Unboxing an 80 year old sewing book (What did sewing books look like during World War Two?)

[@Avotts]

i liked the looks of the elegant camisole

[@911nmg]

I'm Spanish (latin based language) and know a bit of Italian as well. The manual is actually from the femenine fascist section (it said that on the first booklet). My grandmother grew up in fascist Spain and she also learned to sew in the femenine section (it was compulsory)

[@ulexite-tv]

Very nice find!

[@kachnickau]

I doubt you are checking comments on old videos, but it so just happened that this pop uped on me and also I have 3 of those pattern - factory unfolded by me :) I started to sew dress from one of the patterns but did not finished in in over a year. Mental issues more than missing instructions :D Easy wrap dress with huge collar. So I am excited to finally see how the magazines it came with looks like.

[@aquaaurora2747]

That opening when you held up the package I immediately thought of the lion king opening which I won’t attempt to spell the singing of but you know what I’m taking about.

[@StephanieCanada]

I know EXACTLY what you mean!! 🤣

[@Mrsfalldowngobump]

Awesome find! It was fun watching you open it. My strangest most recent find was a 1960's mink stole in pristine condition, paid 20 bucks for it. Did I need it....Nope, but I WANTED it. LOVE the red dress in your background.

[@StephanieCanada]

Thank you so much! And wow, a pristine stole is amazing!! The red dress is very pretty but VERY small. I need to get it up on my website.

[@susannechinn647]

I wonder if the Miss Valeria ‘S sewing books and half size patterns were from her sewing school or home economics classes. I remember back in high school in the mid 1970’s in Australia we learnt drafting by drawing half size patterns in home economics classes. I found a magazine from 1947 recently, giving instructions on how to turn clothes to get more life out of your family clothes. What an amazing find. ❤

[@WithLoveKristina]

Your utter glee in this video is DELIGHTFUL. I love it. Also these are SO cool!

[@StephanieCanada]

Thanks so much! I truly loved finding them and opening them (once I got the dang box open)!

[@luciamorenovelo8345]

My mother went to sewing classes in the late 70s in Spain and the teacher had her draw the patterns in scale and put them together with glue as if she was sewing the pieces of fabric. I think that's what you have there.

[@cathyswope5174]

I totally would have bought that! So fun to watch you open it.

[@StephanieCanada]

Thank you so much! I love all the images!

[@Absintheskiss]

I have a 1940s Lutterloh that has patterns for the Hitler Youth uniforms. It is very sobering to think of the history behind tjem

[@pigeonbrain1534]

Those red pencil drafted pieces made my heart so happy! Those would look gorgeous framed and hung up in a sewing room. If you ever get things sorted out and matched to the manuals I would 100% watch a follow up with some history peppered in. I love what you find! And might have pulled the trigger on buying some 1960's-70's patterns in my size to try 😬

[@StephanieCanada]

Oh now that is an interesting idea. I may do that or I may send the whole collection to a friend of mine who is trying to get a sewing pattern museum open. I haven't decided fully yet. I may be able to do that once I get a good handle on the translations, but that is gonna take time. And HOORAY for vintage patterns! If you ever need more inspiration I also have a website full of them, and I try to keep all sizes in stock.

[@pigeonbrain1534]

@@StephanieCanada I actually almost said they could belong in a museum! I'm sure you have plenty of other things on your plate but I just thought I'd throw out some interest in what you find out if you ended up doing more research anyway :) Also just engagement for the algorithm 😂 I bought a few bundles of patterns that were NOT in great condition just to give it a go first so I wouldn't feel bad of I messed them all up. I already have your site book marked for after I try piecing a few mock ups together! That way I can see what I like stye-wise, or know if I need any supplemental resources to understand them. I am "borrowing" (aka keeping safe in case her fancy machine breaks) a serger and a nice heavy machine from my mom that she used to sew wedding dresses and crazy stuff with back in the day, so now my holiday "new machine money" is "fabric, patterns, and notions" money bahaha! (Sorry not sorry for the long comment)

[@SaturdaySewing]

That was exciting. I enjoy finding finding old sewing books too. I hope you share photos of the pattern illustrations with layout on Instagram. Those books probably have instructions for drafting and that's why the measurements weren't on the layout pages. Guess you are going to have to invest in Rosetta stone now. Love the dramatic opening and your sarcasm.

[@StephanieCanada]

Thank you! I can read the Italian enough (working in opera and living in Italy for two summers helped). The beginning of each block says to “start with the standard pattern” but beyond that I am going to call in help from my native Italian speaking friends. I would hate to translate it wrong.

[@HeyJenkies]

This is so cool! A couple months ago while cleaning out my husband’s grandmother’s house I found an old fashion magazine called Record Fashion from 1953 that included a fold out page with all the crazy lines for drafting up the patterns at home! Sadly it only came with drafting page 2 so I’m missing page 1 and thus half the designs. From what I could find, Record Fashions was an Austrian company but the magazine I have is in French...in America. It makes no sense but I’m happy to have it, especially since it seems to be something quite rare.

[@StephanieCanada]

Oh very cool! I would definitely say it is rare, as I have never heard of it before.

[@MeriLizzie]

I just wanted to add that a lot of servicemen came back with wive’s, from all over Europe. I’m not surprised to find patterns from that time period from Italy, or something in French, as American servicemen were in both locations during the war.

[@MuseAndDionysus]

The struggle to open the package was well worth the contents in the box

[@StephanieCanada]

RIGHT! I mean, at least the seller listened when I asked them to ship it carefully. But getting it open was half the dang battle.

[@tabbykte]

I have one of the sliding pattern sets from the 1890s. Its missing the sleeve bit (i can draft that) but it goes up to a 44" bust!

[@janisi9262]

This is SO FREAKING COOL! I love the creative bodice and sleeve shapes of the 1930's and 1940's. Fun fact: I took Latin in high school and the name I chose for myself was Valeria!

[@StephanieCanada]

How fun!

[@robinwhite-underwood467]

I actually do watch you for your delightful sarcasm! 🤣

[@alexar.h.5031]

Absolutely love that top that's missing the ruffle collar

[@StephanieCanada]

I know! It is SO pretty!

[@maribrown1361]

I would love to have a pattern like that blouse. Is there anything remotely similar that could actually be obtained now?

[@mrcymbalplayer]

Love the squeaks and squeals.

[@StephanieCanada]

Thanks! It really was very exciting to find it.

[@zeusathena26]

I see you starting a museum with everything you have! I'd love to go too.

[@StephanieCanada]

Who knows! It would be possible for sure!

[@lizardqueen47]

Wow, so much history within those sheets of paper 😍 Thanks for the vi-de-o!

[@StephanieCanada]

There really is and I love it! Thank you for watching!

[@PamelaSmithakapossbert]

Love the frock in the background! Not quite as exciting but I bought a series of 9 "Success in Sewing" instructions dated 1993. In Finnish.

[@PamelaSmithakapossbert]

PS I collect WW2 knitting patterns.

[@StephanieCanada]

Oh very cool! I found some 1941 Workbaskets one time and they were so much fun to look at.

[@BeverleyButterfly]

I have been so excited to watch this and omg it did not disappoint wow xx

[@StephanieCanada]

Oh yeah! I am so glad you enjoyed it as much as I did making it!

[@crystal8160]

This is so cool!! I loved your intro.

[@StephanieCanada]

Thank you so much! I am trying to be more creative with them. I am glad you enjoyed it.

[@barbaraferron7994]

I have a 1940s American sewing book, that belonged to my mother. It has the same idea in it about refitting a man's shirt for children's play clothes. There are no full size patterns, just how to. The wartime theme is on helping out the war effort by making do.

[@dawnelder9046]

I have a book from the 50s, Sewing Made Easy which also gives instructions for turning men's suits into ladies suits.

[@Roughislandsunrise01]

Buy a tape splitter off of Amazon there awesome for opening packages with. Without totally loosing your sanity 😸

[@LadyoftheDreamless14]

PFFF "oh so cool! 40's uniforms!" "Turns out they are for Mussolini's army!" "OHHHHNOOOOO."

[@StephanieCanada]

RIGHT!!!!

[@LadyoftheDreamless14]

@@StephanieCanada Hehehe!!!! Your voice sounded so honestly, "look guys i did an oops. Sorry bout that, didnt know it. Its still kinda neat but also Nuuuuupe." I loved it!!

[@angelajacobsen1623]

If the original owner was tiny, she may well have been suffering from war-related food shortages. I bet a lot of people lost a lot of weight in those years.

[@StephanieCanada]

That wouldn’t surprise me. She could also have been a young woman learning to sew (maybe 10-12 based on the handwriting).

[@dawnelder9046]

Actually the average woman in Britain gained a dress size threw the war. The good part of Rationing was that the very poor in Britain who had not had animal products in their diet in years got it for free. Very short lived as soon everyone was working and could afford the rations. The population was as a whole in very bad health after the depression. Of course for those who had money during the depression, there was less animal products. And when you hear accounts those are the people to be most likely writing about it. Also, sugar Rationing was very good for lowering diabetic rates. But generally the diet was very high in carbs, which drives up insulin and creates fat storage.

[@kriskohnke3382]

OMG! As I was listening, not watching the screen, I was wondering if this might be for M….

[@iamvergingonvintage]

I was jokingly yelling at the screen about the factory folded pattern, I watched your video about that today, when I swear I almost thought you were replying back to me 🤣

[@StephanieCanada]

Oh my husband lost it too! But something told me it wasn’t, and I was right! I checked it later and it was missing the pocket! So, for the one and ONLY time, I am glad I did it.

[@wearinghistory]

Wow! Awesome! Gotta show my italian nerd husband. Lol.

[@StephanieCanada]

Thank you! And hooray for Italian nerding out! I am glad I am not the only one.

[@alexar.h.5031]

It's been smurfed

[@CyberMercy]

Very timely- we all have That One Guy/Gal who wraps the everlivinsnot out of presents. And yeah, Italy War Time. . . BTW that cardboard dot leaking acid may have been a coin/token hope ya didn't toss it. . .

[@StephanieCanada]

Right!! Every single year!

[@StephanieCanada]

And it wasn’t a token, although I did think of that. It actually said on the instructions that it held the original needle.

[@CyberMercy]

@@StephanieCanada cool!

[@madelynl.5351]

I’m torn in my feelings about how awesome the patterns are, and then to find out that they were produced by fascists and worn by fascist women soldiers. My first thought was, wouldn’t it be deliciously ironic if these patterns were made into garments to fit us modern day, liberated, rational, free-thinking women? That would be such a slap in the face to fascism. Then, since I am a Jew, I thought to myself how would I feel if I came across a book that taught how to make striped pajamas for the Jews in concentration camps? Could there be some kind of rationale or turnaround in that situation? And I realized no. By no stretch of the imagination. Not possible. Nothing cute or ironic there. And I am sure that the sufferings the Italian people endured under fascism is similar to my own. So I’m well and truly torn by the idea of utilizing those patterns, beautiful as they are. If it was me, I would send them to a museum to people who can respectfully display them. Maybe some Italian historical society or museum showing items from the war years. Ok, enough. Now I want a much-needed dose of your snarkiness and sarcasm. With perhaps a reaction shot from you or your husband!

[@judithgreenwood6247]

What do you want to bet that belonged to a war bride?

[@911nmg]

Most likely a young girl in the femenine Mussolini section, the course is issued by that organisation (first booklet). It was the same in fascist Spain, my grandmother learnt to sew that way.

[@judithgreenwood6247]

I was thinking about how it came to your hands.

[@lisahodges8299]

Gruuuuh, I'm so pleased that you did that so we don't have to. Is there a museum that would take fascist information and deal with appropriately? Education is important for our children. Birdy