Skip to main content

DIY Tutorial: Pattern Book Organizer

How many times have you gone on a fabric expedition and found a fabric you just NEED but you have no idea how much is necessary for this pattern you know you have but you left at home?
 
Or perhaps you did remember your pattern but it was thrown into your purse and in a shabby condition once it retreated from inside the time capsle.
All you need is:
 5 1/2 in x 8 1/2 in binder
5 1/2 in x 8 1/2 in sheet protectors
Stick-On Note Tabs
Your Sewing Patterns
Photo Copier

Once you have your supplies you are ready to make your book.
All you need to do is take your pattern and photo copy the front and back.
Cut off the excess and insert the pages with the pattern sides facing out into your sheet protector.

Now when you find that perfect fabric you can flip open your pattern book and know exactly how much fabric you will need to purchase.
Yep, it's that simple! 
Now the hard part is remembering to put it in your purse!
 
Fabric Mart trip, anyone?!
p.s. The Retail Store is on sale for $1.00 a yard!
Visit our location at 3911 Penn Ave, Sinking Spring PA
and shop the round tables!


Comments

  1. Thanks for the tip! Surely the girls and I will have fun this weekend working on these organizers… Cheers!
    TheLegacyDrawer.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. What brand binder did you use? It's really cute and cheerful looking.

    ReplyDelete
  3. We used a Martha Stewart Brand Binder from Staples. They are offered in Blue, Red, or Black. You should make one! Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I started to do this before, but never finished it. I will have to look for the binder at Staples.

    ReplyDelete
  5. If your patterns are fairly current, you can probably see them on the Web, but the publishers' Web sites are NOT mobile-friendly and most patterns do eventually go out of print and get dropped from the sites.

    I created a Web page where I show the pattern front image and link to either a screen capture of the pattern's Web page (for Butterick/McCall/Vogue where the full pattern envelope info is displayed on one page) or the downloaded envelope back PDF (Simplicity/Kwik Sew). Which is still not optimal for mobile ...

    ReplyDelete
  6. I did this with all of my patterns over the last couple of years. They filled two 3" notebooks. I also put the scanned files on a usb flash drive. It was a very worthwhile project. All of my patterns are filed, by number, in plastic bins with start and finish number series marked on the bins. So...no more purchasing the same pattern more than once!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. There are also apps for your phone that you can keep this information handy. app names: 1. Sewing Kit 2. PatternFile Mobile 3. craftgawker

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love this. I have an app on my phone that I could use, but the app doesn't recognize certain patterns, including the ones that belong to the pattern running the app. More importantly, my Joann's is an internet "dead zone" so I cant use it. A binder could help in those situations. I certainly will make this cute binder.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Bold Aspen Dress for Spring

 As I write this in mid-April, central New Jersey weather is showing small signs of spring. My neighbor’s daffodils are blooming and our magnolia tree is trying to unfold its vibrant magenta petals. I am in the midst of preparing my wardrobe for the warmer months, even if we are still huddling against windy 30 degree days. For me, warm weather means linen. I love breathable, floaty linen sundresses and drapey, loose linen wide-leg pants. My vision for a spring piece was something bold and bright, inspired by the natural colors of blooming flowers, but also something that could transition well between the warmer and cooler months. When I saw Fabric Godmother’s Apsen Dress, I knew that it had the sensible transitional opportunities I was looking for while also providing a blank canvas for fun prints, patterns and colors. With the pattern in mind, I then turned to the stunning linen collection that Fabric Mart always has on hand to see what colors or patterns would best suit my visio...

Made By A Fabricista: Celebrating warm weather with Spring sewing!

Hi sewing friends! I don’t know about you but boy, was winter cold and dreary this year! The weather here in the Philadelphia area has been slowly improving, but Spring sure did take her sweet old time to arrive. So by April, I was definitely in the headspace of needing to sew up things that were either bright and cheery or meant for the warmer weather I am very much craving right now. I recently purchased a few SewBexx Patterns so I took them on a test run to create some Spring makes. First on my list was to make a top using this absolutely gorgeous ITY fabric I picked up last year. I had two yards which was enough for a long sleeve shirt. I chose the Olivia top, which is oversized with a drop shoulder, has multiple lengths and a split hem. I think the pattern is intended for heavier fabrics but I was envisioning how lovely this top would look with the drape of ITY knit fabric, and it did not disappoint. It came together for me quickly and was a straight forward sew…and I love the br...

Made By A Fabricista: Stripes For Spring

Hi everyone!   It’s finally warming up here in southeastern Pennsylvania and I wanted to make a light, flowy dress for springtime. I snagged a vintage Laura Ashley pattern from Joanns on one of my last trips there. I somehow didn’t have anything in my pattern stash with a sweetheart neckline, so I thought it would be a good addition. The pattern calls for a giant gathered skirt, so I knew I would need something lightweight and drapey for it.  Something like a pink striped cotton fine seersucker. The fabric is light and has a really nice drape, almost like a challis . I knew it would gather beautifully. I  got to work cutting everything out, with help from my assistant. When I say the skirt is massive I mean it.  I ran into an issue right away where my fabric isn't wide enough to cut the back panel without opening the fabric out. And my three yards of fabric wasn’t enough to cut two back panels. I ran into this issue last year when making my pinafore dress . In ...