This is one of the chic-est mail order patterns I’ve seen:
I mean, look at the sunglasses, and the jaunty collar, and the nonchalant hands in the pockets! She doesn’t seem to mind at all that she’s thirty feet tall! And the townswoman looking on in awe seems pretty cool, too, and completely unafraid of being stomped on.
My favorite thing about mail-order patterns is the metadata on the envelope — I love the name and address, and the postmark, and the information about what newspaper (sometimes) it was ordered from. It personalizes it. I like to think about Mrs. Whoever Somebody sitting at the kitchen table, in her housedress with a cup of coffee, and clipping out the pattern order form and sending it in full of big plans for a new dress.
This giant woman set out this morning to go grocery shopping, and then at the last minute said “the heck with picking up a gallon of milk” and headed off to the local art museum. After that she’s going to sit out on the lawn with a book and a picnic, and if she gets around to it, she’ll pick up some milk at the deli before the kids get home from school.
I’ve only sewn up a couple of mail-order patterns, but I hoard them like crazy. In my mind they always smell slightly of strong coffee, whether they really do or not.
This pattern is on sale right now — Jen at MOMSPatterns is having a sale on all mail-order patterns, 50% off!
A Dress A Day 
OMG. I think I am in love with you (in a totally respectful, non creepy way of course)! Sewing, writing, humor? A real triple threat, yay!
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Rowan – Have you read her book?? If not, go find a copy NOW! You won’t regret it. – K
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I have quite a few Mail Order patterns and what always amazes me is how they state the pattern size – ON THE ACTUAL ENVELOPE right after the address!!
Maybe it says more about me but I think it would have been enough to put me off from buying them, and I’m convinced there must have been a certain amount of vanity sizing going on, with some women buying a pattern a size or two smaller in an attempt to not advertise what size they really were!
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Here’s a sad fact. Today, these measurements would call for a size 0–just to flatter our vanity and ever expanding waists.
Size 8
Bust 31.5″, Waist 24″, Hips 33.5″
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I’m still trying to decide if this pattern has raglan sleeves, or set-in. I’m so confused.
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I think that’s a set-in armhole, with a slanted “raglan-shaped” yoke seam
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Did someone already purchase it? Great pattern!
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very chic. very who ” cares what I do as long as I am there to meet the bus…”.
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I can smell the coffee.
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