We are retracing the footsteps of past designs so you can recreate garments to wear forever
We wish to add to your sewing inspiration and keep past techniques alive and at your finger tips!
What do we do?
We provide digitally traced copies of original sewing patterns, which are available as downloadable PDFs or printed paper patterns. We are a small two-person business based in Germany.
We recognise you want to sew vintage-inspired garments that are truly authentic, or perhaps a ‘one-off’ design that nobody else has. Maybe you need a garment for re-enactment events from a specific year or for a specific purpose. Consider us a source of unique patterns that are often otherwise unavailable. If you are searching for something special, please use the contact form to get in touch.
Unlike some repro-vintage patterns that are redrafted and modernised, our patterns are an accurate tracing of the original pattern pieces, line by line and point by point. While most of our patterns are single sizes, this means that modern computerised auto-grading and resizing have not altered the original design details. All of the original German notations on the pattern pieces are accompanied by English translations.
We provide a guide document for each pattern containing all the original information we found for the design, such as sketches, descriptions and schematics, as well as some considerations to bear in mind before sewing a particular design. The document also contains an internet link to a large number of freely available sewing resources to help you. Don't be afraid to take on a challenge!
Sewing is truly a ‘learn by doing’ experience. Übung macht den Meister!
With 4,200 catalogued pattern books dating from the 1890s to the 1970s, we have access to a significant portion of garment history. Our mission is to preserve these patterns for the future, while also engaging in a creative exploration of our European cultural heritage that encompasses fashion and social change. Providing patterns to you helps to fund our curation and preservation work.