Pattern Acquisition

I am basically the worst hoarder ever when it comes to patterns and fabrics. I only started sewing 18 months ago and I've already collected so. much. stuff. It's only not ruinously expensive because I am pretty strict with myself on how much I'll pay for any single item. Still, there are definitely cheaper hobbies, and hobbies that take up less space.

At the moment, I am pretty successfully sticking to a self-imposed No More Fabric rule as I have just far too much already. I am TOTALLY FAILING to stick to a No More Patterns/Pattern Magazines rule. Luckily, I am mainly pleased with the things I buy, but there are always one or two things that creep in that I afterwards wish I hadn't bought.

My pattern purchases in the last 6 weeks:

1. Butterick 5849 and 5862. I picked these out of the new Butterick line-up when it came out last month as things I really wanted to own. Then the US BMV website had a 75% off sale, which made them about US$2.50 each. Normally shipping from BMV in the US is STUPID, like US$24 to post 2 patterns to the UK, so I had them sent to a US-based friend of mine and then paid back the postage to have them sent on. Insanely, this ridiculous purchase method is still cheaper than buying them from any UK website.

Style 2820, which is mid-70s, and Style 1578, which is very late 60s.

2. Two vintage patterns. I seem to have a real affinity for 1970s dress patterns, which is good because everyone else seems to bid on vintage 1950s/1960s stuff so I'm rarely competing with anyone. Ordinarily I pay no more than about £2-3 with p&p, but the one on the right is rare and I don't know, I just went nuts for it and so did another bidder and I ended up paying £6. Luckily I'd just sold a bag so I didn't really feel the pain of paying for it -- the money went into my PayPal account from Etsy, and straight back out again!

Scout Woven Tee

3. Two electronic patterns from Grainline Studio, specifically the Scout Woven Tee and the Moss Skirt.  This was one of those things where I'd been thinking about buying the patterns for a while, then I saw on the designer's blog she was having a Thanksgiving sale, and then on the SAME DAY I saw a review of each of the patterns on other people's blogs, plus I found myself mooning over a top on Pepperberry that I could see how I could make the Scout Woven Tee into and... yeah, I ended up buying them while they were on sale. I sort of regret this purchase, but not horribly so.

4. I've been waiting for the monthly free StyleArc pattern to be something I wanted, so that I could buy the Stacie Jean Jacket and have it sent to my sister-in-law in Australia and she could bring it over when they come to the UK at Christmas (thus avoiding, again, horrendous international postage charges). This was the last possible month for me to do this and hey presto, Style Arc offered the Eva Knit Top for free this month, which I probably wouldn't buy but am quite pleased with as a free pattern.

A regretted purchase. :|

5. I bought the Tiramisu dress pattern when the designer first pre-released it and I have to be honest, I've wished I hadn't bought it ever since. It was too late to do anything about it by the time I repented, and then I forgot all about it. It showed up on Tuesday and I was reminded all over again how annoyed I am at myself for buying it in the first place. Perhaps I'll feel more enthusiastic in the summer when a short-sleeved dress makes more sense to me. That said, I saw a version made by SuzyBee (on whose blog I regularly lurk as I love the clothes she makes) as a top that I liked very much, so perhaps not all is lost.

McCall 5522

6. Two McCalls patterns: 5890, which was recently recommended to me as a princess seamed knit top on PR; and 5522, an OOP PR Best Pattern of 2009, which is an empire waisted blouse with cup sizes. Both of these are things that I specifically was looking for. In fact, I've been hoping to find a copy of 5522 for months because my Very Favourite Blouse Ever is very similar in design. And then both came up at once from a single vendor, a little more than I usually pay but still MUCH cheaper than any alternative way of getting hold of them. \o/

New Look 6080

7. New Look 6080, which I bought (inexpensively) for the little unlined jacket pattern. I'm planning to use it as the pattern on which to practice skills learned in the jacket classes I bought on PR.

8. A couple of back issues of Burda that came up inexpensively on eBay. I mainly only look at 2008-2012 back issues, and then I use this really great Russian site I found that for at least the last several years has ALL the photos and technical sketches to decide if there's anything in it an issue that I want. This link takes you to the list for 2009. The translation is TERRIBLE, but I'm more about the pretty pictures.



Just. That is a LOT OF PATTERNS. A LOT. FAR TOO MANY.