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

[reyl]

I have a Fabricland membership, and there are always members' pattern sales. Simplicity, Vogue and Butterick's are often on sale.

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.