40’s from The War Effort to The New Look - Championing Fashion that Matters.” Simplicity Patterns. September 2024. https://simplicity.com/blog/vogue-patterns-an-evolution-of-american-style
- Queen, James and William Lapsley. “The Tailor’s Instructor.” Philadelphia. 1809. Accessed online: https://dn790007.ca.archive.org/0/items/taylorsinstructo00quee/taylorsinstructo00quee.pdf
- Reyes-Martinez, Marcos A. “The Vara: A Standard of Length With a Not-So-Standard History.” National Institute of Standards and Technology. Oct. 11, 2019. https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/vara-standard-length-not-so-standard-history
- Walsh, Margaret. “The Democratization of Fashion: The Emergence of the Women’s Dress Pattern Industry.” The Journal of American History, vol. 66, no. 2, 1979, pp. 299–313. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1900878
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