Butterick Publishing Company
A historic American publisher and pattern business best known for graded sewing patterns, fashion magazines, and the Butterick pattern brand.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Butterick Publishing Company was an American publishing and sewing-pattern enterprise founded by Ebenezer Butterick. It became influential by commercializing graded paper sewing patterns, allowing home dressmakers to work from standardized pattern pieces offered in multiple sizes rather than drafting garments from scratch. The company combined pattern sales with editorial publishing, using magazines to provide fashion information, sewing guidance, fabric advice, and additional reasons for readers to purchase its patterns. The business began its publishing activities in the 1860s. In 1867, E. Butterick & Co. issued Ladies Quarterly of Broadway Fashions, followed in 1868 by the monthly magazine The Metropolitan. Both publications addressed a largely female readership and functioned partly as mail-order marketing channels for Butterick patterns. In 1873, the two titles were consolidated into The Delineator, which became the company's best-known magazine. The publication covered clothing styles, fabrics, domestic sewing, and practical advice for home sewists, creating an integrated editorial and merchandising model. By 1876, Butterick had developed an extensive distribution network. The company reportedly operated roughly 100 branch offices and about 1,000 agencies across the United States and Canada, while also selling patterns in major European cities including Paris, London, Vienna, and Berlin. This international reach made Butterick one of the most visible names in the emerging commercial home-sewing market. Its publications and pattern catalogues helped translate changing fashion trends into products usable by ordinary consumers. The company's publishing activities later expanded beyond fashion. Butterick acquired the Ridgway Company in 1909, bringing pulp and general-interest periodicals such as Romance, Everybody's Magazine, and Adventure into its broader publishing portfolio. A major New York headquarters and printing facility, the Butterick Building at Spring Street and MacDougal Street, was completed in 1903. The sixteen-story building, with two additional underground levels, reflected the scale of the company's printing operation and included interior work associated with Louis Tiffany. During the twentieth century, Butterick remained closely associated with sewing patterns while adapting its corporate structure and brand portfolio. In 1961, it licensed the Vogue Patterns name and trademark from Condé Nast Publications and acquired Vogue's pattern division. American Can Company bought Butterick in 1967, after which the operation became a subsidiary known as Butterick Fashion Marketing Co. As sewing became less popular during the 1970s, the pattern business experienced declining sales. A management group led by Bill Wilson and John Lehmann acquired the company from American Can in 1983, and the privatized business was initially led by William Proctor Wilson. In 1988, management sold approximately 60 percent of the company to Robert Bass's Acadia Investors; Wilson was succeeded as chief executive by John Lehmann. McCall Pattern Company acquired Butterick and Vogue Patterns in 2001. The three pattern lines continued to be printed and marketed together, generally through fabric, craft, and sewing-supply retailers. The portfolio was also associated with Simplicity, creating a large group of recognizable commercial pattern brands. In 2025, the United States pattern division was sold by the parent organization of the Simplicity, Butterick, McCall's, and Vogue lines to Hilco Capital. The division subsequently entered Chapter 11 proceedings, and the four pattern lines were sold to Rubelmann Capital in September 2025. The brand's current corporate status and operating arrangements should be verified against current company records, but Butterick remains identified primarily with commercial sewing patterns and its historical fashion-publishing legacy.
History
Butterick Publishing Company grew from Ebenezer Butterick's sewing-pattern business into a major publishing and fashion-marketing enterprise. Its central innovation was the distribution of graded sewing patterns, which gave home dressmakers standardized templates in different sizes. This approach made fashionable clothing more accessible to consumers who did not have professional tailoring or pattern-drafting skills. The company's publishing history began in the spring of 1867 with Ladies Quarterly of Broadway Fashions. The following year it launched The Metropolitan, a monthly magazine aimed at women. These publications combined fashion news and practical content with promotion of Butterick's paper patterns, which were sold through mail order. In 1873, the two magazines were merged into The Delineator. The new title discussed fashion, textiles, garment construction, and advice for home sewists, functioning both as a magazine and as a continuing marketing platform for Butterick patterns. Butterick's distribution system expanded rapidly. By 1876, the company had reportedly established approximately 100 branch offices and 1,000 agencies in the United States and Canada. Its patterns were also available in European markets, including Paris, London, Vienna, and Berlin. The combination of recognizable pattern branding, editorial fashion coverage, and a broad agency network helped establish Butterick as an international home-sewing name. The company entered the twentieth century as a substantial printing organization. In 1903 it constructed the Butterick Building in Manhattan, a sixteen-story headquarters and printing facility with two additional underground floors. The building reportedly housed the world's second-largest printing plant at the time, behind the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; portions of its interiors were designed by Louis Tiffany. Butterick also broadened its publishing interests through the acquisition of the Ridgway Company in 1909. Ridgway published titles including Romance, Everybody's Magazine, and Adventure, giving Butterick exposure to pulp and general-interest periodicals beyond fashion. Butterick's corporate leadership included S. R. Latshaw, identified as company president in 1926. In the postwar period, sewing patterns remained the company's defining business. A significant portfolio expansion occurred in 1961, when Butterick licensed the Vogue Patterns name and trademark from Condé Nast Publications and acquired Vogue's pattern division. American Can Company bought Butterick in 1967, converting it into a subsidiary known as Butterick Fashion Marketing Co. Changing consumer habits weakened the sewing-pattern market during the 1970s. In 1983, a management group led by Bill Wilson and John Lehmann bought Butterick from American Can. William Proctor Wilson became the first chief executive of the privatized company. In 1988, management sold approximately 60 percent of the business to Robert Bass's Acadia Investors, and John Lehmann succeeded Wilson as chief executive. McCall Pattern Company acquired Butterick and Vogue Patterns in 2001. The resulting portfolio preserved the three brands as separate pattern labels while allowing them to share printing, distribution, and retail channels. By the mid-2010s, Butterick patterns were sold through fabric and sewing-supply retailers including Jo-Ann Fabrics and Hancock Fabrics, with Walmart also offering them. The company and its related brands continued to serve home sewists through paper patterns and associated catalogues. The corporate history entered another period of change in 2025. The U.S. division owning the Simplicity, Butterick, McCall's, and Vogue pattern lines was sold to Hilco Capital on May 30. The parent organization cited tariffs, a softening market, and Joann's bankruptcy as factors behind the transaction. On July 3, IG Design Group Americas filed for Chapter 11 protection and planned to wind down and sell assets. In September, the four pattern lines were sold to Rubelmann Capital. These events separated the historic Butterick brand from several of its former corporate owners while preserving its identity as a sewing-pattern label.
- 2025
Pattern division transferred through restructuring
[1]The U.S. pattern division was sold to Hilco Capital, entered Chapter 11 proceedings, and the Butterick, Simplicity, McCall's, and Vogue lines were later sold to Rubelmann Capital.
- 2001
Acquired by McCall Pattern Company
[1]McCall Pattern Company acquired Butterick and Vogue Patterns and continued marketing their pattern lines.
- 1988
Acadia Investors acquired a majority stake
[1]Approximately 60 percent of the company was sold to Robert Bass's Acadia Investors, and John Lehmann became chief executive.
- 1983
Management buyout
[1]A management group led by Bill Wilson and John Lehmann acquired Butterick from American Can.
- 1967
Acquired by American Can Company
[1]Butterick became an American Can subsidiary and was renamed Butterick Fashion Marketing Co.
- 1961
Vogue Patterns added to the portfolio
[1]Butterick licensed the Vogue Patterns name and trademark from Condé Nast and acquired the associated pattern division.
- 1909
Ridgway Company acquired
[1]Butterick purchased Ridgway, adding pulp and general-interest magazines to its publishing activities.
- 1903
Butterick Building completed in Manhattan
[1]The company built a large headquarters and printing facility at Spring Street and MacDougal Street in New York City.
- 1876
International distribution network established
[1]Butterick reportedly had around 100 branches and 1,000 agencies in the United States and Canada, with sales extending to several European cities.
- 1873
The Delineator created through magazine merger
[1]Ladies Quarterly of Broadway Fashions and The Metropolitan were combined into The Delineator, which became Butterick's signature fashion publication.
Products and positioning
A mass-market fashion and home-sewing publisher that connected editorial fashion coverage with standardized, mail-order sewing patterns and later retail pattern distribution.
Sewing patterns · 1863
Butterick sewing patterns
The company's core product was a range of graded paper patterns for making garments at home. Butterick patterns translated contemporary fashion into printed templates, instructions, and sizing options suitable for home sewists. Historically they were sold through mail order, branch offices, agencies, and later fabric and craft retailers. The line helped establish Butterick as a durable consumer brand in dressmaking and remains the principal association of the name.
Fashion magazine · 1873
The Delineator
The Delineator was created in 1873 by merging Ladies Quarterly of Broadway Fashions and The Metropolitan. It covered fashion, fabrics, garment construction, and advice for home dressmakers. The magazine also served as an editorial marketing vehicle for Butterick patterns, linking seasonal fashion content with products that readers could order and use.
Sewing patterns · 1961
Vogue Patterns
Vogue Patterns became part of Butterick's portfolio in 1961 through a trademark license from Condé Nast Publications and the purchase of Vogue's pattern division. The line broadened Butterick's presence in fashion-oriented dressmaking and was later marketed alongside Butterick and McCall's patterns under McCall Pattern Company ownership.
Children's pamphlet
The Little Delineator
The Little Delineator was a children's pamphlet series for boys and girls. Its short issues included stories, artwork, contests, seasonal or holiday themes, play ideas, and lessons about morals and values. The series was broader than a fashion publication and included prize promotions and Deli-Club membership cards, but it did not carry advertising.
Fashion magazine · 1867
Ladies Quarterly of Broadway Fashions
This women's fashion periodical was the first magazine identified with Butterick's publishing program. It combined fashion-related editorial material with a commercial role: encouraging readers to obtain and use the company's paper sewing patterns through mail order.
Fashion magazine · 1868
The Metropolitan
The Metropolitan was a monthly magazine launched by Butterick in 1868. It served women readers with fashion content and supported the promotion and distribution of Butterick's sewing-pattern products before being merged into The Delineator in 1873.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2025
Transferred pattern brands during restructuringM&ABackground
The parent organization cited tariffs, a weaker sewing-pattern market, and the bankruptcy of Joann as pressures on its U.S. pattern operation.
Action taken
The U.S. division was sold to Hilco Capital, later entered Chapter 11 proceedings, and the Butterick, Simplicity, McCall's, and Vogue lines were sold to Rubelmann Capital.
Aftermath
The transactions changed ownership of the Butterick pattern brand and left its post-restructuring operating arrangements requiring further verification.
2001
Acquired by McCall Pattern CompanyM&ABackground
Butterick and Vogue Patterns were established pattern brands with overlapping distribution and customer bases.
Action taken
McCall Pattern Company acquired both brands and continued to market their patterns alongside McCall's.
Aftermath
The three pattern lines remained separately branded while sharing a broader corporate and retail distribution structure.
1983
Management buyout from American CanM&ABackground
Sewing had lost popularity during the 1970s and Butterick's sales had suffered.
Action taken
A management group led by Bill Wilson and John Lehmann purchased the company from American Can.
Aftermath
Butterick became privately managed, with William Proctor Wilson serving as its first chief executive after the buyout.
1967
Accepted acquisition by American Can CompanyM&ABackground
Butterick was operating as a substantial publishing and pattern business within a changing media and consumer-products environment.
Action taken
American Can Company purchased Butterick and made it a subsidiary under the Butterick Fashion Marketing Co. name.
Aftermath
The company operated under corporate ownership until its management buyout in 1983.
1961
Expanded through Vogue PatternsM&ABackground
Vogue Patterns was an established fashion-pattern name associated with Condé Nast Publications.
Action taken
Butterick licensed the Vogue Patterns name and trademark and purchased its pattern division.
Aftermath
Butterick strengthened its position in branded home-sewing patterns and retained Vogue Patterns as a distinct line.
1909
Acquired the Ridgway CompanyM&ABackground
Butterick sought to broaden its publishing activities beyond sewing and fashion content.
Action taken
The company purchased Ridgway, publisher of Romance, Everybody's Magazine, and Adventure.
Aftermath
Butterick gained exposure to pulp and general-interest magazine publishing, although the subsidiary later became involved in a libel lawsuit.
1873
Consolidated two magazines into The DelineatorStrategyBackground
Butterick's early magazines served both editorial and pattern-marketing functions, and the company had two overlapping fashion titles.
Action taken
The company merged Ladies Quarterly of Broadway Fashions and The Metropolitan into a single publication, The Delineator.
Aftermath
The Delineator became the company's principal fashion publication and continued linking fashion advice with Butterick pattern sales.
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