Using Newspapers for Patterns

On the free table was a paper bag filled with homemade clothing patterns using newspapers and magazine pages. The pattern for an oven mitt still had fabric pinned to it.

I believe the magazine page dates to the 1950s based on the Palmolive illustration style and the article on the back about WWII Flying Tigers pilot Jack Cornelius.

The photo caption reads, "Stocky Jack Cornelius left an airline job to take over the engineering of the Conest..." The story talks about the Flying Tiger Line founder Prescott hiring the Texan Cornelius who was working for a New York Airline. Prescott started the first scheduled cargo airline and named it for the WWII Flying Tigers unit, a 100 man unit that "compiled the greatest air combat record in history" according to a 1991 article in the LA Times, inspiring a John Wayne movie.

Other pattern pieces were for a child-sized shirt. And there were several heart shapes as well.

 Snippets from the newspapers showed an Indiana connection.

Frankfort, Indiana perhaps?

I loved seeing the vintage advertisements! Roman Meal Bread was promoted as a way to keep thin. Now we are all about low carb diets.

 Esther Williams in Million Dollar Mermaid came out in 1952.

 The television guide line up gives an idea of the date for some pieces.

Frugal sewers are still around. When I started quilting in 1991 I joined a group of quilters who were older with years of experience. One lady used cereal boxes to make her cardboard templates. A friend in my current group uses flexible plastic cutting mats from the dollar store instead of those sold at the hobby stores.