Mail Order Designs The Old Fashioned Girl

To go with the mail order knit and crochet patterns that I collect, the accompanying mail order catalogs have become a must-have item.   I watch for these catalogs online, and combine them in at a reasonable pace.

Recently I added another Laura Wheeler Designs catalog to my collection.   I saw it on Ebay  listed as Rare with a Buy It Now price of $49.99, or best offer.   Now, I haven't seen this particular cover before, but Rare, ... doubtful.  So, after a couple exchanges over the next two weeks, we settled on $8.25.  Fair enough.   

As with this one, these catalogs are seldom dated; you have to employ some sleuth work using patterns in my collection, and of course, Google News (a real gold mine).  The majority of patterns in this book are 1947, 1948 and a couple 1949, so, I'd place this catalog at 1949.   

Now, these catalogs represent the more popular mail order patterns of the specific time.   So, what was the standout designs of 1949 in the Needle Craft market?   Hands down ... it would have to be the Old Fashioned Girl.  

 Design 646- Here he is in a chair set, facing right.

Design 785 has her facing left, and 927 has her doubled and exchanging floral bouquets.

Here we have Designs 505 and 887 which gives us The Old Fashioned Girl in a combination of crochet and embroidery. 

Yes indeed, she was quite a popular girl, and from other patterns in my collection, she appears to have remained popular into the early 1960s.   Perhaps her popularity started waning with the decrease in usage of chair sets?   I don't know. 

There are, of course, many other pattern designs in the catalog.   It's heavy on the crochet and embroidery, with knitting being relegated to just a couple clothing selections.   Regardless, I'm happy to have it added to my collection.    

If you'd like to see the entire catalog, I've placed it in a photo album over on my Facebook Page for your viewing pleasure.  

Thanks for dropping by, 

Lorrie