A New Topic because I have the start of a new collection and a really long day busily scanning! While scouring flea markets, charity shops and vintage fairs, I’ve found several Weldon’s Sewing Pattern magazines from the twenties and thirties. First to the scanner is Fancy Dress For Children. To come from the same series, Dance Frocks and School Girl Outfits. I have to apologise for the cropping at the side of the scans. The magazine is bigger than the scanner can cope with. The 200 designs promised are a little misleading as this is more of a sales catalogue without any actual patterns, but you could use the ideas to make your own. Some of the weirder designs in this magazine include dressing as a brand of toothpaste or the work bag (items for Mother to mend went into the work bag!)

I love the idea of the inter-war period having a boom in fancy dress events, galas, pageants and parties; in fact I love a fancy dress party in any period (except maybe boring Halloween with tired clichés) and as my Mum was good at whipping up costumes and Dad was a dab hand at stage make-up, I entered many fancy dress competitions as a child and even won as a witch and came third as Supergirl.

Pages of advertising skipped (I might add them at the end). First page of costumes: Gypsy Boy; Tudor Girl; Roman Soldier; Duck and Green Peas (?); Mazawatee Tea Granny in two sizes and an 18th Century Boy or Romney Picture.

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Second page of costumes: Pantomime Prince; Ancient Greek Boy; Ancient Greek Girl; Penguin; Punch; Dutchman; Harlequin Folly; Modern Pierrot; Carnival Queen.

Third Page of Costumes: Fairy Sunshine; Poppy; Rose; Misletoe Fairy; Holly Fairy; Bluebell; Night Fairy; Yellow Butterfly; Blue Butterfly; Water Lily.

Fourth Page of Costumes: Gypsy Dancer; Butterfly; Folly; Jockey, French Artist; The Work Bag; Cottage Window; Telephone.

Fifth page: Little Dutch Girl; Blue Butterfly; Tiger; Old King Cole; Empress Josephine; Napoleon; The Boy With The “Noes” (?); Frog and Gold Fish.

Sixth Page: The White Rabbit; Alice; The Mad Hatter; Mouse; Merrie England or The Country Girl; Spring Chicken; Busy Bee; Daffodil; Tabbie Cat and Water Sprite.

Seventh Page: Toy Soldier; Toy Major General; Toy Drummer; On Parade; Clown; Harlequin; Jockey; This Freedom (much like the boy with the noes).

Eighth Page: Court Page; Victorian Lady; Cracker; Pierrot; Puck or Will -o- The Wisp; Columbine; Star Fairy.

Ninth page, colour centre-fold: Lavender Seller or Yardley’s Perfume; Hussar; Rainbow; Paint Box; Maclean’s Toothpaste; Washing Tub or Washing day; OK Sauce; Turban Dates advert; Bubbles.

Tenth Page: Hot Water Bag (bottle); Austrian Tyrolese; Japanese Doll; Nasturtium; Eat More Fruit; Anchor Butter; Ovaltine; Chef’s Products Merrie Chef; French Fisher Girl.

Eleventh Page: Bold buccaneer; Owl; Wild West; Parcel Post; Red Indian; Gipsy; Teddy Bear; Mexican.

Twelve: Harlequin; Woodland Fairy; Dutch Boy; Dutch Girl; Robin Hood; Cossak; Cupid; Gnome; Arctic Aviator.

Thirteen: The Odol Girl; Russian Peasant; Normandy Peasant; Turkish Lady; Young Turk; French Student; Pierrot, Chinese Boy; Umbrella.

Page Fourteen:  Pip or Puppy; Gretel; Hansel; Red Indian; Peter Pan; Wendy; Rabbit; Monkey.

Fifteen: A Brighter Army Girl; Maritana or Gypsy; Scissors; Sew Sew Susie; Nautical Girl; Eastern Page; Bunch of Violets; Grecian Maiden.

Sixteen: ‘Arriett or Coster; ‘Arry or Coster (Pearly King and Queen); Bridegroom and Bride; Spanish Lady; Brownie; Aladdin; Shepherdess.

Seventeen: Little Miss Muffet; Knave of Hearts; Queen of Hearts; King of Hearts; Mary, Mary Quite Contrary; Red Riding Hood; Witch; Wolf; Little Bo-Peep; Little Boy Blue.

Eighteen: Spring; Summer; Dragon Fly; Titania; Mustard Seed; Little Miss Shamrock; Carnation; Moth.

Nineteen: Medieval Princess; The King’s Archer or Little John; Medieval Prince; Plantagenet; The Young Prince; Peasant Middle Ages; Guardian Angel; Peasant Middle Ages; Portia; Shylock; Bedouin Prince; Orient King.

Twenty: Malvolio; Young Princess Elizabeth; Elizabethan Page; Elizabethan; Page; Sixteenth Century; Puritan Maid; Lord Mayor of London; Merrie England; Prince Charming

Twenty-One: Beau Brummell; Watteau Shepherdess; Pompadour; Romney Picture, 18th Century Costume; Dick Turpin; Poudre; Sir Peter Teasle; Gentlewoman of 18th century; 18th Century Boy.

Twenty-two: Early Victorian Boy; Early Victorian Girl; Early Victorian Gentlemen; Early Victorian Costume; The King’s Navy; Tommy Atkins; 1815; In Nelson’s Day; Crinoline Days; Simple Simon or Kate Greenaway; Mid Victorian; 1880.