Saturday, November 12, 2011

Sewing thoughts

As I just posted, my sewing machine is broken. So, that has freed up more time for research. I wonder how many people actually know that sewing companies used to make, and some still do, pattern books. I recently have found that I really like Kwik Sew patterns. They actually have real paper patterns, instead of those flimsy tissue paper ones they seem to clearance out every couple weeks at JoAnn. Anyway, I was browsing the Kwik Sew website and I happened to see on the side list "Sewing Books". So I clicked it. I was amazed. You can buy a whole book of basic patterns, averaging 20+ per book and in multiple sizes in the same book too! There are also Martha Pullen (heirloom sewing) books also. I will definitely be looking for these on eBay. I will then be able to make all of children's wardrobe, instead of endlessly looking for appropriate clothing for our kids, which are more and more recently poorly made in the first place. I am even considering making Eric his work and everyday clothes. I have already ordered a t-shirt pattern for him. It is just too expensive to buy everything from the Big & Tall shops (1 plain t-shirt runs about $30! vs 2 yards of on sale fabric will be around $8-10).

Another thing I have learned recently is that there is pattern tracing material. It is kind of see through and won't stretch or warp, so you can lay it over a pattern that you want to cut out and never have to cut your master pattern! Man, I should have found this a long time ago! I have been cutting out every size of my patterns and tracing them on felt, so I can have every size and never have to buy that particular pattern again. Granted I have thankfully only done that to 6 patterns, but that is a lot of work I put myself through. Especially the infant layette pattern I recently finished tracing... I'm so glad I found this other method before I started cutting into my heirloom patterns. I still have many patterns on my wish list, especially from King's Daughter's, and am so happy I won't have to cut them up and can keep them forever, once I am able to get them.

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