“Butterick the first name in sewing patterns” This familiar slogan for popular Butterick patterns neatly points to a bit of sewing history. The first commercial sewing patterns appeared during the American Civil War and were the brainchild of Ellen Butterick and her husband Ebenezer. Prior to this time, home sewers frequently made new outfits by tearing apart older garments to use as patterns. Not only was this time consuming and wasteful, it also meant that sizing was not accurate. A tremendous amount of effort went into adjusting the new garment to the wearer’s size; while some home sewers were skilled in this, others were not.
Ellen Butterick’s husband was a tailor skilled making garments to the correct size. Ellen suggested that he make patterns for people to use at home. He at first invented cardboard patterns; these are useful in a tailor shop, but unpractical for home use. Soon the Buttericks hit on the idea of using tissue paper for their patterns. The first Butterick patterns appeared for sale in 1863.
