Sew Expensive... Vogue Couturier 232

My dears, this lovely pattern was expensive, naturally.

Just a few days ago, Vogue 232 sold for a shocking $360.

As we've discussed before, there are a lot of reasons that a pattern can go this high or higher, and the value of this one was a combination of two things.
Vogue Couturier patterns are always going to be more valuable than plain old Vogue, owing to their association with actual couture designers (though the designer isn't mentioned in couturier patterns from the 30's like they are in those from the 60's.)
This pattern is from the 1930's and I can count on one hand the number of Vogue Couturier from this decade I've seen for sale in the last year. The highest that I can remember went for just under $400.

Now, unusually for our Sew Expensive posts, I just happen to know the lucky winner of this auction. No, its not me. This particular collector who will remain anonymous is my Pattern Friend. My Pattern Friend and I met a long time back over a Facebook discussion of another rare pattern. We got to talking and realized that we had very similar collecting tastes. We talk patterns quite often and this one came up in conversation.
When I asked her if she cared to comment on why this pattern had such a draw to her, she simply replied "Even a sundress is stylish."

This made me giggle a little because, really, each collector's pattern taste is so unique. Sure there are the sought after, universally acknowledged "high value" patterns, and then there are others that quite honestly have a "Je ne sais quoi" to each individual. Something in it speaks to us, makes us fall a little in love, and perhaps do foolish things to acquire the object of our desire.

Here are a few other Vogue Couturier from the 1930's for your enjoyment....

Vogue 204

Vogue 225 Circa 1933.

Vogue 100. Blurry I know but had to be included anyways.

Vogue 205

Vogue 211 Circa 1933.

How about you, my dears? Do you have any Vogue Couturier patterns in your collection? Have you learned anything interesting about them that you'd like to share with the class? I have just one of these. One... and one will have to be enough. They go too high at auction for me to allow myself to fall in love. Anything more than a brief affair for me and it will all end in tears...

How to count and inventory sewing pattern pieces.

Once a vintage sewing pattern has made its way to your hands, it's a very good habit to inventory the pattern pieces straight away. Make sure that the pattern has all of its pieces and instruction sheets before putting it away. That way, you can leave accurate feedback or address any concerns with the seller as soon as possible. It's also handy when you're finally ready to sew it.

This one is missing A, B and E, (the cup and strap pieces.) I don't care, I love it anyways!

Imagine: you've pulled the pattern out of a drawer, made plans, bought fabric, and as you lay the pattern pieces out, you're missing half of them!
I've been there. The downside was that I had bought the pattern for $30 the year before, advertised as complete, and I didn't check it when it came in the mail! My return window had come and gone.

So how do you tell how many pieces your pattern should have?
Most of the time this information will be on the back of the envelope, as you can see here from my vintage McCall's 6276.

Don't actually draw on your vintage pattern envelopes in pen. It's bad, m'kay?

There is an exception to this, and it's a tricky one. Certain vintage patterns (often doll, accessory and hat patterns) will all be printed out on one or two sheets, and the companies sometimes just listed "2 pieces" as you see below.

In this case, you need to count the pieces illustrated instead.

You need to also make sure that the pattern has the instructions! Keep in mind that a few companies (I'm looking at you, vintage Vogue) had more than one instruction sheet. Make sure that if you only have one instructions sheet, that it has both the sewing instructions, AND the cutting layout diagrams.

A handy way to keep track of this all is to use a simple inventory sheet. I've put a quick one together for you below. On the back you can always make a list of the pattern pieces (i.e. A, B, C or 1, 2, 3) and then check them off as you count them.

I will print a sheet of 9 of these on one page, cut them out, and keep a completed one with each pattern I've counted.
And last but not least, if your pattern is printed, it's a good idea to make sure that the 10 pieces you have in an envelope are the actual 10 pieces that belong in it. Double check the pattern number (and even the size if you have time) printed on each pattern piece. I recently purchased a pattern online, checked the pieces, and it had 10 pieces as advertised, but one was for a completely different pattern - an honest mistake, but one that is avoidable if you have the time.

But wait, what do you do if you go to all of that trouble and pieces are missing! Assuming you don't return it to the seller (not if you got it for pennies at a thrift shop!), what are your options. You have some great ones, actually!
I'm one of the Admins for a great little Facebook group that you will love! The goal of the Vintage Pattern Pieces Lost and Found Group is to complete every missing pattern we can find! You can join the group, post your pattern with a photo/ description of what you're missing and wonderful, helpful collectors will search their archives and try to make copies of what you're missing!

Another option is to find another copy of your pattern for sale and message the seller asking if they would consider tracing a copy of your missing piece.

This pattern is missing a couple of pieces and I'm still SO happy to have it in my collection!

Whatever you do, please don't throw away incomplete patterns! Even an empty envelope or a stray instruction sheet is valuable to a collector. I still buy incomplete patterns all the time, and I know many other collectors who do the same - many of us like a challenge!

A new organization headed by a dear friend of mine is designed to be a rehabilitation and matchmaking destination for incomplete patterns. You can donate your extra pattern pieces, incomplete patterns, empty envelopes, spare instructions and old pattern tracings to the Vintage Sewing Pattern Catalog Graveyard. All pieces from all eras are welcome and each piece will be catalogued and hopefully someday united with a pattern to call home.


How about you? Do you have any tips/ pattern counting tricks that you find useful?

Happy sewing!

Other sewing pattern related articles you might find helpful:

How to properly mend sewing patterns.

How to add a sewing pattern to the Vintage Pattern Wiki.

Using Evernote to catalog your sewing pattern collection.

Helpful Hints for vintage patterns sellers.

Sew Expensive... A McCall 1987 hat pattern and what makes a buyer tick!

What constitutes a sewing pattern.

How to Properly Mend Sewing Patterns

Pattern repair and preservation are topics that don't come up very often unless you're a die-hard pattern collector or an experienced sewing pattern seller. Many people might reasonably assume that a sewing pattern or envelope with tears is worth less than one without. That makes sense. What they might not know, is that a pattern or envelope that have been repaired with any kind of tape is likely worth LESS than a torn, un-repaired one.
Here is why.

Tape adhesive can degrade and change color over the years. While it might be a temporary repair, old tape can eventually weaken the paper surrounding it, stain the pattern paper, and in some cases eat through delicate tissue leaving nothing but a shredded, inflexible plastic remnant.

I thought that I would put together a quick guide to pattern repair for anyone who is interested. If you have any suggestions gleaned from your own collecting experience, please do leave a comment to share with us!

Allow me to first say though, that this is not a lecture or condemnation to those who have taped their patterns in the past. Your pattern is your property to do with as you wish, and I would simply be happy to teach you a way to help those damaged patterns to not only survive longer, but also retain their value and integrity in the future!

Pattern sellers should pay special attention to how, and if, they choose to repair their sewing patterns. Collectors like myself are not terribly concerned with a torn piece or envelope here or there, but we are VERY concerned with patterns that have been taped in any way. It is always safer to leave a pattern un-repaired and let the buyer fix it themselves if they are so inclined.

The basics:
Do not tape any part of a pattern or envelope with scotch or any other regular tape. Things to avoid using include shipping tape, masking tape, duct tape, washi tape, staples, sewing pins and paper clips. All of these can do more eventual harm than good.

Some Catalog Love from McCall 1929...

Hello my dears,
Today's post is simply some eye candy from a McCall's  Sewing Pattern Catalog from 1929. I've been catalog obsessed this last year. I started with one, fell in love and before I knew what had happened, I had just under a dozen.
Lord help me, but they are beautiful to behold.
So without further ado...

How to Add a Sewing Pattern to the Vintage Pattern Wikia.

Hello my dear readers. Today I have an updated tutorial for you on how to add a sewing pattern to the Vintage Pattern Wiki.
When I first started collecting vintage sewing patterns I found the Wiki page a useful resource for researching, buying and selling sewing patterns. While it has its limitations (it's not the most user-friendly template) once you get the hang of it, it can be rather handy.
Not to mention, when you add a pattern that wasn't there before, it feels a bit like a public service to other future pattern collectors.

So let's get started. Once you've created an account and logged in, you're ready to add your patterns!
First, search for the pattern you want to add and make sure it's not already there. This can happen sometimes. The search might not pull up your pattern, you might have typed the name/ number wrong, etc. With McCall's patterns, it's important that you pay close attention to whether your pattern says McCall or McCall's on the envelope, as this will make a difference.
For example, McCall 3581 is the 1940's Women's windbreaker pattern I'll be adding in our tutorial, and McCall's 3581 is a 1970's menswear pattern.

Sew Expensive... Vogue's New Book for Better Sewing.

Hello lovely readers. For the last few days I have been watching an Ebay auction, waiting with bated breath (what does that even mean?!) to see how much this lovely little gem would sell for. Last night, a first edition, 1952 copy of Vogue's New Book for Better Sewing sold for an amazing $153.50. And it didn't even come with the original dust jacket (a huge contributing factor to the value of a rare book)!

Naturally this delighted me. Not only is this a sensational sum for a sewing book, I was smugly reveling in the fact that I was lucky enough to pick up the exact same book last year in an antique shop for a whopping $7.50. I may have even done a very undignified little dance, spilling my coffee this morning when I saw the ended auction. I may have even terrified the cat and confused my husband by whooping loudly, seemingly for no reason.

And let me tell you, this book is worth every penny ($7.50 or $150, you want a copy). It is by far one of my favorite sewing books.

Many of you familiar with the sewing blogosphere know this book well from reading Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing. It was this book that inspired Gretchen to start what I consider to to be the most well-written, and most popular sewing blog on the internet today.
If you aren't familiar with her story, it's a wonderful tale that makes you want to just curl up on the floor and hug your sewing machine.

For those of you who don't have hundreds of dollars just laying around to buy books with, keep your eyes open at thrift shops and antique stores. Sometimes a copy will briefly show up for $20- $30 on etsy or ABEBooks. So far though, there isn't a copy selling for less than $199 on the internet. The most expensive copy online right now? It's $248 on Etsy.
Good luck with the hunt, ladies.