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i picked up a couple of these patterns from a thrift store for 10 cents each. not only are they great patterns, but the way this sewer organized them was pretty smart, too. it looks like she (or he, you never know who wants to make a betsy johnson hooded sleeveless shirt) used contact paper to stick the pattern jacket to the folder, and then put the pattern pieces in small plastic bags and slid them inside. they labeled the top with the pattern brand, size and number. if you have endless amounts of time and the patience for contact paper, this seems like a really great space-effective method for pattern organization and storage. i, unfortunately, have neither so i think i'll stick to the binder/file box method.
here's my little mushroom prototype for knitsonya's handmade mushroom swap. i'd been putting this off, and putting it off some more, and then i sort of forgot about it until there was a friendly reminder in my inbox saying the 'shrooms needed to be postmarked by the 26th. this got me off my butt and into the sewing room (i hate to be late for anything!)
i tried to find a good tutorial online, and the ones i could find were really cute, but just not what i had in mind. so i decided to go at this on my own and see if i could come up with something that i wouldn't be totally embarrassed to send to 5 other people. with various cups and objects to trace to get the perfect circles, i embarked on a unexpectedly pleasant and non-stressful journey. after a little trouble with the stem and two tries at the mushroom cap, i am actually pretty happy with what i have going on. the trick, though, is to try and reproduce this five more times and still maintain the affection i have for this project. we'll see how that goes.
happy fat tuesday!
this weekend felt like it was over in the blink of an eye...two blinks, tops. i did manage to organize and clean up the craft room, though, which was on the top of my list. since i've been hording vintage patterns and buying new ones, too, i've been looking for a way to store them. the whole shove-them-in-a-box-and-dig-around-in-it-when-i-need-to-find-one method wasn't working too well anymore.
i had visions of buying a file cabinet and organizing not only my patterns but also my files and important papers all together. those visions were crushed when i saw how expensive file cabinets are, and combined that with the cost of files and folders and all that. i decided to go with plan b--also known as the cheap route.
i found a great resource for pattern organization on this site. i originally wanted to put all my patterns in binders, but they were so bulky that i could only fit 1/4th of my patterns in one binder. instead of having four stuffed binders, i decided to go with a binder/file box combo.
i started by organizing my patterns into three categories; dresses, tops and accessories (i avoid pants like the plague, so no need for that category.) the pattern jacket went into the binder, and the corresponding pieces and instructions found a home in a gallon size ziplock bag. the bags were tucked away in the hanging file folder with corresponding labels. i'm really happy with how it turned out, and i can easily transfer the hanging files into a real file cabinet if i come across one at goodwill or when i become rich and can afford a new one...whichever comes first.
anyone who enjoys thrift stores knows the rush you can get when you come upon something really, really good. it sort of feels the way i imagine augustus gloop felt when he laid eyes upon wonka's chocolate river. anyway, last week i went to a goodwill that i normally don't hit up since closing the vintage store, but i decided to go anyway. as i was perusing the dress rack for some sundresses ( i've decided that this summer is the summer of the sundress for me) i spied a box of vintage patterns across the store in the linens section. i literally ran over there to my proverbial chocolate river, and could barely grab all of them fast enough. i'm sure some onlookers were mildly afraid of the crazed woman hording vintage patterns into her cart but i could have cared less, and walk away with some real gems. pure. thrifting. gluttony.
happy early valentine's day! i hope you all have a lovely weekend filled with hearts and love. i'm going to chicago for oysters, martinis and a shopping trip to h&m (my last one before taking the wardrobe refashion pledge!) i send out big hugs and love to all of you who read my blog and continue to inspire me with your creativity and passion. xo
oh, how i love vintage patterns--especially when they involve 4 pattern pieces and ruffles! it was 62 degrees yesterday, so i decided to work on a summer top from my vintage pattern stash. i went with view #1 because, frankly, i would never show my stomach in public and halters look terrible on me. but give me an elastic top with a loose fit and i'm totally down.
true to the pattern cover, this was simple to sew and turned out pretty cute. not having a serger didn't really matter with this because i doubled over the hem on the ruffle and bottom, and also the bias tape around the top made everything nice and tidy.
