Wednesday, October 20, 2010

There's got to be a better way.......

.....to store used sewing patterns that is.

I have an awesome system to neatly organize my sewing patterns. In short, I separate the pattern contents from the envelope. I store the envelope in sheet protectors and three ring binders. The envelope contents is stored in a manila envelope, is numbered appropriately and filed in a cabinet. You can get more details here.

HOWEVER......... I DO NOT have a great system for storing used sewing patterns. I refuse to fold them up and place them back in the assigned manila envelope. Instead,  I organize my used and cut out patterns in a large plastic bin. I pin together all the pieces of one pattern and stack them neatly in side.
 (Plastic bin with stacked patterns)

(Stack of patterns removed from the storage bin. BTW, the canned goods on my cutting table are my pattern weights. Don't you judge me, you know I'm cheap! I stole the idea from someone else and they work GREAT! LOL!)

Well, the more I sew, the more stacked patterns there are and the harder it is to find patterns. Although the method is so simplistic it still frustrates me. I'm currently trying to track down Vogue pattern 879---you know the cute wrap dress pattern. And I can't find it anywhere. I'm sure it's hidden within my stack of used patterns. I need to explore other storage ideas. I'm sure for the moment I'm extremely frustrated because I can't find my beloved Vogue pattern. I'm sure if I organized my patterns a little better I wouldn't have this problem. That issue aside,  I'm still open to trying another method. So I'm curious, how do you store your used patterns. Do you fold them back into their original envelopes? Use pattern hooks? Please help a Sista out with some suggestions! Thanks in advance........you guys are always a wealth of information:)

20 comments:

  1. I fold mine and put them back in their envelopes. Or at least I try to... they still manage to get loose occasionally. Folding them is a pain, but it's the only thing that works for me. I'm not exactly a master of organization. LOL

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  2. A couple of ideas: Store your used patterns in the envelope you used before you cut them. They'll be a bit wrinkly but clearly separated and indexed to your pattern envelopes.

    Even simpler, just separate your used patterns by number (I know that will take a while :-)) and put them in ziploc bags with with labels (or just write on the opaque part).

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  3. Hmmm... I mostly sew burda and ottobre magazine, which don't come in envelopes. But I store those pattern pieces in 6x9 manila envelopes, which are the same size as pattern envelopes. Maybe you could buy the regular size manila envelopes (in bulk!)- it would be much less frustrating to stuff all that tissue in a larger envelope. And you can paste a black line drawing or photo on the envelope.

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  4. I fold mine and put them back in their envelopes.. unless I cut something out and never sew it, in which case the pattern pieces stay with the cut fabric pieces for a while. I like to be organized as much as possible!

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  5. I also use ziplock bags - the big ones. I do hate to fold them so I feel you on that. I stack all the pieces and roll them. Then I flatten the roll and fold the flattened roll in half. By then it usually fits in a big ziplock. Like you, I keep the envelope separate. I started a patterns page on my blog - mostly for my own reference. I need to finish uploading all my pictures. Now I can pull up that page with my iPhone whenever I want to see what patterns I have.

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  6. I try to fold them up and put them back in the envelope. If I can't get it back in it goes in a Ziploc bag. My daughter told me that if the pattern is ironed well it folds very easily back into its original envelope. It worked.

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  7. Like others I put them into a gallon sized ziploc bag and tape the pattern envelope to the front. If the pieces are small then I put them into the original envelope. Then I put them into a plastic storage tub.

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  8. I fold them back up and put them back in the envelope. They fold up very nicely if you wrap each piece around those see-through 5 or 6-inch quilting rulers. Then slide the ruler out.

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  9. I'm a fuss-budget, I fold them up neatly and put them back in their original envelops! I don't iron them first, but many people swear by this.

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  10. I fold and put it back into the same envelope or even use a plastic envelope so that I can what pattern it is. Maybe for you I will take a pic of the pattern organization.

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  11. I use the Expanding Files to store the patterns and add tag identifier in each slide to identify them easily. I have one each such folder for my DD, sister & Self. Since i don't buy any commercial patterns, most of them are self-drafted ones in newspaper hence easy to fold... except basic bodice which i draft and secure in Chart Paper!

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  12. Since you already having the manila folders I would say put them back in there and back in the file cabinet. My grandmother, who's been a seamstress/dressmaker for over 50 years, folds her used patterns, puts them in ziplock bags with the original envelope in front and then files them in clear plastic bins (in numeric order).

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  13. Yep, I'm in line with everyone else. I iron, refold and put them back in either the original envelope or a large ziplock bag with the instructions and cover. If I don't, they'll disappear along with mismatched socks, glasses and the other incidentals the house gremlin like to come and take. LOL.

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  14. I'm a neurotic tracer, so I have no tissue patterns lying about, but I do fold up the tracings and put the in a ziploc, which I then put either in the pattern envelope, or if it was a Burda/Ottobre, I store the ziploc with the original magazine in a 9x12 manila envelope.

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  15. My system is pretty much the same as yours but I buy the 9 X 12 envelopes with the prongs. I buy them 100 in a box. When I buy my patterns I separate the envelope from the pattern and write the pattern number in the top corner and file in my filing cabinet. Which is categorized by number. Once I cut out the pattern to use I iron before cutting out my project and refold and put back in the envelope. I think because my envelopes are pretty large this works really well. I liked the envelopes because they fit perfectly sideways in my file cabinets and I can look through my cabinet pretty quickly to get to whichever one I am looking for since they all are numbered in the upper left corner which becomes the right corner when filed.

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  16. Like lots of other people, I put mine in largish ziplock bags - the pattern pieces, the envelope and the instructions go in there along with a sample of the fabric I have used. I then keep these bags in a huge box. As I make more patterns it is now getting more difficult but having a scrap of fabric in the bag helps me to spot the pattern and recognise it more easily. I am always looking for new ways of organising stuff!

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  17. im battling to understand why they wouldn't just go back into their original envelopes. ive never even considered another way...this just seems like the only way to keep things uncomplicated & easy. if it came outta that envelope, its gotta go back i say.

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  18. Anonymous, please don't struggle to understand:) It's just a matter of preference that prevents me from putting them back in the original envelope. I'm just far too lazy to do all of that folding (wink)!

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  19. Hey! I love the idea of using the cans as paperweights! Don't call yourself cheap for using such a great idea!

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  20. I, too, use the binder method for my patterns. But instead of storing them in manila envelopes, I store them in ziplock bags (w zipper - quart size) I already know I am going to trace out the pattern so the ziplock give me plenty of room for the refolded pattern AND the tracing! I buy the ziplocks in bulk at a Big Box store. So they are not so pricey. I still have a few manila envelopes, but as I use the patterns they get transfered to the ziplock and as new ones come sneaking in some how, they get put in the ziplocks.

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