tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post4970878395716493700..comments2024-03-28T09:14:59.192-04:00Comments on La Sewista!: Do You Tape?Bunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03672695141031447916noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-4042090660249165682013-11-15T11:43:40.091-05:002013-11-15T11:43:40.091-05:00I came across this thread yesterday and returned t...I came across this thread yesterday and returned today to finish reading. I'm a new sewer (got my first machine in January). I'm luckily in the US with a joann and Hancock within a few minutes driving so of course I navigated to the Big 4 ($.99-$5 patterns? Yes please! I have taped a children's pattern and the Kimono tee by Maria Denmark. I just printed a Lekala pants pattern and yes I will have to tape it then trace it :/ I don't like taping and I don't like tracing and I hate muslins. <br /><br />I like tissue fitting and flat pattern measurements. I mean, that tissue isn't fabric but if it doesn't fit, it doesn't fit. Right?! And if the flat pattern waist for example measures 32" and mine is 34", it's not going to fit...right?! So yeah, I only muslin if I'm completely unsure or my fabric is too lovely to chance. <br /><br />And with tracing well...when you can get the pattern again for a dollar or two...SewCraftyChemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07971798108420431518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-74222269575546620472013-11-08T06:26:16.060-05:002013-11-08T06:26:16.060-05:00But more expense!But more expense!Bunnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03672695141031447916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-50015309848842935482013-11-08T06:19:41.849-05:002013-11-08T06:19:41.849-05:00I will say Colette Patterns is not one I am referr...I will say Colette Patterns is not one I am referring to here. But there are many that fit my description. I am not going to name names as I just don't blog that way. I am saying buyer beware. Recently Debbie of "Stitches and Seams" blog had a fabulous open letter to indie designers. It says it all in my opinion. Here is the link: http://stitchesandseams.blogspot.com/2013/10/an-open-letter-to-indies.htmlBunnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03672695141031447916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-81124002529757429812013-11-06T11:44:58.492-05:002013-11-06T11:44:58.492-05:00Teach me. I am a young newbie..very new. But i wou...Teach me. I am a young newbie..very new. But i would love to learn the 'old ways' vs. fast homemade fashion. Anna Dorothyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15652637024992240538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-85038684314293644642013-10-13T21:23:51.637-04:002013-10-13T21:23:51.637-04:00...and no worse than the big four. I've been ......and no worse than the big four. I've been sewing for 12 years and my opinion is that the birth of so many independant designers has caused the big four to up their game.-https://www.blogger.com/profile/15063031774440426289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-67815047875697162642013-10-13T21:06:53.703-04:002013-10-13T21:06:53.703-04:00What pattern makers are you refering to when you s...What pattern makers are you refering to when you say pastel and eye catching blog?<br />Colette clearly has a bright pastels theme, but the sell printed patterns so I can't tellif you are refering to them or not. Their biggest talent is their user friendly technical writing. I tried sewing from a commercial pattern for the first time in 2001 and what may be clear to sewist who barely reference the instructions is greek to a new sewist and it turned me of of comercial patterns for a long time until all these sewing blogs popped up. I read recently that there is an observable trend in sewing instructions over the decades and interestingly enough I pulled out my vintage new york gold brunch coat pattern and it has better instructions than my run of the mill comercial patterns. -https://www.blogger.com/profile/15063031774440426289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-64913621166048190162013-09-13T17:41:07.441-04:002013-09-13T17:41:07.441-04:00Very well put. I am not a taper (having done it o...Very well put. I am not a taper (having done it only a couple of times), but the person that said it takes less time to tape 30 sheets than to cut out a tissue pattern obviously has never done the latter. After you tape all the sheets together, you STILL have to cut it out! I think the most disturbing thing about this trend to support indie designers it to dis the big four. I follow several sewing blogs, and I'm not seeing that the end results are any better fitting than Big 4 patterns. Fit, it would seem, it dependent on on the sewer's talent or work at altering. Mountain Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13928260982025523084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-54424501149794501382013-09-13T17:40:59.035-04:002013-09-13T17:40:59.035-04:00Very well put. I am not a taper (having done it o...Very well put. I am not a taper (having done it only a couple of times), but the person that said it takes less time to tape 30 sheets than to cut out a tissue pattern obviously has never done the latter. After you tape all the sheets together, you STILL have to cut it out! I think the most disturbing thing about this trend to support indie designers it to dis the big four. I follow several sewing blogs, and I'm not seeing that the end results are any better fitting than Big 4 patterns. Fit, it would seem, it dependent on on the sewer's talent or work at altering. Mountain Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13928260982025523084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-30230420824350500892013-09-10T10:07:11.040-04:002013-09-10T10:07:11.040-04:00I'm one of the "newbie" sewers (less...I'm one of the "newbie" sewers (less than a year of sewing) and I LOVE pdf patterns, mainly because i'm abroad in west africa and can't exactly go to Joann's and buy patterns. I find cutting and taping to be very relaxing as i love the "mindlessness" of it. Also I dont have libraries or sewing teachers here - so those online sewalongs are EXTREMELY helpful to me as I often have no clue what I am doing and my only resource is the internet. I dont see a lot of sewalongs happening for the Big 4 patterns.<br /><br />Tissue patterns also stress me out because they're so fragile. Trying to cut/trace one of those inside a stifling hot cement house near the equator without ac and not being able to turn the fan on because it'll blow the tissue pattern away, then having your sweat drip on the tissue and thus creating points where it tears easily... yeah not fun, but i suppose not many people have my living situation either. In the end i think each person just has to figure out what works best for them depending on where they are.cathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07596726160454946466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-82364145633548177922013-09-10T09:43:31.571-04:002013-09-10T09:43:31.571-04:00as far as I am concerned, it's a matter of ava...as far as I am concerned, it's a matter of availability, cost and time. If you have access to patterns in envelopes cheaply and easily, then you are lucky as you have all 3. I live in the Philippines where there are no patterns available in stores, so I am used tracing patterns out of magazines I bring back from Europe or drafting my own patterns. If I want a Vogue designer pattern, I wait for the sale and then have someone mail to me from the States, but that can mean waiting months, so not very useful if I want to make something for a party next week. So I was really pleased when companies started offering pdf patterns as they are often cheaper than the ones in envelopes, and immediately available world wide. Wether I trace a Burda pattern out of a magazine, or print tape it together (actually I find a glue stick much faster!), takes about the same amount of time. Yes it does use up lot of paper, but then I recycle all my office paper and use for patterns and it does use ink, but then the patterns were cheaper in the first place. I believe PDF patterns definitely serve a need all over the world and if they didn't the companies offering them would be out of business pretty quickly! It's also a bit unfair to equate PDF patterns with "lesser quality" patterns as this depends totally on the company offering them. After all even some of the "big 4" offer their patterns as downloads and I certainly wish that Vogue would do so, so I could get my hands on some of their designer patterns quickly and easily! WeLoveSewinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17990512521635845611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-36853179685669118722013-09-03T07:45:18.813-04:002013-09-03T07:45:18.813-04:00We don't have the great pattern sales in the U...We don't have the great pattern sales in the UK either. Sales are occasional and only up to 40% off. Also not all sewing stores stock all brands...usually just Butterick, Simplicity Burda and New Look. So I love a download. I really don't mind the taping. I do it on a evening where I'm too tired to sew but want to be productive. Generally with a glass of wine and some music! ;-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07596383615211328302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-68279866591647265572013-09-03T07:45:16.612-04:002013-09-03T07:45:16.612-04:00We don't have the great pattern sales in the U...We don't have the great pattern sales in the UK either. Sales are occasional and only up to 40% off. Also not all sewing stores stock all brands...usually just Butterick, Simplicity Burda and New Look. So I love a download. I really don't mind the taping. I do it on a evening where I'm too tired to sew but want to be productive. Generally with a glass of wine and some music! ;-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07596383615211328302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-13124471536957263292013-09-03T07:42:02.133-04:002013-09-03T07:42:02.133-04:00We don't have the great pattern sales in the U...We don't have the great pattern sales in the UK either. Sales are occasional and only up to 40% off. Also not all sewing stores stock all brands...usually just Butterick, Simplicity Burda and New Look. So I love a download. I really don't mind the taping. I do it on a evening where I'm too tired to sew but want to be productive. Generally with a glass of wine and some music! ;-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07596383615211328302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-27822419140561851352013-09-02T06:31:29.480-04:002013-09-02T06:31:29.480-04:00I think I agree with you Bunny. At the moment I a...I think I agree with you Bunny. At the moment I am working on getting basic skiils back after a break of about 20 years from sewing. But in my youth I learnt everything from Vogue Designer Patterns - I wasn't satisfied with quick and easy. Id do think simple patterns, whether PDF or tissues are great for beginners, but I do take issue with beginners thinking a simple skirt makes them a great sewer or designer. But they do seem to attract other young newbies, so I guess at least they are all sewing. Sarah Lizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17566072246120028926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-60775984215215402892013-09-02T04:31:43.753-04:002013-09-02T04:31:43.753-04:00I'm not a fan of taping - I've done it a f...I'm not a fan of taping - I've done it a few times but the length of time and resource that it takes from hitting the download button to having the actual pattern (in tissue or whatever) that you use to cut out the garment is arduous. That said, I'm a fan of tracing - Burda, Ottobre and the occasional Patrones magazine. My preference is guided by needing fewer alterations to Burda patterns than, say, the big 4. I've been using Burda magazine for nearly 3 decades now and their sizing has always been very consistent, so I'm able to grade between sizes as I trace and also add in any other adjustments, such as swayback, also as I trace. All this is a huge timesaver for me, doesn't take much resource (just the tissue paper, really) and is very cost effective - a typical magazine will have around 15 - 20 patterns in it for less than £5 which isn't much more than the cost of a download pattern.<br /><br />Re. the enthusiastic newbies, if they make it as a business, they will at some point have to up their skill levels, I think. There are only so many basic designs you can work with under your own brand and as (hopefully) the skill levels of those newbies on the journey with you develop, you will have to offer them more if you're going to keep them for the long run. Whether they stay with PDF or go printed will probably, again, be dictated by commercial realities - will they lose their customer base if they go printed having always been PDF? Give it another 30 years and we'll probably all be wearing 3D printed clothing anyway! Perish the thought!vivienzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05518896655283195065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-50279590576452599842013-09-02T04:23:30.061-04:002013-09-02T04:23:30.061-04:00Thanks KathyD!Thanks KathyD!Ana Stepalicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04938418843936123660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-39090385519978141702013-09-01T13:37:14.650-04:002013-09-01T13:37:14.650-04:00Thanks, Claire. I like the Amazing fit patterns as...Thanks, Claire. I like the Amazing fit patterns as well and have minimal changes to do with them. Bunnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03672695141031447916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-1866229033552214482013-09-01T10:30:33.150-04:002013-09-01T10:30:33.150-04:00Wow! I go away from the computer for a day and all...Wow! I go away from the computer for a day and all H$#% breaks loose! I never use .pdf patterns and I don't know who those newbies are with their pretty sites. I use Big Four exclusively, generally on sale at Joann's. I'm not about to spend all that time and effort printing and taping, then cutting something that may or may not work. I've been sewing since grade school (I'm now 60 and retired) and never once wanted something I couldn't get from the Big Four, probably because I haven't a creative bone in my body. I've only taken one class in school and that was over the summer so it was limited in scope and time. I never really realized how good we have it in the US regarding the price of patterns. Good luck to those in Europe, Asia and Down Under!<br /><br />If I have a tissue pattern that I like I fuse it to lightweight Pellon, available on sale at Joann's, to keep using it for a long time. This way I can make alterations to fit me perfectly. I find the Amazing Fit patterns from Simplicity to be quite good. I solved the plus size dilemma by losing weight. That works wonders for fitting :), but I realize that not everyone can manage it. <br /><br />Great post, Bunny, keep up the observations, it really stimulates a lot of thinking and results in great comments. We all learn from these posts and comments. Cynthia Gilbrethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17124840580430749378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-48373625242776599652013-08-31T11:34:07.398-04:002013-08-31T11:34:07.398-04:00While it is true that many of the PDF patterns are...While it is true that many of the PDF patterns are basic, so too are many of the Big 4. I am self taught, and occasionally need a break from the challenges sewing a difficult pattern. It is then I will download and happily tape a basic tee, or dress. Just recently I taped up a tee pattern developed for petites, and found it to be a wonderful fit. It is actually going to replace my Vogue tees as an activewear tee pattern.Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03517527498809073174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-19954336634771821512013-08-31T09:04:07.094-04:002013-08-31T09:04:07.094-04:00Although I've been sewing for over 35 years I&...Although I've been sewing for over 35 years I'm a newbie to the online sewing community. And guess what, I like downloading pdf's! Your post is written from an American point of view whereas the sewing world is very international. In Europe we pay 25 to 30 dollars for a Vogue pattern, and the choice is limited. Ordering online from BMV or Indies adds 15 dollars shipping cost to the price of a tissue pattern. Downloading is faster, cheaper and fun. By the way, I don't tape, I glue! I trace my size, roll the original and put a rubber band on it.<br />I agree with you on the lack of knowledge by some PDF sellers.Mariannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05144010556887549717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-1368202137534811812013-08-31T08:39:33.385-04:002013-08-31T08:39:33.385-04:00I tape. I actually enjoy it. It is like putting a ...I tape. I actually enjoy it. It is like putting a puzzle together. However the patterns I do this to are usually complicated designs that I can't find preprinted. I am working on one now. After taping the printer paper together, I trace the pattern pieces on tissue paper and then do my normal fitting process from there. This move to digital I don't mind. Digital books and magazines I do mind. I have not embraced that change. Audreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10322180715196133051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-91937013145047753602013-08-30T22:07:03.396-04:002013-08-30T22:07:03.396-04:00You've echoed a lot of the thoughts I've h...You've echoed a lot of the thoughts I've had on the digi-sewing trend. I am a pattern maker with many years of experience and I use tape and paper as a matter of course. Still, I can't see myself laying out 50 sheets of paper to tape together. I've considered selling patterns too but I've pretty much rejected the idea of straight up PDF patterns for the whole taping together issue. I also agree that the newbies need a bit more experience before venturing out as experts - though it is encouraging to see their no-fear attitude.E Melanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07954364009385391625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-63455958665155760082013-08-30T19:03:00.780-04:002013-08-30T19:03:00.780-04:00You can send those PDF files to Office Max or any ...You can send those PDF files to Office Max or any other printing service and they will print them for you. Usually they are on big sheets of paper so there is minimal taping involved.CTpathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06578761836954740915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-21501019826040162902013-08-30T18:24:45.995-04:002013-08-30T18:24:45.995-04:00I don't like to print and tape. I would howeve...I don't like to print and tape. I would however be more than happy to do it if I could enter my measurements and print out a pattern that would fit me!!Miriamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05885256236346221060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871855805349050304.post-80981170350239784462013-08-30T17:56:47.965-04:002013-08-30T17:56:47.965-04:00Great post Bunny. Some good observations on what ...Great post Bunny. Some good observations on what is out there to download. I see so many patterns that are basically the Same thing, renamed or "reinvented" either available for free or paid. I think with some sewing experience and/or education that beginning or intermediate sewers could save themselves many hours by using better patterns to start with. <br />Re: taping. Almost never. What a pain. I did print and tape a couple of times as a pattern tester for Tasia of Sewaholic patterns and was happy to do it, obviously that is a particular case since the patterns are still in "draft" when she sends the PDF. I also paid the print/tape for a Lekala pattern per the owner's request so I could blog about it and that was fine. It was not a very complicated dress style and the fit was perfect so I recommend highly. but the time it takes to print, tape, then I trace because the pages are both too stiff and yet too fragile to use as the actual pattern pieces. Once I did a download from Burda for a skirt and after taping etc I totally lost interest.<br />Thank goodness for Vogue patterns. My favorite!Beth (SunnyGal Studio)https://www.blogger.com/profile/08891740887743925587noreply@blogger.com