From the Women’s News section of the Reading Eagle, Tuesday, February 2nd, 1971: an ad for the Dot Pattern System:

Um… wow. $1 for a 90 minute demonstration, and husbands admitted free? Awesome!

I had no idea Google was archiving newspapers like this. Check out the article “Fashion Disillusioned Jacques Kaplan Working on ‘Water Floor’ for the Home”, or the “You’re Sew Right” advice column, or “Jean Adams’ Teen Forum” on the same page.

When I visited my parents last, my mom loaned me The Dot Pattern System Deluxe, a pattern drafting system from 1969. The way it works is that you take your personal bust and hip measurements and then use a special tape measure to scale the pattern from the binder to your own size, by sticking one end of the tape through a cross on the pattern page and then making marks for each dot at the specified distance. So this:

turns into this:

Talk about a maxi dress!

There are over a hundred patterns in the book,covering just about any type of garment you might want to make. House dress? Check:

Office wear – or is this a cocktail dress? Either way, check:

Jumpsuits? Sure…

And I’m not even sure what this ensemble would be called – but you can make one:

Some of the coats are actually cute – though it’s the styling on this one that I love. Over the knee red rain boots?

and that hat!

Practically, you’re also covered for your wedding:

and what follows:

There are even patterns for your man:

and of course the kids (creepy, creepy kids):

I actually like those two coats, and I might attempt one at some point. Or maybe something simpler to start – I could really use a house dress…