For reasons that should be painfully obvious, I have wanted more of this fabric for years. I bought some the moment I saw it, and made a big circle skirt, which I have altered at least a couple of times. But it's quilting cotton, which means it's not especially sturdy, and the skirt was beginning to look a little sad. Which made me more than a little sad. (That's one of the downsides of sewing — even if something you make costs less than the $20 throwaway item from H&M or Target, it costs more in time and emotional investment, so you get madder when it wears out/rips/gets spilled on.)

And unfortunately, with fabric, even if you know the manufacturer's name and the fabric name, you can't rely on the seller knowing either of those pieces of information. So the only thing you can do is hit eBay at regular intervals and think "if I didn't know anything about this fabric, how would I describe it?"

Which is what I did, and now FOUR YARDS are on their merry way to me. Woo! With a bonus Hoo!

Do I know what I will sew with this yet? Not especially. But I know I will love it and hug it and squeeze it and call it George.

"Not Used Except For Pocket" — that may, in fact, be my epitaph. (Wouldn't that look good on a gravestone? It's surprising how much time I spend thinking about my grave marker considering that I intend to be cremated, isn't it?)

Anyway, memento mori schemento mori, look at this pattern! It's lovely (even if the pic is a bit fuzzy). I likes it. And I want to know why someone opened it up and only used the pocket. Imagine how good the other, pocketless dress had to be to be more worth sewing than this one!

This one is on sale from Penny at Antique Dollhouse of Patterns — she's offering 35% of through Sunday (Paypal orders only, though). So you can browse through her site until you find the pattern that's annotated with "Used — No Pocket Piece", right?

Oh, and here's an idea: who wants to start assembling a "found poetry" page on the Vintage Patterns Wiki based on things written on pattern envelopes? With almost 28,000 (!) patterns, there must be a number of interesting notes to choose from!

Question 1: How cute is that bodice? I love the high neck and all those little buttons … sigh. (This button thing has got me bad, and that ain't good.)

Question 2: What the heck is in that box? Unwrapper looks gleeful, looker-on even more so. I think that they have swiped some OTHER girl's box of chocolates, and are planning to eat all the chocolates themselves, then on refilling the box with something hilarious and embarrassing, such as woolen long underwear, thus provoking consternation and discord between the intended recipient and her chocolates-giving beau. But that's just my take. What's yours?

Question 3: Did you know that this pattern is on SALE? Yes, yes it is: 20% with code EARTH DAY, through Friday. And get free shipping when you buy three or more patterns! (From Sandritocat.)

Aren't those gorgeous? I have been thinking a LOT about buttons lately. I mean, more than usual (and far more than "normal" people).

Some of my thoughts:

— I want a big circle skirt, black, where the hem is a four-inch border of grey mother-of-pearl buttons, in a bunch of different sizes. Bonus points if I can lay them out so that they seem to swirl …

— Or, ooh, how about a shirtdress with a button print, with the "buttons" in vertical stripes down the fabric, maybe 5/8" wide, spaced an inch or so apart? This would be lovely in black and white, or red and white, or white with multicolor.

— I want a black t-shirt with a big white four-hole button printed on the front. Ditto a tote bag.

— More fabric, this time with a huge four-hole button print. By "huge" I mean buttons that are orange-sized. Black with white or red buttons, or black with mostly white buttons and a red button every so often for "pop". (For a Heidi dress, naturally.)

In the meantime, I will just look at these buttons some more (from the blog Vintage and Modern Unite):

What are your buttony thoughts?

This is a new Vogue reproduction pattern (Vogue 1172), and I know, absolutely and without doubt, that I once blogged about the original of this pattern. Can I remember it now? Can I find it now? Is it labeled with any of the hundreds of facetious tags I have used since starting to blog five years ago? No, no, and double no, with a garnish of freshly-ground imported nope.

I vaguely remember that someone else was looking for this pattern, and maybe I was putting out an APB? Possibly? Or maybe it was just me wishing I had an excuse to make a dress that can require up to SEVEN YARDS of fabric to make? No? Doesn't ring a bell?

I do love this pattern, though, so I'm very happy to see it back in production. I just wish I could remember the original number, although I suppose it doesn't make much difference. But wouldn't it be cool if someone (NOT ME) blogged about making two versions, one from the vintage pattern and one from the reproduction? It would be awesome if someone (NOT ME) wanted to take on the challenge … (did I say NOT ME loud enough? I hope so.)

If you remember the original number, oh please have mercy and leave a comment letting me know!

Pros:

Shawl collar (love!)
Pockets (duh, love!)

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA—New Graduates Size Up Potential Employers

New graduates of the Wartime Secretarial Pool and Military Academy of Indianapolis have been matched with potential employers today in the Academy's first-ever "draft day."

Graduating students were auctioned off the to the highest local bidders, many of them desperate for labor due to the war. The new workers' wages are federally regulated, but employers offered many perks, such as free hair waving, Friday movies, and company-supplied dickies.

Employer Sam Hardin, a local wholesale distributor, approved of the school's novel idea for matching employers and graduates. "These girls have had real good secretarial training," he agreed, "Plus, if we're invaded and Jerry gets this far, any one of them could take three or four down with a nail file. I've seen their drills." Jewel Harris, of Menckenville, who graduated with an advanced stenography certificate and the school's sharpshooting medal, was also happy with process. "Typing bills of lading and close-order drill sure beats washing dishes at home," she said.

Today's pattern is brought to us by Lisa, of Vintage Pattern Library. Her dog was hit by a car last week (he's fine, but there are vet bills!) so she's running a sale — use code GODOGGO for 20% off, in honor of Boo, the magical bouncing dog. (And since Lisa and her family are huge Butler basketball fans, also in honor of the Butler Bulldogs!) Good though 4/11.

I knew when I first saw these that I HAD to have them, even though they are 1) intended for fifteen-year-olds, and 2) patently ridiculous. But aren't they just AWESOME? They are. Don't try to deny it. They're Cynthia Rowley for Roxy, and I'm only slightly embarrassed to say I saw them in Lucky. (Remind me to go into my rant about the Lucky-fication of American Fashion, or perhaps you can just read my latest column in the Boston Globe, here.)

They are also quite comfortable and make people on the street (at least in New Orleans, where I was recently) say "Damn, girl, those are some cute shoes." Your street-interactions may vary, but only in the choice of positive adjective. I promise.

They also come in black and white gingham. What's not to love? I ask you. But I'm not listening.

Carla: Well, well. What have we here?

Darla: Looks like someone here is unclear on how things are run in this town, boss.

Marla: [raises chin, menacingly.]

Carla: You mean someone doesn't know that this is OUR department store, Darla?

Darla: Looks that way, boss.

[Marla's silence, is, if anything, more unnerving than the rough voices of Carla and Darla.]

Carla: I'm sure these … girls … didn't mean any harm. And I'm sure they feel so terrible about trespassing that they'd like to make it up to us, don't you think so, Darla?

Darla: Makes sense to me, boss.

Carla: So if these ladies just hand over their new lipsticks, I think we'll call it a simple misunderstanding, right, Darla?

Darla: I'm sure they'll agree, boss.

[Marla starts humming under her breath. It may or may not be the Toreador song from Carmen.]

Carla: [examines lipsticks.] Very, very nice, ladies. I commend your excellent taste, if not your senses of direction. Have a lovely day.

Today's pattern is from Sheila, at Out of the Ashes — and she's running a spring sale! Get 15% off starting tomorrow morning, April 8, with the coupon code SPRING. (All paid orders will ship Wednesday or Thursday 4/14 or 4/15.)

Isn't this dress magnificent? It's from Lanetz Living.

I desperately want to make this up in a heavy black silk/cotton. You could wear it to ANYTHING. I'd wear the collar open, probably, with a scarf (if I were feeling dashing) or colored beads … I wouldn't wear a brooch or pin for fear of getting it caught on something and ripping the dress.

If I had just one spare day's worth of time in the next two months I would buy this pattern outright. (I, um, already ordered that fabric. Black silk/cotton for $6.99/yard? Please.) But lately I've been trying not to hoard patterns that I know I won't sew right away; it doesn't seem quite fair. I just trust that when I have the time, the universe will make the pattern available to me. (I wish I could feel that way about fabrics, but they are SO much harder to search for …)

This one deserves a good home. That skirt! Those pockets! I like the short-sleeved version best (although I probably would leave off the cuffs — they're so lumpy under a cardigan).

This dress doesn't have to be dressy — it would be marvelous in a red-and-white embroidered cotton, too. So sporty! You could wear it with red Keds and it would be adorable.