Question about perserving patterns

I have several patterns I have fiddled with until they fit perfectly. I have traced them off on more durable paper. Folded and filed in zip-lock bags.

I have done the same with the pattern for scrubs I make for DD. Now, if she'd just stay the same size...

How do you trace them?

Folded and filed in

LOL. I'm thinking more for chiar covers.

.

Just put the original on top, and trace off the outline. Marks can be added later.

So, I guess your' don't need to accommodate changing size, right? ;-)

^^^^^ I meant "yours", of course.

Aargh, guess I'll have to give up my morning shot-o'-gin... :-|

Buy the cheapest non sew interfacing you can find, usually the precut sizes in three or ten yard lengths in packages at sewing stores or maybe available at K-mart of walmart.

lay the interfacing over the pattern, taping together a couple lengths where needed to make up the width, trace and cut. lasts forever, don't forget to copy the info, pattern number, piece number, grain line and etc onto the pellon pieces.

for really large items, why not use clear vinyl to trace onto? anything cheap, and noraveling will do, even 2nd hand bed sheets from the good will if you use lots of Fraycheck. LOL

I could see bed sheets working for a while, but it COULD fray after a while. still, in a pinch, use what you have. bed sheets don't fray as quick as some things. Wonder what Hubby would say if I hid a couple patterns on our bed sheets?

Oh, before I forget, use a sharpie permanant marker for marking the pattern with, it will not wash out or rub off. and forgive my trip to left field there. LOL

Kitty

I buy rolls of white paper at costco.

Penny

Mend any torn bits, iron them, pop them back in the original envelope. I know some people advocate ironing them to light weight interfacing, but with care I can get a dozen or more uses out of just the paper.

Even cheaper!!!

the thing I like about nonsew interfacing is that it is easy to pin and doesn't tear, but paper is definitely cheaper.

Kitty

No don't do that. I'll just match you then it will make sense to me too. :)

A, I knew what you meant. :)

>

I know that Kate has lots more experience with sewing ANYTHING than I do and is a professional to boot, but I would like to interject... no I wouldn't but I would feel awful if I didn't so I will anyway,...

a tissue pattern is said to stretch if it is used many times. I don't know if I have noticed this, but I do know that stretchy hair tape works better to mend tissue patterns than plain Scotch tape.

that being said, ironing any pattern that you like enough to make two of to iron on interfacing is probably a good quick and dirty way of maintaining it for many uses and cuts down on the pins tearing out or the cat taking a chunk out of it when he runs hell bent over it a couple times. not cheap, but definitely a good first line of defense.

Kitty

What about fusing the pattern to clear iron-on vinyl? Then you could use indelible marker or a grease/dry-erase pencil to make notes on the pattern depending upon how permanent you want them to be.

Here's what you do:

Take your crummy tissue paper pattern and tape it to your table. Then get some drafting paper (this can be found at

lay it on top of your tissue paper pattern. Using a colored pen orpencil (magic marker or sharpie will do) trace over the tissue paperpattern. The sketching paper is much more durable than tissue paperand you can easily get an idea how things are made just by tracing overthe item. The reason why you use a colored pen or pencil is that youwant to see where you are tracing. Crayons would work too, but if youwanted to iron your pattern pieces, it might come off. It's best toget sketching paper that's 24" wide or more because pattern pieces canbe a little wider than 18". Then, lay your pieces on top of each other and fold them together and iron the folds to fit into a storage (aka "ziplock") bag. Then label the outside of the bag. You can put the bag in a three ring binder (if you have punched holes into the non-zipper end of the bag), or you can put them in a box. There are several nice cardboard pattern boxes you can buy, but I'm too cheap and use an old Avon shipping box. I have dividers in the box labeling what type of pattern: two-piece, tops, bottoms, miscellaneous. You can also use a file drawer.

If you use cheap no-sew interfacing for tracing patterns, that's fine, but you might find it hard to see the lines on the pattern to trace them. If you use a sheet, you'll have the same problem. I use yellow sketching paper for pieces that I have altered in some way and white for the main pieces. This way, I'll know if I've had to alter the pattern and I can use the yellow piece for reference.

I used to mend mine with Micropore tape or first-aid paper tape, and either works fine.

I have saved scraps of lightweight fusible interfacing in a small bag near my ironing board for years. Makes perfect pattern-mending-tape, it takes the heat of re-ironing, and it's free!

I steam the patterns when I iron them - tends to restore the paper to size. I also use Pritt stick /glue sticks and tissue paper to mend them rather than any kind of tape. Much easier to pin through, and better for restoring corners, etc. Also, if you want to use the pattern several times, use a punch to make holes where the matching dots are, and reinforce them with reinforcing rings used for putting paper sheets in ring binders! That way you can do all your tailors tacks without tearing the paper...

What about stuff found at places like Home Depot? I'm thinking of that black stuff you put on the ground before putting pavers, etc. They also have sheets or rolls of Visqueen (sp?) - there's a lot of good stuff in hardware stores, and I'll bet there's something that would be good for patterns, and cheap, too.

In article , Pogonip of Send abuse or DMCA complaints to snipped-for-privacy@bnb-lp.com uttered

I use rolls of lining paper from B&Q - slightly stiff and a bit opaque, but harder wearing than greaseproof paper (and bigger, and a heck of a lot cheaper)

Thanks for all for all the great suggestions!

A

Slick trick! What happens if/when you iron the rings?