Happy Halloween From The Pattern Patter Team

Halloween is nearly here!  I know all of you are busy sewing your special Halloween costumes, so let's take a look at Halloween past!

I had the luck to find this lovely vintage costume catalog from Ladies Home Journal, circa 1920s:

Ahh!  This cover is so pretty and Art Deco.. and some of the costumes inside are a real treat.

First some international costumes from places around the globe...

Or maybe some loosely-interpreted historical characters are more up your alley?  (Dolly Varden is from Dickens, so she's fictional!)

Still more whimsical international themed designs... I love the French Sewing Girl, don't you?

Here are some lovely characters from theatre and legend...

Of course, it wouldn't be Halloween without some fairies and witches... :)

Nobody says no to a cute patriotic costume!

Still more whimsical international costumes!

There were also many child-size costumes included in the catalog.. very sweet ideas

More child-sized or teen-sized costumes... I didn't know the Campfire Girls had been around so long..

And that's it!!

One really interesting thing about this little catalog is that descriptions list not only fabric requirements, but crepe paper requirements, if you should want to make the costume out of paper instead of fabric.

The fabric requirements are listed with the regular descriptions and pictures, the crepe paper requirements are in the back.

The descriptions are really so cute, but if I listed them all we'd be here until NEXT Halloween.

I hope you enjoyed this!  Have a lovely Halloween!

Art Deco Style

I can imagine my Grandma in this lovely frock, Pattern Style No. 3455. It was produced in 1928, when my Grandma was 28. She was born in 1900 and grew up in New York City, where fashion is King. 

Capper's Weekly 3455 art deco flapper dress pattern by Capper Publications, New York City 1928 is for a Ladies and Misses Dress with a fabulous zig zag diagonal front closing. It features a collarless open neck, and set-in sleeves slashed up from the lower edges and the slashed edges are bound. There is a plaited inset at right side of the three-piece skirt that is attached to waist under a removable belt. Inset pocket at left side. Width at lower edge of skirt, size 36, about 1 5/8 yards. It says that it fits a Misses Size 18 years (Did they go by years back then?), Bust 36 inches, with 39 inch hips.

Here is an archived copy of the pattern and the Fashion article as it appeared in the September 25, 1928, Lowell Sun Newspaper. 

This is the article:

Fashion’s Forecast by Annabel Worthington

Clever zig zag outline at front with one-sided kilted plaits give smart accent to street dress showing simple good taste. It is extremely fashionable made of sheer woolen. Printed crepe satin, jersey, flat silk, crepe, plain crepe satin, georgette crepe, silk pique, wool crepe, printed velvet and plain sheer velvet also appropriate and chic for Style No. 3455. Pattern can be had in sizes 16, 15 years, 36, 38, 40, 42, and 44 inches bust measure and requires only 3 ⅛ yards of 40 inch material for the 36-inch size. Price 15 cents in stamps or coin (coin preferred). Our patterns are made  by the leading fashion designers of New York City and are guaranteed to fit perfectly. Every reader should send for a copy of our new Fashion magazine because it contains all the most attractive styles for autumn. In addition to six illustrated articles of great value to the woman who sews, showing how any pattern may be altered and also the correct way to fit sleeves, finish slashes and other difficult steps in dressmaking. The edition is limited so send 10 cents for your copy today. For Patterns (15¢) and Fashion books (10¢) address the Fashion Dept.-Lowell Sun.

My name is Anne White, and am a retired Grandma who likes vintage everything (Guess I better since I am vintage too!). I enjoy quilting, going to estate sales, being with my family, especially my 6 year old Grandson, and of course finding Fabulous patterns.

If you like vintage treasures of all kinds, check out my Etsy shops: 

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