Forty fantastic 1940s sewing patterns under $40

Unlike many in our circle, I am not much of a sewer. I know the basics and have - many years ago - made a few simple projects, but sewing is not a talent that the universe blessed me with in any capacity. Of course, like most skills, I'm sure I could improve with (scads more) experience, perhaps a good teacher, and plenty of trial and error, but given that I find sewing to be fairly challenging on me from a physical standpoint, this isn't something I've pursed in recent years. Perhaps one day - goodness knows I'd love to be able to knock out some fantastic garments made with vintage patterns - but for the time being, I content to admire the marvelous sewing projects of others.

Another thing that I greatly enjoy admiring - and even occasionally purchasing myself - is vintage sewing patterns. I love, love, love (!) yesteryear sewing patterns. The art that adorns the pattern sleeves and the sartorial inspiration the fashions pictured there provides has endeared vintage sewing patterns to my heart ever since I was a child.

About a month ago, the immensely lovely and completed talented Rochelle of the blog Lucky Lucille announced that she was holding a 1940s sewalong that was open to participants from anywhere in the world. To take part in this delightful sewalong, all one has to do is a create a garment (anytime between February 4th – March 31st, ideally submitting photos of your finished project to Rochelle by March 29th so that she can include them in a post about the completed projects) using any 1940s, 1940s reproduction, or 1940s appropriate sewing pattern that you'd like.





It's easy as pie to participate and sounds like oodles of fun! Believe me, if I was a sewer, I'd be on this delightful sewalong like thread on a bobbin. Again though, as sewing is not my strong suit, I thought that one way I could join in the general spirit of this project would be to share some seriously stylish 1940s sewing patterns with you that have caught my eye recently on etsy.

I started saving these links last month, so it's possible that some of these patterns may have sold already, but quite a few should still be available and those that had sold, may possibly be available elsewhere (online or off) as well. As the theme of Rochelle's wonderful sewalong is the 1940s, it struck me that forty assorted vintage patterns from the forties would be a great number to include in this post today.

Like nearly all vintage items, mid-century sewing patterns have, by and large, shot up (sometimes rather dramatically) in price over the past few years. However, as you all know, I love a bargain or at least a relatively well priced item, so to keep the theme of the number forty going even further, each one of the patterns featured here today comes complete with a price tag that will run you (before shipping) less than $40.00 US.




{So very, timelessly elegant and becoming for women of all ages. Simplicity 1324. $38.00 from Historically Patterns.}



{Two times the vintage apron cuteness! Hollywood Patterns 1834. $25.00 from Fancy Lucky Couturier.}



{Three charming peasant style inspired warm weather top ideas. Simplicity 2034. $5.00 from Gift To The World.}



{Jumping seasons from the last pattern, here's a fabulous, classic winter swing coat in three appealing lengths. Advance 4916. $35.00 from Independence Vintage.}




{Belted 1940s daywear dress loveliness in a bigger size for those gorgeous curvy ladies out there. 4593 Simplicity. $28.00 from Molly Pop Vintage.}



{These cute-as-a-button culotte and vest ensembles would be absolutely perfect for the start of spring. Simplicity 4370. $20.00 from Lisaanne 1960.}



{Whether you opt for short or long sleeves, this 1940s drop-waist dress is a perpetual classic. Du Barry 5463. $15.00 from Fripperie.}



{Breezy bowed necklines and short sleeves make these two forties frocks perfect for the sizzling summer months ahead. Simplicity 1016. $9.95 from Atomic Regeneration.}




{Puff sleeves and full skirts add lashings of feminine loveliness to these two subtly peasant inspired dress styles. New York Gold Seal Patterns 1397. $21.00 from Cottage Lane Treasures.}



{Summer's still a little ways off, so why not whip up one of these sophisticated, boxy 1940s coats to help keep those early springtime breezes at bay? Simplicity 1531. $8.00 from Dandelion Vintage.}




{Few vintage garments make my heart more giddy than darling 1940s pinafore dresses like these. Simplicity 3664. $25.00 from Miss Betty's Attic.}




{Perfect for the vintage loving office worker or anyone looking to add some classic mid-century blouses to their wardrobe. McCall 4800. $10.00 from Cherry Bubble's Vintage.}



{Actress Betty Rhodes gave this delightful three-piece blouse, bolero and skirt ensemble pattern her nod of approval. Hollywood 1211. $18.00 from Sew Patterns.}



{Curve hugging, a-line skirt loveliness that just begs to be worn all spring long. Vogue 8957. $20.00 from Old Fashioned Notions.}



{It's never too soon to start thinking about your next bathing suit, especially if it's as cute as these forties options are. New York 906. $34.00 from Dear Dress Maker.}



{The kind of classic vintage shirtwaist dress that you can dress up or down to your heart's content. Du Barry 5581. $10.00 from Sew Patterns.}


{Exude yesteryear glamour in a chic, cozy 1940s cape. Vogue 7891. $14.99 from Faithful Fabrics.}



{For the mama-to-be, two wonderful 1940s maternity dress options. Butterick 1985. $23.00 from One More Cup of Tea.}




{This lovely skirt suit pattern teeters on the end of the 40s/start of the 50s, and could be styled to work for either time frame. $7.50 from Karen Elmquist Vintage.}



{Two sweet-as-cherry-pie short sleeve dress styles featuring cute front pockets and rickrack trim. Simplicity 4102. $25.00 from Fancy Lucky Couturier.}



{Much as I adore all of the patterns in today's post, it was this lovely skirt pattern that I was most tempted to buy for myself because it seemed like the kind of thing that a total novice sewer like myself might be able to tackle. Simplicity 4824. $8.99 from The Craft Barrel.}



{Radiate old school Hollywood glamour in one of these beguiling 1940s evening/dressing/hostess gowns. Butterick 2354. $22.00 from Sock Fiends.}



{Be ready for a myriad of daytime events - from baby showers to PTA meetings - in one of these beautiful 1940s skirt suit styles. Hollywood 682. $14.00 from Midvale Cottage.}



{A collared v-neck and generous sized pockets add extra interest to these wonderful apron/pinafore jumpers. Advance 3427. $24.00 from Color Me Vintage.}



{Protect your clothes in lovely 1940s style with one of these classic, artist or crafter perfect vintage smocks. Simplicity 2436. $22.00 from Miss Betty's Attic.}



{If you share my love of vintage ruffles, than these 1940s housecoats style dresses are sure to tickle your fancy as well. Hollywood 1240. $12.00 from Daisy Epoch Vintage.}



{One can never have to many pretty blouses in their wardrobe, especially when they're as appealing as the four featured in this great 1940s pattern. Simplicity 4750. $22.00 from Miss Betty's Attic.}



{Whether you're in the mood for slacks or peddle pushers, this great pair of forties pants is sure provide just what you're after. Advance 3983. $16.00 from Midvale Cottage.}



{Well tailored lines and a waist defining belt help give extra elegance to this beautiful pair of 40s skirt suits. Simplicity 3923. $25.00 from Swing Kitten.}



{There are few figure types this pair of lovely flattering square neck, a-line skirt dresses would look terrific on. Simplicity 3423. $30.00 from Miss Betty's Attic.}



{Three lovely just-below-the-knee skirts to see you through spring, summer and fall with ease. Simplicity 1575. $14.00 from Quilt City Sue.}



{Stay cozy and stylish in these terrific 1940s pajamas and robes. Simplicity 2999. $10.39 from Mrs. Depew Vintage.}




{Whether you're hitting the links or grabbing a quick happy hour cocktail, these crisply tailored 1940s jackets are sure to land you a hole-in-one on the fashion front. McCall 4231. $12.50 from Studio G Patterns.}



{For those looking to tackle evening wear for their 1940s sewalong project, may I present this gorgeous pair of square-neck vintage gowns. Simplicity 4065. $35.00 from Miss Betty's Attic.}




{Perfect for everything from camping trips to leisurely Sunday walks, these classic straight legged trousers from 1947 will see you through scores of different events and weather conditions. McCall 6794. $10.00 from I love Vintage Stuff.}



{Princess lines and cute details like a lace collar or double breasted buttons add extra appeal to these marvelous 1940s frocks. Simplicity 3514. $14.00 from Selvedge Shop.}



{Have a (beach) ball in these seriously fun vintage summer playsuits. Simplicity 4321. $19.00 from Fancy Work.}



{Those - like myself - who enjoy longer hemlines on their vintage daywear dresses are sure to fancy both of these elegant dresses. Advance 5004. $9.50 from Studio G Patterns.}



{If you're a fan of whipping up your own hats and handbags, than this sophisticated pattern is sure to catch your eye. Vogue 9650 $27.50 from Atomic Regeneration.}



{I audibly gasped aloud when I saw this stellar 1940s dress and matching accessories sewing pattern. What took my breath away, you may ask - why, none other than the fact that you can tuck the tails of your headkerchief right through the collar on the dress on the left. Adore! Simplicity 3350. $30.00 from Miss Betty's Attic.}

♥ ♥ ♥

Whether you're a sewer or not, I really hope these marvelous 1940s sewing patterns help inspire you throughout this spring and well beyond. I know they'll certainly be fueling my wardrobe fires for a long, long time to come.

Do you have a favourite (or ten!) from amongst these mid-century pattern offerings? Every last one of them makes me go weak in the knees, so try as I may, I don't think I can narrow my selection down to just one.

If you haven't checked out Rochelle's 1940s sewalong yet, I highly encourage you to do so. There's a nearly a month left to complete a project, if you're interested, and even if you won't be sewing along yourself, it will still be a total joy to see the creations that others will be submitting.

Happy sewing and 1940s pattern admiring, my sweet dears!

Mrs. Tyron's exceedingly glamorous day

You know those times when you're squarely in the mood for glamour even though you don't have anything more exciting than a day, say, of the usual 9-5 grind, or housework, or running errands around town to do? Oui?

Well, today (as I continue to battle my through the flu that struck me last week) just happens to be one of those for days for me. It's the kind of morning when I wake up and I wish I had an opera, movie premier, grand ball, or other wildly elegant, upscale event to attend.

As there isn't an opera house around these parts of hundreds of miles, I'm not an actress, grand balls are few and far between, and I haven't received any gilded invitations in the mail lately, I doubt I'll be dusting off my fanciest gown before the sun sets tonight.

No worries though, when moods like this strike, I find that one of the best thing to do is flip through some of my favourite vintage images of enchantingly glamorous women and live vicariously through their chic adventures.

By far one of the most entertaining groups of vintage glamour shots I've ever encountered is that which (well known Vogue) photographer John Rawlings took for the February 1947 edition of Harper's Bazaar magazine .

Through a series of four dozen images we see a very (just check out some of the prices mentioned - they'd be steep by today's standards!) well-to-do woman named Mrs. Tyron arrive home from a long day of shopping and then proceed to go through the many steps required to get ready for a gorgeous and very glamorous evening out with her husband.

These photos and their accompanying captions really speak for themselves and what an interesting, stylish tale they tell!

{All images above are from Flickr. Please click on an image to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}

The old adage that looking beautiful is hard work certainly seems to ring true for our harried Mrs. Tyron! In the end though, despite nearly – gasp! - wearing a similar dress as her friend, she (even though we know everything she just went) makes it all look so easy and natural – as though she just rolled out of bed looking like a million dollars.

And after all, isn't that the exact perception that glamour is supposed to give off, no matter if one is just popping out to the market or if they’ve been invited to an evening spent at the President's Ball?

Save 20% off any eShakti purchase with this exclusive promo code

Towards the end of this past January, I wrote - in rather great detail - about my first experiences with online ladies clothing seller, eShakti.com. The month before I'd received a complimentary item (a gorgeous skirt, which will appear here late in the spring in an outfit post unto itself) to review from them, and then (the same week) opted to purchase two dresses from them out of my own pocket.

Despite selecting the what should have been my correct size, neither dress fit (they were a full two inches small than the measurements stated) and so both are pretty much write-offs for me (I think I'm going to sell them and recoup a bit of my loses). As well, I had issues with the insanely high courier fees from the company (DHL) that eShakti used to ship my (paid) order to me. I talked at length about both of these points in my previous eShakti post, so I won't rehash them here so soon after that

In the time since that piece went live, I've spoken to a member of eShakti's customer service about the problems I encountered, and can honestly say that they were receptive to what I had to say. As well, they were very kind in helping to make up for some of the issues I ran into (for example, I was issued a $50.00 refund to cover the cost of one of the dresses that did not fit me due to the sizing being smaller than stated).

Just a few days ago, I heard from eShatki again, when they offered me the chance to select three dresses from their (absolutely beautiful) new spring lineup, one of which I will be receiving for free to review.

Just which of these three dresses I'm going to be sent, remains to be seen (the selection, I believe, is random, based on stock and sizes available), but I loved all three and would be happy with any one of them.

Knowing the fit issued I'd encountered with the two dresses I'd bought from eShakti in December, I selected the review dress two full sizes larger than I usually wear (normally a six would fit based on the measurements of their garments, but to hopefully be on the safe side, I went with a size ten). I'm hoping that this will ensure a better fit this time around and am thoroughly looking forward to receiving my review dress and blogging about it in a future post.

So smitten was I was eShakti's spring offerings actually, that I thought given how today is the second day of March - the month that will, at long last, kick off spring again - I'd share some of my favourite garments in their current lineup with all of you.

{Her fifties gingham check dress ~ $59.95} 

{Indigo retro chambray shirtdress ~ $64.95} 

{Contrast trim poplin skirt ~ $54.95} 

{Puddy tat print dress ~ $79.95} 

{Vintage style knit top ~ $39.95} 

{Collared yellow poplin dress ~ $99.95} 

{Her fifties tipped trim dress ~ $64.95} 

{Ruffled swan wrap blouse ~ $59.95} 

{Trapunto banded poplin skirt ~ $59.95} 

{Gingham check surplice dress ~ $79.95} 

{Belted corset style dress ~ $79.95} 

{Nautical anchor sheath dress ~ $72.95} 

♥  ♥  ♥

If any of these pieces are calling your name, I'm very happy to be able to offer all of my wonderful readers a 20% off coupon that's valid until March 20, 2013 on all eShakti.com purchases (excluding items in eShakti's Overstock category).

All you have to do is enter promo code CHRNCLLYVN before you checkout to receive 20% off your eShatki entire order (this promo code is not case sensitive and does not require a minimum order to be placed for it to be valid).

As I'd discussed in my post last January, I really want to make eshakti's garments work for me and to adore their site, service and products. Their offerings are lovely, many have a vintage vibe to them, and the ability to customize certain elements of any of their pieces thoroughly appeals to me.

It's my sincere hope that that this new review dress they're kindly sending me will fit perfectly and that it will be able to make an eShakti devotee out of me once and for all.


*EDIT* Monday: I've heard back from eShakti and the coupon code has been fixed (it seems all the coupon codes they sent out to various bloggers recently failed to work from March 1-3rd). I just created a sample order to test if the code was working and it is indeed.

eShakti.com has also extended the duration that this sale from the 10th until March 20th, giving you ten more days to save 20% off any order you place with them.