I bet you have a few of these laying around. I also know you would rather spend your time fondling fabric than stuffing cut patterns neatly into envelopes.
The other day when I was faced with the same fold up chore something clicked and I figured out how to get them nice and neat and back in the envelope. Hope this inspires a few of you out there to newly enjoy your folding.
1. Take your largest piece of pattern paper and lay it out flat on your table. Fold in the sides so you have no more than 24 inches of width. Take a 6x24 inch acrylic ruler and run it down the length of this piece, pressing and flattening as you go along to the end. This will smooth it and make it really flat and thin. Now lay all the smaller pattern pieces on top, spread here and there, no edges peeking out of the side.
2. Place your ruler on the paper to the far right but back about 4 inches from the edge. Fold the pattern tissue over the ruler.
3. Now keep flipping over the ruler wrapped with the paper until you get to the other end. Keep the ruler nice and snug into the fold.
4. When you reach the end, just slide out the ruler. Place it on top of the tissue and press hard to flatten it out tightly. Now just fold the two ends toward the middle and then fold in half. You should have no raw edges exposed.
5. Now doesn't that feel good and look nice? Now, be damned if I am going to dig into my pattern stash and refold them all. But going forward they will all get this treatment.Bunny
Sure does look good! Thanks for the idea and photos. I've seen a lot of those stuffed envelopes in my day...
ReplyDeleteBunny, that's brilliant. I have one of those rulers. I sometimes don't even bother to put them back, then they get lost.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! Like you, I'll do this from now on but not go back to old patterns.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, that's the way I fold my fabric but never thought about doing it with patterns.. like you I'll be doing it that way from now on.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Great idea, thanks for sharing! I used to be a little OCD about refolding on the factory folds, but I just don't have time anymore. If it all fits back inside, that's good enough for me!
ReplyDeleteClever! Now I need one of those rulers..lol
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing such a great idea!
ReplyDeleteLOL! I'm very particular about the pattern sheets. I've figured out how to carefully fold them back into the factory folds. The pieces I don't cut out go back into the envelope in factory folds and the pieces I use are neatly folded and placed back in the envelope with the instructions between the cut and uncut pieces. I can't stand those stuffed envelopes. Your method is great for those used patterns I get that someone hasn't properly put back in the envelope!
ReplyDeletewow what a great idea! I have been known to iron the pattern down after I folded it but it never has come out this neat and tidy. thanks!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea!! I've linked to this from my blog: http://sewing.craftgossip.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?posted=365
ReplyDeleteThis is Great! Too bad the pattern co.'s don't do this. Oh well nothing wrong with wishfull thinking. LOL
ReplyDeleteDonna Rae
Hi Bunny! Beautiful "used" pattern folding! I've never (that I recall!) just stuffed the envelope, but I long ago discovered that folding neatly to fit in a quart-sized plastic bag was lots easier than trying to get the pattern all back in the envelope. Uncut pieces go back in the envelope, the rest go behind the envelope in the plastic bag. I do love your fit-it-all-in trick.
ReplyDeleteKharminJphaudric
Your idea is brilliant!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! I can never fold them back into the envelope. I just fold the best I can and put them in a clear zipper bag...
ReplyDeleteGenius!
ReplyDeleteYou are my new best friend (and you're brilliant!)
ReplyDeleteThis just blew my mind. I spent so much time trying to refold, that I gave up and started putting all used pattern pieces in 1 gallon ziplock bags. This would allow me to store my patterns much more easily in the long run! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter devised a fabulous system. Materials: 3 ring binder, insert seeves with punches on side, large manilla envelopes. She puts the envelop in the sleeve and into the 3 ring binder. She puts the pattern piecs in the large manilla envelope. The envelope is generally large enough for her working copies too but if not she uses a second manilla envelope for those. She labels each envelope with the the pattern name/maker name and number. The envelopes are in numerical order (i.e., M3825,S2568,V5460, etc. She stores the envelopes upright in a pretty cloth cube on her shelves. When she wants to find a pattern she looks through the book. Finds the page and then pulls the corresponding envelopes. So far it works faboulous and she can pull just the pattern envelope to take to the store so she doesn't have to write stuff down.
ReplyDeleteI just found this comment and had to respond. I know quite a few who use this technique but for me it would be cumbersome. You now have two places to look to get your pattern and knowing myself, they would eventually lose their mates. If someone has a really large stash, now it is even more cumbersome. I have hundreds of patterns. While I respect that this works for some, I find just folding them up and back in the envelope works best for me. takes the least amount of time, space and is less cumbersome all around.
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