Topic: 1960's Cut-out dress pack

[Anne E.B.]

Couldn't resist buying this!  Dated 3 Apr 1968 - a cut-out dress pack all ready to sew up with instruction sheet and in its original postal packaging.  I would imagine that "My Home & Family" was some kind of magazine, but I don't remember it.  The address i.e. GPO BOX 653, 96/97 Farringdon St. London EC4 would appear to be near to/or intersecting Fleet Street.

The fabric is linen and the dress size a 38, but I think sizes have changed a lot over the years, and it looks quite a small size.

Does anyone remember the mag???

[Lustrousstone]

I suspect it might have been a short-lived magazine because the only two other mentions I found were also for 1968 magazines.

[Anne]

96/97 Farringdon Street was also the home of The Waverley Book Company, Ltd (started 1909) which was still there until the 1950s at least, publishers of loads of books including the Book of Knowledge series of encyclopaedias, a set of which were a great favourite in our house when I was growing up:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390082017074  

I wonder if it was actual office space or an accommodation address / agency?

[Lustrousstone]

It could just have been the distribution office, although not necessarily the mailing office. I've been racking my brains to try and remember the magazine publisher I thought used to be in Farringdon Street, but I can't.

The complete set of Book of Knowledge used to be in the bottom of my Dad's wardrobe, which is no longer. I suspect they are tucked away in the junk room. I spent many happy hours reading them over and over. This was the 1960s part-works version and had progressed to colour.

[Anne E.B.]

OMG I remember having a set of similar encyclopaedias when I was young -  late 50s- early 60s.  They were bound in red imitation leather I think.  My parents bought them off a door to door ("on the knock") salesman and paid a small amount each week ("on the never-never" ) for goodness knows how long!  I remember falling in love with the images of paintings from the Pre-Raphaelite painters.  They made a big impression on me.  I think most of the images were in black and white too.   I got to see some of the paintings done by either the same or contemporaneous artists at the old Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, before they "modernised" it and ruined it.

I might have a go at putting it together unless my daughter wants to.  Read in the paper that sales of sewing machines are rocketing because of the credit crunch, and people are going back to making or mending clothes.  Anyway, it won't fit me, and I can't see myself in a mini    unless of course it has four wheels

[Anne]

I still have one of those full sets on the shelf here, Alex loved it when he was little too. This one is the Arthur Mees' Children's Encyclopaedia - absolutely fascinating!

[Carolyn Preston]

I LOVED the Book of Knowledge as a child. My favourite part was the stories (classics like House of the Seven Gables and Lorna Doone). There was always something to read.      I think they are at my sister's house now.

Carolyn

[Lustrousstone]

We also had a set of religious/moral books that I used to enjoy. Can't really remember what's in them but I do know they came a set of about six in a red velour and gold foil covered slipcase (W@W) and that my Mum bought them off a scary door-to-door salesman. (Well I though he was scary because he was a Sikh in a turban and I'd never seen one before. Norwich was very "white" if you'll excuse the phrase until into the 1980s)

[antiquerose123]

lol............

I happen to have 3 old right here beside me to get to hunting about them (and they are very well worn) BOOKS OF KNOWLEDGE here.  The pictures in them appear to be very, very outdated.....so I will take a look to see if I can find a date on them.....Added: the last date that I find on the inside cover is that of 1923 I see on these...

I also have some *patterns* somewhere from the 1960's from Butterick....and an old sewing book on design (home, clothing, etc) from the 1960's.  That is NEAT.  I like old stuff of anything.

.....but then what don't I have here in my basement.  From Soup to NUTS... (me)....lol

[Anne E.B.]

That's just amazing - seeing old images of wires being put under the ocean. How times have changed - and so rapidly too

[Anne]

That's the astounding thing, isn't it Anne? How much has changed in such a relatively short space of time.

I was chatting to Alex some years back about television, and said something about when BBC2 started up and he looked astounded. Then when I explained that TV didn't broadcast during the day except for limited schools progs and went off air at around midnight he just couldn't believe it. 24 hour TV has always been there during his lifetime so he assumed it had always been like that.

[Lustrousstone]

And you should know where the first trans-Atlantic cable was run from Anne in Cornwall 

[Anne E.B.]

On the coast path near Porthcurno, where a pyramid marks the spot where telegraph wires came ashore

I'm not being clever, its just pure coincidence that there's an article in the local paper this morning about Cornish pyramids "Up to a Point" (Sessions of York - www.uptoapoint.co.uk ) 

Up until this morning's breakfast read, I didn't have a clue  

[Lustrousstone]

The museum there is quite interesting, we've been

[antiquerose123]

To date myself here, I remember when you got up in the morning, and turned the TV on -- the TEST PATTERN would show until something like 8:00 a.m when the programming went on air.  The late at night, the test pattern would come on again....as there was NOT TV shows on 24 hours a day like now.

http://www.mediacollege.com/video/test-patterns/television/indian-head.html

Gee, think how things have changed just in our lives...... 

[Lustrousstone]

I don't think breakfast television started here until about 1977

[antiquerose123]

So have you found any more info about the pattern?  Do you sew?  Are you going to make it......and model it for us?  lol 

[Anne E.B.]

No further info on the pattern Rose.  I'm very tempted to make the dress, not for me but for my youngest.  I can't see me in a mini - and a small size at that - not at my age (and size  )   But its about time my youngest learnt to sew, and I might just take it with me when we visit her next week.  Its a good starter project for her to learn not only how to sew, but how to use her sewing machine.   It couldn't be any easier    Famous last words