Stewart Girl's Dress Patent of 1922

From the USPTO comes a patent filing for a girl's dress in 1922. The claim made by Gladys Matson Stewart is for the ornamental design of the dress, which I found rather difficult to see. Perhaps the ribbon belt? I guess the claim depends on the definition of ornamental design and I find her claim rather dubious. Perhaps if she filed the claim on the basis of how the dress is constructed, then perhaps her claim may be more legitimate. The design of the dress is structural and also very intriguing. I would like to sit down with designer and see how she constructed it. The gather details on the upper skirt sides would be especially difficult to sew in an industrial setting. I have tried in the past to come up with an easy way to do it, but haven't yet. The pattern itself is rather easy to create, its the construction that is the challenge.

The difficulty would be in getting the gathers to start right at the end of the slit and have them evenly distributed across the length of it. The next difficulty is overcasting or serging the seam so there are no raw edges while avoiding unsightly tucks. There is a physical/space limitation in inserting the skirt piece under a gather foot on a sewing machine. The detail would almost certainly require some kind of hand manipulation and would be too expensive for modern manufacturing.

The gather detail on the skirt would not be very attractive on an adult woman unless done in a certain way. It would add weight and attention to an area that most women choose not to emphasize. But a girl's dress could certainly get away with it. As a design idea, the detail could show up in lots of different ways and locations on a piece of clothing. The only road block is coming up with an easy mass construction technique.

Tag Board for pattern making

I have needed to order tag board (manila folder paper for patterns) for a while. Up till now I haven't needed very much. My patterns are small and a large, heavy roll of the stuff seemed excessive. I think I have found a reasonable alternative until I need larger quantities.

I did a search for tag board among the big box office supply houses. Sure enough I found one that sold it in large pieces (24 x 36) in a box of 100 sheets. The pieces are big enough that I can cut out quite a few pieces at one time and still have left overs. I further economize by not cutting out square or rectangular pieces. Technically, every pattern piece should be cut out of tag board and if I were to send them to a contractor, I would. Square/Rectangular pieces are cut using cutting guides & charts. I have a cutting guide for sleeve cuffs and skirts indicating the dimensions for each size, for example.

The dangers of lead in children's products

This will probably be a link heavy post. Lead is getting a lot of exposure of late because of its discovery in toys, but lead tainted products have been around for a long time - many common, everyday items. Lead can be found in:

• Garden hoses (this is why children should not drink from them)
• Ceramic glazes (The US blocks the importation of lead tainted ceramic dishes)
• Lead Glass, including crystal dinnerware and swarovski crystals
• Plumbing (pipes and solder)
• Paint
• Gasoline
• Some candles
• Roofing materials
• Car batteries
• Vinyl baby bibs

The danger from these items vary and depend on the amount of exposure. In the past the biggest concern has been focused on gasoline and paint. California has passed a law banning lead in jewelry, especially for children. Children have a tendency to put things in their mouth, so any lead containing products should be kept away. The CPSC has also issued guidelines about lead in children's products.

For years, Big Box retailers have required factories to submit any metal or painted metal products for lead testing. They may expand this to include plastic findings. So many trim details come from China, it is impossible to know if they are lead free unless they are tested. Later I will post some sources for testing labs.

The health effects of ingesting lead, especially by small children is well documented. Lead can affect adults too, especially reproductive, cardiovascular, and mental health.