For the costumers and sewing hobbyists on my flist.

[castalia]

"For ONE WEEK ONLY the Commercial Pattern Archive at the University of Rhode Island is offering free online access! Login with the username "guest" and the password "pattern".

COPA has about 48,000 vintage patterns (including the small scale pattern piece images!) dating from 1868—2000."

I'm looking now and they seem to have a wide variety, but not all of them seem to have the construction pictures available (some just aren't loading). Might be a great resource for Victorian and early 20th century costuming, but you'd have to be able to just look at the pattern pieces and know how to fit them together, I suspect. You just get schematics, not instructions.

Comments

[zaftig46.livejournal.com]

Yeah, those early patterns didn't come with instructions, ever. Instructions seem to be a post-war response to ready-to-wear clothing, and the loss of dressmaking skills among women.

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

Mm, I certainly don't have the skills yet, but I thought some others might be interested. I like instructions :)

[deborak]

omg, this wonderful opportunity couldn't have come at a worse time for me to doodle around searching and downloading. But I will anyway, garrrr.

[kitzen-kat.livejournal.com]

Fabulous! Thanks.

[antjgiab3.livejournal.com]

Ohhhh nice! *goes to look for sundresses*