Libby sent me this image, a pattern she bought at Funkoma Vintage just for the illustration. I would have done the same. What on earth is going on in this picture? Nothing good. What was the illustrator thinking? "I know what will make women want this dress! Let's show them how catty and backstabby they can be while wearing it!"
I would like to know what YOU think these women are saying to each other … leave your dialogue in the comments if you are so inspired.
This also reminds me of An Idea that I've had for a while. Why isn't anyone selling large poster-size prints of great pattern images? If you scan them at a high-enough dpi you can send the images to any number of online photo-processing places and get a poster-sized print (which costs about $20, I think). And wouldn't you want a huge blowup of a great pattern as a sewing-room picture? (Heck, I'd put them all over the house!) Someone should be doing this on Etsy, frankly, and if nobody IS doing this, I present this idea to anyone who wants to start this as their home-based business, free of charge. Go right on ahead. I bet you could charge $35-40 for it, and more if you framed 'em or had them put on foamcore backing.
(Of course since most of these images are probably still copyright there might be SOME difficulty but I think that a good case could be made for these being a derivative work. And the pattern companies sure aren't doing anything with their images …)
If you do start doing this, let me know and I'll post about this here.
A Dress A Day 
Ha. Have thought the same thing about using pattern pics as wall posters, etc. for quite a while. I think I’ll check into it. I work with attorneys so will check on the legal aspects of it also.lfs
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Turquoise: Did you see how much she bought at that last fabric sale? I wonder if her hubby knows? Didn’t that polka dot come from the last sale?Purple Stripes: What sale? Where? Why didn’t you tell me about it?
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PSST: Sue Ann only wears that dress on Mondays, when Brad is her milk man. SEE how she wears no gloves? Just wait til her husband finds out.
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“Do you think the women who buy this pattern will believe that our waists are really this small, and that if they make these dresses, theirs will be, too?”
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Turquoise: Can you believe she wore that to this party?Stripy Pink: Can you believe she’s talking to him after what happened to her sister?
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i do have a vintage pattern framed on my wall, as well as a vintage bathing suit.
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Turquoise: No, no, don’t turn around- but Polka Dot is talking to that smudge on the wall again! She thinks she’s sighted a saint or something. Oh no, don’t look…She’s even brought flowers to start a weird little shrine. Stripy: Hmm. Do you think we can cash in on this in some way?
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I’ve been thinking the same thing! I just have to get my lazy arse around to going to the poster-making place. Of course, I don’t think I could go so far as to be entrepreneurial about it.
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What a coincidence. I have been printing out pattern pics for a while now, many from your site, with the intention of framing them for display in my sewing room. They are perfect and fun. Diane
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Turquoise: “That hussy flirts with all the ghostly, barely-visible men!”Stripy-Pink: “Don’t tell her, but I think she’s just talking to a black and white portrait on the wall anyway.”
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Turquoise: I don’t know why he pays so much attention to her!. We’re all wearing the same dress after all!
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I told you he had no taste, what with being barely visible and all, but to be talking to that hussy in polka dots. That’s beyond the pale.
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Pattern pics as wall posters – what a great idea!!
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Turquoise: Doesnt it warm your heart that shes getting out a bit?Stripes: Yes, it does. Its been 10 months now. She used to have so much fun going out. It makes me sad that shes been keeping to herself so much since….Turquoise: I know. You are a genius for suggesting a M3430 sew-along. I think shes been sewing a lot you must have known that she might step out a bit for us all to get together now that our dresses are done. And to schedule our tea during your brothers visit… I didnt know you had it in you!Stripes: Thank-you. I dont know about genius, but I will confess that I knew he loves a woman in a polka dotted dress….
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I’ve scanned in some pics from old pattern catalogs at pretty high resolution, and I gave a framed 8×10 print to my mom as a gift last year. She loved it.
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Turquoise: Her dress is SO ugly!Stripes (with gracious smile – this has obviously happened before): Lord, honey, we’re all wearing the same thing!
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Turquoise: I love this little get-together! What a great idea, all of us wearing the same thing to a guild luncheon. Don’t look now, but behind you is the cutest polka-dot!Stripe: I love all this diversity. Who knew you could do this one dress so many ways? Whoever thought of this was genius!
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what a fun and awesome idea! worth looking in to! I’d love to have patterns on my wall. đŸ™‚
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A poster would be cool. I have some photos I made using photoshop with just the pattern girls, but they are no bigger than 5″ x 7″.
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turquoise: don’t look now, but that woman there, in the polka dots, she’s not flying.purple stripes: really? but she’s wearing a magic dress like ours, isn’t she?turquoise: yes, yes, she is. why do you think her feet are on the ground, when ours aren’t?purple stripes: maybe it’s that mysterious man. he’s grounding her too much. who is he?turquoise: sister, we’ve got to get the coven organized to help her. he could be dangerous.purple stripes: or fun.
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I have to go for the obvious….Turquoise:Oh, my, god. Becky, look at her butt. It is so big.Purple:*scoff* She looks like, one of those rap guys’ girlfriends…
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Bonnie: Hey Tammy,check out what’s behind us! Platinum bottle blonde, spectator pumps with 4 inch cuban heels, no gloves, and she’s practically got her legs wrapped around that guy … oh and give me a break, flowers.Tammy: Divorcees…..they’re all alike. No lady would ever wear cuban heels!
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I love the idea of framing and displaying patterns (its on my to-do list, after I print and frame pictures from my trip to Africa 7 years ago, and our wedding pictures…). My husband has a collection of magazines from the 1950’s, and we’d frame some of the ads for the collection also (there’s one ad for the zipper that’s really cool!). The issue though is if you blow them up to posters, you can’t fit as many on the wall!
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Just pointing out for your readers that there is an auction on eBay for the Walkaway dress and so far, no one has bid on it! It would never fit me, but some lucky lady might be thrilled to snap it up.It’s listed as “BUTTERICK PATTERN # 6015 size 16” and ends in three days.
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Posters: Great idea.Wall paper: Even betterFabric: Best of allSomebody with know-how: Get cracking NOW!
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Stripes: Oh no…he’s talking to Polka Dots about her weight again.Aqua: Ohh…I am so hungry! I mean REALLY. If I’m forced to lose another ounce I’ll have to rat my pubic hair…just to keep my panties up! Hmph!Stripes: Hey…have you been to that new place, yet? What’s it called? Oh yeah, McDonalds.
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I won’t tell her that gentleman is no gentleman, but a black market internal organ salesman! Just wait till she wakes up in the bathtub with her kidneys, liver, stomach and intestines gone!
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That’s so funny! I was reading the premier issue of Blueprint magazine today — which is sadly being discontinued *shakes fist at Martha* — and they write a bit about doing just this.One of the great things they recommend is using a white frame so that you don’t get a heavy border. They did a hand-written letter envelope blown up huge and it was gorgeous.
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whoa nelly,them’s copy written stuff gals,keep your posters to yourselves, (or your friends) the big 4: Vogue, McCall’s, Butterick, Simplicity are still alive and ready to kick!!!but them pattern covers ain’t nothin’ a savy graphic artist can’t immitate, right? go practice that ink wash and get your groove on!!
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“Pssst! Say, Hetty, did you hear that Alices husband Oliver was seen sloping out of the elevator at the downtown Hilton on Friday eveningsporting lipstick on his collar, and looking like the cat that ate the canary? Louise meowed. “And wasn’t his Alice’s shade, either,” Hetty hissed. “It was Betty Gibson’s shadeVixen! And guess who came trailing out behind him, all mussed?” “It was Betty Gibson in all her glory, the two-bit hussy! My word, Louise, no wonder Alice is over there desperately chatting up Fred Anderson! She’s trying to save face! Too bad it’s with somebody else’s husband! And too bad shes doing it in that appalling dress from last season.” Hetty clucked.”Tsk tsk; so tawdry” Louise murmured. “I thought it looked vaguely familiar.
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“Pssst! Say, Purplestripes, did you hear that Polka-Dot’s husband Oliver was seen sloping out of the elevator at the downtown Hilton on Friday eveningsporting lipstick on his collar, and looking like the cat that ate the canary? Turquoise meowed.”And wasn’t his Polka-Dot’s shade, either,” Purplestripes hissed. “It was Betty Gibson’s shadeVixen! And guess who came trailing out behind him, all mussed?””It was Betty Gibson in all her glory, the two-bit hussy! My word, Turquoise, no wonder Polka-Dots is over there desperately trying to chat up Fred Anderson! She’s trying to save face! Too bad it’s with somebody else’s husband! And too bad shes doing it in that appalling print dress from last season.” Purplestripes clucked.”Tsk tsk; so tawdry” Turquoise murmured. “I thought it looked vaguely familiar.
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Turquoise: Psst, polka-dot’s finally plucked up the nerve to give ‘that guy’ flowers and ask him to the barn dance!Stripes: At last! Our plan to all dress alike must have boosted her confidence … now just let me undo my belt a notch …
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I have to second Jen O.-Etsy’s reputation of handmade goodness is being surpassed by how they harbor and encourage people who copy others and ignore copyright issues. Unfortunate for all the other great original artists there.
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Psst, you won’t believe what a steal I bought this fabric at! I also purchased some silk to make an evening gown.I have it in good authority that there will be another sale at 40% off, plus I have coupons! We’ll go together spend our bonuses.
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That’s such a good idea! I’d love some old pattern artwork for my wall!
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Turquoise to Purple stripes: Meet me in the kitchen in 4 minutes. I’ve thought of nothing but your lips all day. . .
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Great idea about the posters! Would you believe that a year ago the only reason I bought my first vintage patterns was because I loved the pictures? I now have and am wearing five garments made from those patterns! I kept them because I couldn’t decide which one(s) to frame!
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Turquoise: Betty, that cheap polka dot fabric she bought is so noisy, she didn’t even hear the photographer calling us over for the pattern envelope pic!She’ll be caught flirting with Myrtle’s husband in the background for all to see… she’ll be mortified!We’ll seem oblivious, just smiling for the picture!Camera: “Click”Stripes: What?
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Turquoise: Don’t tell anyone, but I heard Polka-Dot isn’t wearing a bra!Stripes: NO WAY.
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“If my calculations are correct, time is running out on Cindy’s 18-hour girdle. This could get interesting!”
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“Irma Lou, do you ever have that not-so-fresh feeling?”
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Ha ! I just saw this post…thanks so much erin, for the fun with that pattern envelope….and Libby…it’s on its way…mmm, maybe there’s a little Fried Egg on the Side…that those 2 are gossiping about….maybe she’s a cougar and the 2 nosy neighbors are trading war stories……Maybe they had a dress-making contest and today is the day they all sport their new frocks !tressie
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There’s actually a lot of this stuff in the public domain. It’s just a matter of figuring out which images have expired copyrights with no restrictions on their use. While, say, Vogue has probably maintained their copyright, smaller companies may have let them expire – especially if the company no longer exists.I’m going to look into this. It’s a really fun idea.
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