When I was young I loved browsing through the Sears catalogue. I would look through page by page and mark all the things I wanted to create my brand new wardrobe. Is it no wonder I decided that the best way to display and store my sewing patterns is in binders and boxes. Now I browse through my binders and plan my wardrobe and choose my next sewing project.
My system is to put my pattern envelopes in plastic pages, under tabs for dresses, coats and cardigans, skirts, pants, etc. When I want to make a dress, I browse through all my pages and I can easily see the front pictures and the back information – notions, fabric, sizing, yardage, etc.
Then when I have decided on a dress I want to make I pull out my pattern box that contains that envelope’s contents (instructions and pattern pieces), all easy to find in numerical order, and off I go!
,,,like this Butterick dress pattern…
,,,and it’s instructions and pattern pieces.
I even keep my Indie Patterns and my PDF patterns in my binders.
When I was young, I used to watch my older sister sew. I cannot count the number of clothes she made for herself, my Barbie dolls, me and my sisters, her family, our families, the list just goes on and on, not to mention the countless wedding dresses, bridesmaids dresses, party dresses, WHEW! She was the type of seamstress who did such a beautiful job on her clothes you could wear them inside out! Well my sister hasn’t sewn anything for a while now due to her arthritis so she has passed on to me her pattern collection – two pattern boxes full! (Simon… put down a box lid and a cat has to sit in it!)
I haven’t counted how many patterns, but they range from approximately the 70’s through to 2010.
You definitely need to buy some THICK shoulder pads for this Simplicity pattern from 1989.
This seemed to be the most recent pattern, from 2008. I never knew … “threads” has been involved in sewing patterns for so long!
A classy dress pattern from 1979.
Another one from 1978, this one with a reversible vest.
I have been busy dating these patterns for curiosity sake. Then I will incorporate them into my present display and storage system.
November is going to be a special month for me – my one year mark for my blog! I am working on a couple of things for my blog that just might be interesting, so stay tuned!
So I ask you…. in the meantime… How do you store your patterns?
Happy Sewing!
25 responses to “So what do you do?”
What a great idea for pattern storage. I might have to try it. Maybe a project for January. Do you keep each pattern company in it’s own box or do you mishmash them all together?
I mish-mash them all together in the binder and boxes. In the binder the important thing for me is to have all my dresses’ envelopes together so I can choose which dress to make, for example. Then in the box they are all mish-mashed together, but in numerical order so I can find the contents of the one envelope I want to make. It is always nicer to organize right from the start, so you don’t have to sort 2 or 3 boxes all at once like I had too. 🙂 Thanks for reading and commenting!
Great post and fabulous that your sisters tripped down memory lane with you! I do like your idea of having the pattern envelopes in a format that is easy to flick through.
This very week I have finally ordered some comic book boxes, backing boards, sleeves and dividers to properly store my patterns that are currently squashed into a variety of dodgy open cardboard boxes that don’t sit neatly anywhere. It will also give me the opportunity to count and correlate the collection, although I might not be admitting to the actual number that I have! My collection covers from the 1930s to the early 2000s, thank you Mother and Grandmothers. I have not purchased a new pattern in years (I have found lots of treasures in op-shops though) as I find that I already have something very similar that I can utilize. Which means I can then re-route the funds into gorgeous fabrics 😉
For actual makes I sketch out the details in my Fashionary, include a swatch and any notes on fitting/construction/lessons learned/stuff for next time. I used to include all that in the pattern envelope but it got too messy.
Sounds like you have a great collection to sort out there! I love looking at all my choices, my imagination runs wild. I have a separate binder with notes, swatches, etc. for my finished projects. It is nice to look back on if I have a question about a pattern or fabric. Thanks for reading/commenting!