a sewist from the past.

I went to this cute little museum at a local historical mansion. the museum was quite small but had a lot of things dating from around the nineteen teens through the nineteen forties. my favorite part of course being the sewing corner.

just look at this lovely machine! I have never seen one with a cover. (not that I have seen that many)

everything in the house is original to it, including the patterns stacked on the machine. I really love that one on top of the stack. its butterick 5365, if I had that pattern I would totally make it.

and how lovely that they actually had a dress made from one of the patterns! they had the dress hanging on the wall beside the machine. this one is simplicity 8025 which I would also like for myself. its so interesting to see what others have made. and to think how when she made this dress it would have been in the height of fashion. it does make me wonder though did they make the other patterns as well? or did they as so many of us sewist do, simply buy the patterns because we loved them but never got around to making them.

I should have asked more about the machine and patterns, the staff seemed knowledgeable about other things in the house so they may have been about that aspect as well. but of course I didn’t think to ask about it while I was there. I do believe the dress was made either by or for the wife as the pattern has Mrs. Silversteen handwritten on it.(its under simplicity) I have noticed that people used to write their names on their patterns. do people still do this? I never have, but maybe once I finish a pattern I should sign it. hmm... next pattern I make I think I will do just that.