A blast from the past, the first pattern I ever bought

[wrenkins]

Think yourself lucky @KayK. When I started grammar I could walk down the corridor and under the wall mounted fire hoses.
Then one September I couldn't. 
My mum made me a pale blue with white polka dot, seersucker dress with a ring pull zip. I can remember her carefully explaining why the fabric was bumpy and what it was called. 

[Ohsewsimple]

@KayK I’m the same!   Little and good as they say.  Yeah right!

[BrendaP]

I can't remember the first pattern I bought, but I do remember making a couple of shift dresses by drawing around an existing dress to use as a pattern.  I think it might have had a bust dart but that was it, just straight up and down.  To make the waist go in they had a tie belt.

[Surest1tch]

I think I was about 14 when I made my first proper wearable garment. It was a heavy crepe white trouser suit because I adored John Lennon, I couldn't tailor then so instead of a jacket I made a sleeveless vee neck tunic top to it. I loved that suit so much and wore it until it literally dropped to bits.

[Catllar]

1963  I was making shift dresses from a Simplicity pattern and Bushbaby fabric in dark colours.  Fisheye darts, long back zip and faced neck and armholes. Made them up in the afternoon and wore them that evening. I keep looking in vintage patterns but have never seen one I recognise.

Oh bushbaby fabric - I remember that! Can't remember my first pattern but my first non-school sewing class garment was a  black gathered skirt with laces and ribbons round the bottom for dance class - tarantella! I was so proud of that skirt.

I will also never forget the garment that started my life-long back problems - I was  16 and cutting out on the floor a dark purple and black checked wool, skirt, jacket and trousers. Being lazy I couldn't be bothered to get up and move round so I over stretched and my back went ping. I was in the house on my own for 4 hours till mum got back from work and from there I was 6 weeks in hospital. Start of a lifetime of problems cos I'd been misdiagnosed and incorrectly treated for slipped disc when it was really a dislocated hip.

[Gernella]

I do remember one that I made for Christmas, it had loads of fabric in and puffed out, I felt like the Queen.  Mum washed it and all the 'stuffing' out of it, it went all flat and not nice at all.   Then there was the shirtwaister dress with a lurex thread through, that got a lot of wear.     

The year before I had to give up hairdressing I went on a course to Germany part paid for by Wella.  I have a photo of me somewhere holding up my colouring certificate.  Every now and again it turns up when I have a sort out and I get waves of nostalgia (for my youth).  Where has the flipping time gone?