THE school for which I work is shortly to present My Fair Lady. We have hired the bulk of the costumes we need but had planned to make dresses for the principals.

We have, however, hit a snag. I am unable to buy dress patterns which are in any way appropriate.

The commercial pattern books provide designs for clothes up to about 1900 and then there is a gap until the 1920s. Unfortunately My Fair Lady is set in 1911.

I know that Simplicity Patterns did at one time produce designs for this period but these have now been deleted from the range. If anyone has appropriate patterns which they are willing to sell, lend or give us I would be extremely glad to hear from them as the situation is getting a little desperate.

Mrs Felicity Stephenson,

Grove House,

21 The Balk,

Pocklington,

York.

Updated: 11:45 Friday, January 28, 2005