Sew Grateful Week Giveaway F*ck Yea!

It’s Sew Grateful Week over at Debi’s. And since everyone over there is a Forties Freak (among other things) I thought this 1947 copy of the Simplicity Sewing book would be an appropriate giveaway item – in the spirit of the times*.

This book has all sorts of awesome information (accompanied by gorgeous illustrations from the time) right from what pattern to choose (I had no clue) through sewing tools, measurements, alterations, fitting, pressing, fabric types, marking, cutting, pinning, basting, handsewing, a whole section of hemming (you know you need this for those bothersome flared hems), pleats, tucks, bindings, pipings, facings, godets, gathering, shirring, ruffles, flounces, buttonholes, buttons, collars, sleeves, cuffs, plackets, shoulder pads (preparation for the eighties), fastenings, closures and separate sections on sewing up coats and menswear. Samples below:

-As if you’re a curve-less mannequin, apparently.

I had no clue until I accidentally bought a vintage teen pattern and it fit, that I should be sewing from Figure 2 not Figure 3.

Back in the days when women had bad points (aside from invisible limbs that is).

Yes yes yes, it has colour pages. About colour. How old-worlde-meta.

If you’re an ancient buttonhole freak (or if ancient buttonholes freak you out) you should totally stop by here and pick up a booklet on doing them the old fashioned way.

Sweet love of ye olde awesomeness, it covers the metal shanked buttons going through embroidered holes with a Bodkin through the shank thing. This alone elevates it to rarified heights in my eyes.

*Which I like to think of as the spirit of Independence – 1947 was the year India, and many other British colonies shed the colonial yoke (and it’s all been downhill since-according to everyone that was alive at the time).

To enter this giveaway leave a relevant comment mentioning your vintage style preference by decade (if any) and links to any vintage/ vintage inspired makes you’ve posted (on your blog/ facebook/ twitter/ flickr etc). Star Wars costumes count as vintage. If you’re into vintage (and/or antiquarian) sewing and pattern-drafting books check out the ones I’ve uploaded for Friday Freebies.

Giveaway ends Sunday 10 February, 2012 and as always, is is open to all, internationally. Best of luck.

Disclaimer: All non-self-generated images remain copyright of their original owners and are reproduced here for the purposes of illustration, discussion and review.