The premise of graded sewing patterns reportedly came from Mrs. Butterick's frustration with design which came in only one size, which almost always necessitated manual grading of the design using wax chalk on the fabric before sewing could commence-this was a laborious and frustrating process.
The premise of graded sewing patterns reportedly came from Mrs. Butterick's frustration with contemporary sewing patterns offered in only one size (frequently a different size for each pattern). Unless the intended wearer happened to match the size of the pattern, this necessitated manual grading of the design using wax chalk on the fabric before sewing could commence-a laborious and frustrating process.