Greenwitch (
greenwitch) wrote in
sewing2010-07-12 03:20 pm
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patterns on the cheap
What are everyone's best recommendations for finding cheap patterns? I know that some big box stores (Joann's, Hancock Fabrics) run $.99 sales every once in a while, but unfortunately I don't live near enough to just run in and check weekly whether or not a particular brand is on sale. Do you sign up for marketing e-mails on official sites? (I just signed up for Vogue and McCalls, and they've posted a few ~$5 sales.) Ebay? Do local independent stores near you sell them for any cheaper than list price? I'm still new at sewing, and tend to mess up a lot, so paying $10+/pattern at my local shop is a little tough, even though it would be great to support the local independent business.
I'm not really looking for a specific place to get them (although if you do know of a place, that's great), more of what everyone's strategies are. Thanks for any help!
I'm not really looking for a specific place to get them (although if you do know of a place, that's great), more of what everyone's strategies are. Thanks for any help!
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Also, I have purchased some tracing material (like interfacing, with one inch grid lines) that I trace my patterns out on, so I can make modifications or smaller sizes without damaging the pattern.
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A friend of mine mentioned doing that, but the sources of that tracing paper that I've found so far were so much more expensive than the patterns themselves it didn't seem worth it. What brand do you use/where did you get it?
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The tracing stuff I use is a couple dollars a yard, usually, and sold next to the actual interfacing (frequently with names like Tru-Grid). I wait for the big coupons and buy it a bolt (15 yds) at a time, because I use it so much.
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(If you do subscribe to the mailers, you can use the web-distributed coupon as well as the print coupon, they have different bar codes)
Hancocks has similar deal: email newsletter, and online display of the monthly flyers at http://www.hancockfabrics.com/index.htm
I keep a list of the patterns I'm interested in, by manufacturer, and scoop up several at a time when they do on sale.
cheers
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I hadn't noticed before that the extra-easy lines get excluded! Seems unfair...
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Plus you can poll the lj-verse to borrow one. I have a few, but I have a gigantor network of sewers that I can get them from. Learning to draft your own is the ultimate, but I'm still a ways from that. I can make patterns relatively well from existing garments though.
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I get the paper flyers (and I think the email flyers too although I rarely look at those -- I want paper if possible) so we know when to schedule a Road Trip!