5 things to know before you buy a sewing pattern.
Confession time. Over the years I have bought so many sewing patterns that I have not used nor do I intend to use, and I guarantee you I am not the only one. I have nightmares that at my death ( praying for long life) that my space will be on an episode of hoarders with thousands (ok maybe hundreds) of patterns and people judging me saying what was she doing with all this stuff lol. So because of that I had to look deep inside and pin point reasons why I was buying things I was not using. Yes the pattern companies make it so enticing you just want to buy, but honestly I looked back and calculated how much money was sitting around and adding up in patterns. No More!
So to help you not fall into the same cycle and trap I did, here are the 5 things I pinpointed to help you not hoard but buy patterns you will actually use. I now use these tips and buy very few patterns now.
1. Master your style – Style is individual, fashion is collection. Everyone has their own sense of style. If you don’t think so, think about what you like to wear whether its casual or dressed up. Think about what You think flatters you. That is the same thing with patterns. There are styles that you will definitely enjoy wearing and some not so much. We get carried away because we see a pattern on someone and love the way it looks on them but forgetting that we may like it on them but not necessarily on us. You also have to think about where you would wear it. Is it something for everyday wear, is it something for a special occasion. If you have a reason to wear it you are guaranteed to successfully complete it.
2. Know your measurements and keep them updated – At the least you should have your bust, waist and hip measurement. This is because you will need these to be able to pick a pattern size. Size charts may vary on different brands of sewing patterns but at least you will know your size to compare to the sizes on the pattern.
3. Retail clothing sizing does not equal sewing pattern sizes – This brings me to this point. I have heard so many people complain that they have been unsuccessful with sewing patterns because the sizes don’t fit. So know that pattern sizes do not equal store bought patterns and that is why you need your updated body measurements to compare to the pattern sizes and help you pick the correct pattern size for you.
4. Patterns are only templates – I release you from being stuck and following patterns to a tee. They are not a perfect puzzle. Use patterns to guide you through your creativity. If you need a visual just search the hash tag #sewyourview (instagram) to see how many sewing enthusiasts have added a touch of their own creativity to different sewing patterns.
5. Know your skill level – Now am not trying to shame your skill level if you are a beginner because we all start from somewhere, but I find that if you pick a pattern within your skill level, you have a higher level of success. I promise you the more you practice the more your skills become better. There are so many great beginner friendly sewing patterns out there and in the next post I will show you how to tell which ones are beginner friendly.
I hope you found these tips helpful. Let me know in the comments or if you have any other tips or added thoughts.