While browsing sewing patterns on eBay, I stumbled across a copy of "Design by Numbers," a pattern packet that includes 15 separate neckline designs in 24 different sizes. Feeling skeptical, I zoomed in on the text and found that the pattern itself is an add-on for Alfred Bach's "Basic Pattern" block kit. Intrigued, I hit BUY IT NOW! and zoomed it my way via US Postal Service.
The next item of business was buying the requisite Basic Pattern, which I also found on eBay. Zoom, zoom.
With the help of Etsy's archives of sold items, I found
this listing of an original, unused set of the Basic Pattern. It gave me some insight to how the blocks are intended to be used/graded, and what I might be able to expect in my kit.
Internet information about Alfred Bach is spotty with an initial google search; most of what turns up are sale listings for his booklets for various topics including "Shortcuts to Fitting," "How to Drive a Sewing Machine," "Shortcuts to Professional Tailoring," and "Shortcuts to Professional Dressmaking." I dug a bit deeper using my all-access
Ancestry account, which includes a basic membership to
Newspapers.com. Searching keywords "Alfred Bach" + sewing, I found a few articles that gave me more information-- both from newspapers in my home state of Utah!
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| Salt Lake Tribune, Sun Aug 15, 1976 |
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| Salt Lake Tribune, Sun Aug 15, 1976 |
In addition to Alfred Bach being an industrial engineer, he was a self-made home sewing efficiency guru. His marketing events and sewing seminars sound similar to what Lutterloh offers at conventions and fairs these days. I'm curious if any women in my life remember attending his courses at the historic Salt Palace, or at the Bon Marche department store in Ogden. It looks like he was teaching these workshops for over ten years, so he must have been successful. I'm really surprised that I've never seen his pattern system before, considering that I have been collecting stuff like this for so many years.
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| Ogden Standard Examiner 29 Dec 1965 |
It sounds like Alfred Bach most definitely produce a regular radio show, because I found it listed in the broadcast guides in the newspaper. He also had a feature on television, at least occasionally, because I found references to it too. I'm sad that I've been unable to find any audio or television archives, however.
I'm not sure what to expect with the pattern kits I've ordered, but it sounds like a connect the dot system, similar to other pattern drafting tool kits like
Lutterloh, the
Haslam System, the Dot Pattern System, etc. When they arrive, I'll keep you posted about the new adventures.
Fascinating! Look at you, busy blogger. 😘
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