How I store my sewing patterns & projects

I store my printed out PDF sewing patterns and pattern pieces in an A4 quick binder and use plastic sleeves. There is a sleeve for the original copy shop pattern, the traced pattern and the project planner / pattern card goes on top.

If I trace the pattern again to make alterations or if I decide to hack the pattern I simply add another plastic sleeve for the latest version.

I've done this for years, but I've recently created a PDF template to track project details and alterations on the cover page of the binder.

I still have lots of these plastic binders from college so I just reuse them over and over again, but if you don't have them lying around and want to avoid plastic,use a paper envelope and keep your pattern and pattern pieces inside. You could even add a piece of paper as a divider if you need to.

When a project is still in process I keep the binder, notions and the project in a basket that I can easily put away for a while.

When the project is completed, I move the binder to a magazine holder.

For a project that is in progress I tend to use one of the many baskets I have around the house to keep everything together in one place.

Large zip lock bags have also come in handy, providing a dust free storage solution. It's not that I buy those anymore, but I do reuse the old ones I still have.

When the project is finished, the quick binder is moved to a magazine holder. I keep them in a series of uniform magazine holders on a metal shelving unit in my living room. I like them because they hold quite a few patterns, they are affordable and have a clean and organized look.

My magazine holders came from Ikea and are similar to the Fjälla magazine hoders they currently carry. But the binders (or envelopes) could easily be stored in shoe boxes, old cardboard boxes, drawers or whatever you have on hand.

How I store my digital sewing patterns

My Digital patterns are stored using Dropbox* (referral link, I'll earn some extra MB storage if you sign up)  Once I purchase or create a new pattern, I save it directly to the Dropbox folder on my computer and the moment the folder is synced with my Dropbox account, the file has a back up in the cloud which gives me great peace of mind. It's one of my favorite sewing tools ;)

If you sign up for a basic account you get to store and access your files from multiple devices, computers, phones, and tablets, for free. You get 2 GB which is more than enough for a whole library of PDF sewing patterns. I've used the free account for years but recently switched to a paid account because I'm using it for everything but the kitchen sink ;)

My folder structure looks something like this:

The main folder	Then each designer gets their own folder	Folders for each pdf sewing pattern containig the actual pattern files and instruction booklets
Sewing Patterns -->	Charlotte Kan -->	Elskan Dress and Top
		Pocket_T
	Designer name -->	Tank Top
		Skinny Jeans

 

 

Happy sewing!

Charlotte

 

PS: looking for a fun and free sewing project? Sign up to the newsletter for a free copy of the smallest Tsuno Tie Bag and sew up some scraps. If you ​​​​​​​sign up you also get access to the free printable swatch library, sewing project planner and a few other handy templates. You'll receive the files in your welcome mail :)

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Have you eve made changes to your sewing pattern, but forgot exactly what you did? *Raises hand*...I often put away a project for weeks, sometimes months and forget whether or not I've added those 2 extra centimeters to the sleeve, or I want to remake a wardrobe staple I made a year ago and can't find the edits I've made.

It's annoying because I could get out a measuring tape and figure most things out, but some edits are quite subtle and hard to backtrack from a garment that's been worn and washed.

So I decided to be more diligent and track my pattern edits in a pattern card/project planner / sewing journal mash-up. Something I used to do when I still designed and produced small collections. We would use a system to track pattern alterations, versions, construction order, material cost, production time and all the materials needed for the project.

I currently don't need to track each and every detail, but I do want to keep my sewing projects organized. My main wish was to be able to set a project aside for a while and confidently pick up where I left off.

There are so many details you could track, but in the end, only trial and error will lead you to a system that works for you.

Here are some of the possible sections you could add to your project planner.

• Body measurements + the date you took those measurements because your sizes probably will fluctuate over time.
• Hacks and alterations. How much length did you add to the sleeve? or how much you pinched out of the back panel?
• Finished garment measurements and ease. Figure out how much ease the pattern has and compare it to garments you already own and love.
• The size or sizes you've traced.
• How much fabric you need.
• The color number of the thread you used.
• Name and designer of the sewing pattern.
• The pattern #hashtag for sharing on Instagram.
• The order of construction so you don't have to check the instruction booklet.
• Future alterations.
• Notions & sewing machine needles.
• Material costs.
• Stitch length or other sewing machine settings.
• The date you started or when you finished.
•  A sketch of the garment or details.
• A link or website name where you found that super helpful tutorial you used.

I decided to create a sewing planner template that includes a few set categories and room for notes and details that fall outside these sections.

P a t t e r n  d e t a i l s
- this is where I can track the basics

name:
designer:
date:
pattern O printed O taped O traced O cut
fabric O washed O cut

f a b r i c / n o t i o n s / n o t e s
- where I can write down everything I need to actually sew the pattern

b o d y m e a s u r e m e n t s + d a t e
- to keep an eye on if my size changes since I last made the pattern

f i n i s h e d  g a r m e n t  m e a s u r e m e n t s
- to see how much ease the pattern has

s i z e  t r a c e d
- If I fall between sizes I can track which sizes I've traced

 

Sewing project planner printable vs a notebook or Bullet journal

You can simply write everything on a sheet of paper and add whatever you need, or write everything down in a notebook or bullet journal, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to create a printable for a streamlined look and ease of use.

I've been a bullet journal user for about 4 years now and I found my style to be super basic, I don't use colors or markers, just my trusted Lamy safari fountain pen. The bullet journal layout was a nice experiment for inspiration. I kept the layout very minimalist and I managed to keep it all on one page. the empty page could function as a way to jot down additional notes or a place to add inspiration for the project.

In the end, I will mainly use the printed template and only use the bullet journal for plans that require more planning and research like when I'm starting from scratch and making the actual pattern.

If you want to try the printable for yourself, it's available as a free download to newsletter subscribers and customers in the resource library.

How I use my sewing project planner for the Garçonne shirt

I used the sewing project planner template I created when I decided to hack my Garçonne shirt. I've already made two shirts with a regular button band, but I wanted to make another one with a partial placket and sleeve plackets and turn it into a popover shirt.

I created the pattern pieces and wrote down how long I wanted the front placket to be, after holding it in front of my chest and adjusting the length.

Another thing I added, was a sketch to remind me how the sleeve plackets should be attached to the sleeve since I have messed this up in the past. I was glad I had the simple sketch handy when sewing, it definitely sped up my process. 

All in all, it was a success and I will keep using it (and probably fine-tuning) in the future!

Now I would love to hear from you! Do you have a system in place to track your sewing projects and alterations? I would love to hear your tips and ideas.

Sign up and download the free sewing planner page template

Sign up to the newsletter for a free copy of the smallest Tsuno Tie Bag to sew up some scraps. Plus If you ​​​​​​​sign up you get access to the free printable swatch library, sewing project planner and a few other handy templates. You'll receive aal these files in your welcome mail :)

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When I originally designed the Tie Dress, it was part of my small ready to wear collection and it was made in a small size range in my studio in Rotterdam. I have no idea how many we made and sold, but I still had this indigo/purple/Yves Klein blue version lying around, there is a small fault in the fabric, right on the boob but not that visible at all...maybe that's why it never got sold? Anyway, I love the colour (which is nearly impossible to photograph well) but the size was too big for me. And since it's #AlterItAugust I though I join in and alter this blue beauty from the archive.

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Marilyn @create.anew

I'm so thankful of all these fabulous testers! They dedicated their time and fabric to give great feedback so I could finetune the pattern and get it as perfect as possible. They did a great job and it's inspiring to see the bag in so many different fabrics and colours.

 

During the testing I made changes to the instructions and it was clear that a video tutorial would be a great addition to the pattern. I've recently uploaded the video tutorial so you can sew along with your Tsuno Tie Bag.

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Yay! You decided to start sewing. You bought a sewing machine, did a few practice projects and now you are ready to sew your own handmade wardrobe. You want to create your own handmade wardrobe because fast fashion turns you off, you can't find what you are looking for or you simply don't fit the standard RTW (ready-to-wear) sizes.

You pick your first pattern put your blood, sweat, and tears into that first garment, only to find out it's too baggy or too tight and you start second guessing the whole plan of sewing your own wardrobe.

Or

You never start because you lack confidence and question everything...Which pattern size should I choose? What should I do if I don’t fit into any of the listed sizes? What if I fall into different sizes? How do I take my measurements?

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Ease / wearing ease / design ease / negative ease

What is ease and why should you care about it? Well...have you ever sewn a (pdf) sewing pattern after following directions, carefully measuring yourself and selecting the size only to have it come out way to large or tighter than you wanted? That's because you haven't factored in ease.

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This glossary of sewing terms for the beginner is an A-Z guide that explains many terms, but also includes some tips and tricks that I think you might find handy. The list is a work in progress and I'll add links to tutorials, images and videos when I create them. Let me know in the comments if I missed a crucial sewing term you would like to know about. Continue reading

Sew along as we walk trhough all the steps to construct the Tsuno Tie bag. I'm showing all the steps so even a beginner can follow along. If you are a more experienced sewer, speed up the video by using the gear icon to find the speed options or skip ahead. I'll cover the French seams, mitered corners and the double fold hem.

 

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Mitered corners on double fold hems two methods for garments or accessories...Maybe you've never sewn mitered corners because they look complicated, but there are two great reasons you should add this technique to your sewing skills.

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Are you a beginner behind the sewing machine? Or are you a more experienced sewer with the stash to prove it?

Look. Don't get me wrong...I'm all for having a stash to shop from, but not in such enourmous amounts that it gives me a sewing block.

Sometimes you just need a fun project for those left over bits 1 yard and 1/2 yard fabric in your stash. You know...those fabrics you love and can't bear to part with, but just don't know what to make?

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