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Here is a boucle suit knitted in 4 ply, with a skirt waist of 26 inches and no obvious sign of what the bust is. The skirt needs 16 buttons and the coat 8.

Dating it – This was priced at 2d, which makes me think it is from the early thirties or the twenties. This wasn’t a scientific process as I just looked at the patterns currently on my desk – the many forties patterns seem to all be priced 4d, and a thirties one is 2d. It’s such a shame it’s shot from the back, as we can’t see what it is like, but looking at the back cover, the four things advertised are definitely from the thirties.

The other unusual thing is the tape which it is mended with. I’m not sure when sellotape was invented, but I have seen this tape before, on a bookbinding course. It’s a woven fabric tape, though there are marks of a more modern sellotape. A hint for people who want to stick their patterns together today – normal tape will dry out, flake off and leave a mark (it may take twenty years, but trust me it will). I use Scotch Magic Tape, but we’ll have to wait a while to see if it’s any better.