The Sew Weekly Sewing Circle

How to Put Away Patterns

   When you buy a  new pattern, it is all neatly folded in the envelope and fits perfectly.. However, after you cut it apart and cut it  out..The patten is all fat and the envelope is stuffed. I worked with a lady at the hospital [years ago]. She brought me some of her patterns.. I was stunned.. they were perfect [just like new patterns].She told me, she ironed her pattern peices ,before returning to the envelope..??????

   How does everyone handle the patterns?? Do you iron them?

    Where do you keep your patterns.. Are they filed? are they in  a pattern box? Are they sorted according to groups,sizes etc??

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Permalink Reply by Judy Roberson on March 18, 2011 at 8:25pm
Hi Amanda, I like the  freezer bag idea.. Being able to see through them.. I am going to start gradually working on my pattern stash and  see if I can oraganize them.. [it will take awhile...way tooooooooo many patterns, and I keep buying.ha]
Permalink Reply by Kat on March 18, 2011 at 11:38pm
What a brilliant idea!  I may just have to copy that.  ;-)  Thanks for the tip!
Permalink Reply by Debbie on March 18, 2011 at 9:42pm

I keep patterns that I have used in a zippy-lock bag (is that what you are calling a freezer bag?).  As I have now started to trace my patterns from the original sheets (I don't cut them anymore), it allows me to keep all the traced pattern pieces together with the original pattern pieces/envelope etc.  This seems to be working well so far.  I have a few narrow baskets that I am storing my patterns in - I don't have a huge stash, so that works at the moment.   All my older patterns are stored in boxes in category (pants/dresses/skirts etc).

 

Ironing the pattern sheets sounds like a good idea.

Permalink Reply by charlotte tilley on March 19, 2011 at 1:53am

omg, I love the idea of ironing them etc etc and filing neatly but I'm afraid I just bung them back in the envelope as best I can!

 

More thought rquired, obviously....

Permalink Reply by Judy Roberson on March 19, 2011 at 8:08am

me too Charolette.... I think we are kin to each other and just don't know it.ha

 

They are giving me great encouragement...I  intend to start ironing....[pray I catch them all up]

Permalink Reply by margueritedesigns on March 19, 2011 at 9:02am
And me!  But I also think life's too short to start ironing!
Permalink Reply by Debi on March 19, 2011 at 5:00am
Sometimes I iron mine as well! I always put them in some sort of plastic bag.  I store my patterns in accordian files by the pattern number and year (I have a lot from several specific years)....
Permalink Reply by Casey Sew on March 19, 2011 at 5:04am
neat idea! Hadn't thought of accordian files!
Permalink Reply by Judy Roberson on March 19, 2011 at 8:06am

 I like the accordian  folder idea..This would be easy to see the pattern numbers at the top,with out having to search through all of them.

  at the moment, I have the pattern boxes [from Hancock Fabrics] and my jumbo fat envelopes. [it wont hold many] .I intend to  start ironing mine too, however, I have so many patterns now..It will take me forever to get them all done....yuk.

Permalink Reply by margueritedesigns on March 19, 2011 at 9:05am
Forgot to say that I keep my patterns in an old chest with 6 narrow drawers.  The top one is full of patterns, the second embroidery kits, the third sheets of paper, etc.. and it goes on ...  I can see it being full of patterns before I'm done!
Permalink Reply by Amanda on March 21, 2011 at 4:53am

I'm so terrible with my patterns.... at this stage they're in an overflowing 50 litre container - no real order of any kind. If I'm really honest, that's not even all my patterns as I have two lots currently out on loan. However, I did pull out my pile of 1930s-1940s patterns recently because I kept worrying they'd get damaged (they're in the front of the photo below). I keep them on the spare bed in my sewing room. A very poor system all round! Luckily, I seem to be able to fold back along the factory lines and get them back in their packets okay. But now I'm resizing and I've got modified pattern pieces I have no idea what to do! Organisation this late in the game seems like too much work!! I don't have solutions Judy but just thought I'd share my shameful pattern storage habits - I know they're absolutely terrible - I really need to do something about it!

Permalink Reply by Judy Roberson on March 21, 2011 at 7:00pm

Amanda.. looks like mine... no organization at all !!!!   But yours does look neatly in the envelopes..I mean to tell you...most of mine ...are stuffed fatly into the envelopes.. nearly busint open..[now..thats the shame pile.ha]..

  After, all these good ideas..I am going to 'slowly' try to iron mine and get them together?? we will see what happens?????

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