patterns on the cheap

[greenwitch]

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!

Comments

[wired]

Usually, the sales at JoAnns are $2 apiece now, not $1, but it's still a heck of a lot less than $17. I am on their mailing list, so I get flyers ever couple weeks telling me what pattern companies are on sale when. It's very useful. Also there is always a coupon.

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.

[greenwitch]

Oh hell yes. I know that Joann's always has their patterns for 40%, but that's still $10 usually and still a lot. I used to be on their mailing list, but I'm guessing since there isn't a store near me and I didn't use the coupons for a while, they took me off and now I'm having trouble getting back on (the nearest store is an hour away from me.) Do you know of any blog or twitter account or something that might announce when they're having those types of sales?

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?

[wired]

I don't know, sadly. I am still on their list to get paper flyers, and got on the list by signing up in person.

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.

[auntruth]

http://www.joann.com/joann/home/home.jsp lets you look directly at their current flyers, without killing trees. Somewhere in there is a signup for their email newsletter, which also includes printable coupons (some only useable online, but most okay both online and in local stores.)

(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