Where would we sewists be without our patterns? And where would we be if they weren’t adjusted to our specific measurements? If you are clever and learned pattern making, as dressmakers and tailors did and still may do, you are fine. But most of us rely on patterns. There was a time when more people sewed their clothes, which was challenging because there weren’t many patterns. Enter Ebenezer Butterick (1826-1903) and his big idea.
He was born in Sterling, MA, and apprenticed to a tailor, learning the trade of making men’s bespoke garments. At the time, paper patterns were produced in only one size, and that size could be different for each pattern. If you needed it to be larger or smaller, you had to work from the original pattern to draw a properly sized one for your purposes. Since most clothing was sewn at home, Butterick saw a need for women to have graded size sewing patterns for their children’s clothing. He created heavy pasteboard scaled-up templates for each size of a boy’s shirt. To make a pattern, he could trace around the templates on plain paper, cut them out, carefully fold them and hold them together with a pinned label. Thus his pattern business was born in 1863.
Butterick’s patterns were incredibly successful, as trying to scale up or down from a pattern was quite tedious. Also, the patterns gave people the ability to sew their own popular clothing styles. He went on with women’s patterns and then to men’s. In 1873, he created a fashion magazine called The Delineator: A Journal of Fashion, Culture and Fine Arts to promote his clothing designs.
Butterick experienced the rapid growth of his business from a family home business in Sterling to a business with a factory on Broadway in New York City. The popularity of his patterns drove the growth of the business, eventually having 100 branch offices in the US and Canada.
Butterick would no doubt be proud that his initial idea led to a company that still produces patterns for sewists now. Pieces from the company’s history are available from vintage sellers on Etsy. Here are a few for you to enjoy.
Vintage November 1921 Delineator Magazine
This November, 1921 copy of the Delineator was eagerly read by the original owner to see how fashions might change in the next months, both here and in Paris. Of course, one would like to see which Butterick Pattern would best suit their physique and match their sewing skills so they could get a head start. It is listed at YeHouseOfStuff on Etsy for $26
Butterick 3709 – Juniors’ And Girls’ Frock Dress
Can you imagine being a tween in 1930 and you have been invited to a garden party for a special friend. Mama has determined that your best dress from last year is a bit snug and short so you two go and pick out a pattern and some pretty fabric to make into a new party dress. How wonderful! We had an expert weigh in, this pattern is likely from 1930-1932 based on the style. This one is in XandrVintagePatterns and priced at $75.46. Just amazing how it has survived to this day
Bette Davis Frock “Starred” Butterick Sewing Pattern
In the 1930s, the Depression was miserable, but if you went to the movie theater you could forget your troubles for a few hours. The actors and actresses were dressed in the latest styles and were very glamorous. Butterick came up with “Starred Patterns,” with designs for specific starlets such as Bette Davis and others. This pattern was a two piece frock and included instructions. The design favorited a slender profile, which may have also saved some money on the fabric needed. AuntiesVintageSewing on Etsy has it available for $185.
Butterick Beginners’ Women’s Sewing Patterns
The 1940s brought other new ideas in Butterick’s Patterns. They had special patterns for beginners and included “the New Deltor,” which gave more instructions for the sewist. It also featured letting out seams so the garment may be adjusted for weight gain or loss. Money was still pretty tight and these fashions might also save on fabric. CatskillCuriosities has 22 of these paper patterns available to purchase for $45 each for a single pattern. Which one would you choose?
Butterick Sewing Pattern 3417
There is a growing need for accurate historical clothing for performers, actors, re enactors and even for someone who wants to wear a newly made victorian wedding gown. Butterick has come to the rescue with their Making History Patterns. These four blouse adaptations will give a more accurate shape and aesthetic for all sorts of occasions. I remember seeing modern day Downton Abbey parties focussing on the specific.decades and style changes. How amazing is that? TheBeesNeedles offers one of these patterns for $14 so you can get BZZY and wow them at your next event.
Read more:
Online access to The Delineator archives
A fascinating blog about Ebenezer Butterick written by Diana of Fashion for Real Women
