Last night, it almost happened: that incident that lets you know that your pattern stash has perhaps grown too large.
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| V1317 - Chado Ralph Rucci |
I'm a pattern stasher. Patterns are modest in size, and I stash them in a few different places around the Craft Lounge where they are out of sight. So, it's easy to convince myself that my pattern buying is
not a problem,
not a habit. But last night I realized that my hoard is too large to keep track of; I nearly bought a pattern that I already own.
So, today let's talk about pattern buying habits since I'm thinking about my habits. I don't live near a JoAnn's or anywhere else that has in-store pattern sales, and finding patterns in the Garment District takes some effort. Aside from my Burda subscription, most of my pattern acquisition happens on-line. And I've definitely formed some habits that have skewed my pattern stash in particular directions.
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| B5454 - Wrap dresses are a staple in my work wardrobe |
First, sales. I am a sucker for sales. Last night's purchase happened during BMV's $2.88 for Vogue and $1.44 for the other brands sale (
um, yes, I am a Club BMV member, because I'm a sucker like that. So, I get a bonus discount). With shipping, my order came to $20, which is about the regular price of one of Vogue's designer patterns. Not bad for 7 patterns, huh?
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| V1314 Tracy Reese |
Second, website useability. Simplicity, for example, is underrepresented in my stash. This is because my tolerance for their website is low. The problem? Not large enough images of the garments/patterns in their gallery and too many clicks to get at the info that I want. Plus, when you click on "dresses" you get 9 pages of dresses, with no way to narrow the assortment down. I usually click away from the site thinking
I'll come back when I have more time...
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| B5813 - Says retro, but I'd style it modern for office wear |
Third, past experience. I have been burnt by patterns from indie designers - radically off sizing, cover art that was very different from the finished garment and mistakes in the instructions. And while there are several indie patterns in my stash and I've had some amazing successes too - most notably my Lady Grey jacket - my early bad experience always makes me hesitate before plunking down money for those inevitably more expensive patterns.
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| M6612 |
Fourth, style. I will never wear a peter pan collar or a pussy bow. Those styles are
simply. not. me. Indie patterns tend to be targeted toward a niche audience, stylewise. I wish Colette Patterns made more patterns that were more my style. Everything about the Lady Grey pattern was great - the instructions, the pattern itself, the illustrations, etc. Same for Jalie. I buy a lot of Burda and Vogue because they design styles I like and that easily fit in my lifestyle. I haven't really found an indie brand that really speaks to me.
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| M6602 - Well, I'm sure I could find a way to fit this into my lifestyle... |
So, that's it -some of the major contributing factors when it comes to my stash. What about you? Do you buy on line or in person? Do you have preferred brands and why? What are the habits that affect your pattern buying? And most important, do you hoard patterns like I do? Do tell!
Have a great weekend!
