Patt-o-Rama 8500 - Apron and Bonnet

 

1961, based on this advertisement in the Benton Harbor Michigan News-Palladium on May 11, 1961. 

The original mailing envelope has a return address for GRIT, a periodical for rural folks. The recipient's address includes a ZIP code, putting the mailing date some time after 1963, when ZIP codes were introduced.

Patt-o-Rama is another one of those syndicated house name patterns that are so hard to research. 

Despite the "quaint old-fashioned charm," the writer still points out the functional reason for the bonnet - it shades your face. 1963 puts this bonnet pattern on the cusp of a transition from primarily functional to nostalgic or costume use. This pattern could well have served both uses. It's easy to imagine the bonnet and apron made up in red and white gingham and worn by all the ladies running booths at a church social or bazaar. Then again, this may have simply been the preferred headgear for an older woman who was accustomed to the style.

The Patt-o-rama brand is also at an interesting point in the history of unprinted patterns. By 1961 all of the big pattern companies were offering printed patterns. Patt-o-rama gamely reminds the maker that with their pattern, there are "no margins to trim," "no tracing wheels," and "no fabric waste." But again, an older woman would have grown up with unprinted patterns.

The apron pattern is entirely unremarkable (and about 10 years later, I'd make an almost identical apron in my first Home Ec class, in avocado green cotton-poly, if memory serves.)

But the bonnet was interesting. 

Did sunbonnet styles change over time? How different was this bonnet from say, Butterick 5340, from the early part of the century? Superficially, not very different, as it turns out. The overall dimensions of the crowns are almost identical.  The brim of the Patt-o-rama bonnet is shallower by about 1 1/2" (but still quite deep enough to completely shade the face - the illustration doesn't do justice to the depths of the brim.)

Interestingly, the Butterick bonnet confines the curtain to the back of the bonnet, while the Patt-o-rama bonnet brings the curtain across the bottom of the brim, to shade the sides of the neck.

The construction of the bonnets is a little different. The Butterick bonnet combines the crown and the curtain into a single piece, using a simple fold at neck level to create a casing for the back drawstring. 

The Patt-o-rama bonnet has a separate piece for the curtain (piece J, which they call a ruffle) as well as for the drawstring casing (piece I.)  Butterick assumes you'll have some narrow tape on hand to use as drawstrings. The Patto-o-rama pattern instructs you to cut and sew drawstring ties from narrow rectangles.

Patt-o-rama 8500 is a good quality pattern. The pieces are accurately cut and the notches and circles matched well. The written instructions contained a couple of slightly confusing typographical errors, and were a bit jumbled - probably from lack of space - but the construction illustrations were clear.

I made the bonnet up from some pink calico I had on hand.  Chambray would provide a slightly sturdier bonnet.

I followed the instructions almost exactly with only one exception - I bound the seam that joins the brim to the crown, both for tidiness and strength.

McCall 7432 - "Mary Poppins" Stuffed Doll with Nanny Costume

1964.  Although I concentrate my collecting on the more utilitarian patterns, I'm intrigued by patterns produced as marketing tie-ins, so a few have made their way into the archives.

This one resonates for me because I remember seeing the film during its original theatrical release.  In my cohort of seven year olds, we knew all the songs and staged our own versions of the story in our back yards and wished we had picture hats and frilly white umbrellas.  The "Nanny Costume" is iconic, but I've always wondered why there wasn't also a pattern for the garden party dress.

Making dolls and their wardrobes is fussy work.  Look at all the steps just to make the carpet bag.

This printed pattern is unused.

Maudella 5059 - Anorak

Mens' utilitarian clothing can be very hard to date.  The shape and spread of the collar seemed to point to a late 1940's or early 1950's date, but the style of an advertising illustration on the instruction sheet seems pretty firmly 1960's.  

This is a very nice design as we get into the chilly winter months, particularly if, as the pattern recommendations suggest, a "fine woolen" lining is provided.

The Maudella brand was started by Maude Dunsford in West Yorkshire, England in 1937 (1.)  The brand seems to have lingered until the 1980s.  Maudella patterns show up for sale now and again.  The earlier patterns in particular seem very much more on the practical or utilitarian side rather than the high fashion side.

Though utilitarian, this jacket is not make-it-today-wear-it-tonight simple.  Getting the bound edges right on the zippered pockets will take a little care, and of course the lining will take some additional time.

This is an unprinted pattern.

(1)  See:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/2002_32_mon_02.shtml

Church World Service 20 - Men's Work Clothes Set

Before 1963

This pattern was produced by McCall for Church World Service (CWS).  McCall has a long tradition of cooperative ventures; see their pattern supporting the Red Cross during WWI, Red Cross Pattern 35, Taped Hospital Shirt.  It would be interesting to know if McCall produced the CWS pattern gratis or simply at cost.  It would also be interesting to know if McCall did the pattern drafting or if CWS hired this out on their own.  I'm guessing that the somewhat amateurish illustration was produced by someone at CWS.

A section on the instruction sheet explains the goals:

PATTERNS FOR DIGNITY

Personal dignity and self-respect -- these are the things you provide for refugees, disaster victims and other needy persons overseas through the United Clothing Appeal of the Churches.

New clothing, in the styles requested by our friends abroad, will represent in a most meaningful way the Christian concern and compassion of the American churches for those who desire above everything else to stand on their own feet.

The pattern reflects a time when women (always the primary consumers of home sewing patterns) had the time and the skills needed to sew for others.

This set of work clothes has been simplified in ways that meet the specific needs of both the seamstress and the recipient.  Note that the sleeves are just hemmed, because setting in cuffs takes time and can be fiddly to do well.  A hemmed sleeve that is too short might be unattractive, but it won't flap and get in the way an unbuttoned cuffed sleeve does and can be easily rolled up. The shirt front is closed with gripper snaps, quicker than having to make button holes and sew on buttons, and as long as the snaps don't pull out, maintenance free for the wearer - no buttons to lose and have to replace.  The elastic waist bands in the slacks and shorts will assure a broad range of fit.  Although the pattern doesn't call this out, made up in cotton broadcloth, these clothes could be used for pajamas.

Church World Service is still in operation.   A few simply drawn patterns for infants clothing are available, but for the most part the expectation is that donors will supply purchased clothing.