Mail Order Fern Doilies Pattern Sets

Mail Order Fern Doilies Pattern Sets

I've said this a variety of times ... the Mail Order Design patterns have a tendency to build on each other.  You know, variations on a theme.    I imagine this allowed them (Household Arts and Readers Mail Designs of Alice Brooks, Laura Wheeler and The American Weekly)  to create the HUGE number of patterns in their advertisements. 

Here's an example of just that in a most delightful fern motif.

Design 7044 - Vintage 1958

"The fern design - a favorite crochet. It fits into any setting. These two doilies make buffet or luncheon set".

Design 7209 - Vintage 1959

Add a fresh touch of spring with this graceful fern design set—it's beautifully shaped to enhance a chair or buffet.  Crochet directions for 12 x 16-inch chair back, 8 x 12 in No 30 Cotton.  Matching doily - Pattern 7044.   

The process is easy to envision.   The 'designer' needs to produce X number of patterns for the next month and a logical starting points is an 'already popular' Design.   Just half the pattern with a couple edge adjustments and Ta-Da -- it's a chair set.     Now, not just a variation of a design, but a matched pattern set.

Oct 19th 2024 Lorrie @ Vintage Knit Crochet Pattern Shop

Now, whether the the chair doily was designed after the doily, I have no way of knowing.   I do know, however, the doily was quite popular, being released under both the Alice Brooks and Laura Wheeler brands.  Perhaps, they thought would have been .... if one is a top seller, the other may as well.  Or, perhaps they were designed together and simply released 9 months apart.  

 

I know there are other examples of this in the shop, and will post any new insights as I come across them.  

Thanks for dropping by.

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