Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Um, I Think I'm a Pattern Collector

As you might imagine, I have an ever-growing stash of vintage patterns. But I never really considered myself a collector; I've always intended to use the patterns. (I'll admit that I've actually looked down on the idea of collecting vintage patterns without the intent of sewing from them.) However, lately I've noticed a change in my thinking. Readers, I think I may be . . . a pattern collector. Let me tell you what happened.

It started when I became fixated on Hollywood patterns, specifically those from the 30s or 40s with an actress's photo featured on the envelope, like the darling one pictured above. (Which, by the way, is now an item in my collection.) I began purchasing these patterns when I could find them in good condition, in a bust measurement fairly close to mine, and for a relatively low price (I'm talking under $30).

When the one above arrived in the office mail yesterday, I showed it off gleefully to my dear friend and coworker Ariel, even though she cares not a bit for sewing or patterns or fashion of any sort. She was a little impressed, though, when I boasted that it was from the 30's and in great condition. Then I admitted something like, "The sad thing is I'll probably never get around to making it." Her response? "Oh, so you've finally given up that pretense, eh?"

It's true; I suppose I've given up the ghost on this one. I have more patterns than I'll ever get around to making. And then just think of all the patterns I've yet to add to my collection and never make! It makes me a little sad, like when you realize you'll never be able to read every great book written before you die. Sorry, am I being morbid?

But there's also something comforting about collecting: having a niche item that you love and then tirelessly searching for it. I know it's just stuff, but these patterns truly feel like treasures to me.

What's your take on the matter? Do you consider yourself a collector of patterns?

44 comments:

  1. Hi Gertie,

    I would find myself somewhere in between. I love to purchase sewing patterns--both new and old--but I know when I buy them I'll probably never get around to sewing each and everyone. I probably only used 20% of my stash so far. BUT, and I mean BUT, I do use every pattern I own in a different way. I am learning how to draft my own sewing patterns so each pattern I purchase comes in use by me opening up the pattern pieces and observing the garment's construction. It helps me immensely by doing this!

    From reading your blog for awhile I can see the joy you receive from owning vintage patterns, so I say go for a "collection." I know they will be cherished.

    Rebekah

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  2. That is a pattern for a very cute dress AND it's Maureen O'Sullivan... how could anyone resist? I have yet to own a Hollywood Pattern despite having drooled over many a one these past few years (in fact, I may own one, but it's minus the film/ radio-star mugshot, so I don't feel it counts).

    I have found the only way to curb my otherwise rampant collectionitis is to concentrate on one thing at a time. This summer it was Vogue Paris patterns which allowed me to come across some real beauties. I even managed to score a couple of Holy Grails on ebay in the form of a gorgeous Schiaparelli pattern (the envelope is very tattered but it was under £30) and a mint Jacques Fath for $15. Needless to say, I felt quite pleased with myself on both counts. I'm not kidding myself for a second that I'm ever going to use them but at least I feel I'm preserving them for posterity... and if they keep increasing in value, surely they can be considered an investment (she says, desperately trying to justify herself...).

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  3. I'm not giving up the pretense!

    I still hope to use every one of my vintage patterns at some point in my life. Just like I still hope to make every one of the patterns I like from my 60+ BWOF issues.

    Unrealistic? Oh course, but I don't care!

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  4. No way! Every single one of my pattern purchases is well-reasoned and necessary!

    That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

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  5. yes. Iam probably a collctor.... But I just take the easy patterns and hope that I´ll actually use them when I get my lazy butt up!

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  6. Ill be honest, I have several patterns and have only attempted to use one once. Unfortunately I am completely mentally challenged when it comes to putting them together. I get halfway through, then give up and alter it to something not even close. I couldnt make anything at all without a dress form, but now I am pretty handy with draping and doing it that way.

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  7. I'm a collector of fabric. I had an AHA! moment one day when bidding on fabric from some dead woman's stash. Unless my time commitments change, I'll never be able to sew up all my stash before I die ... Doesn't change my love for the fabric one bit.

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  8. There is, dear friends, a difference between a collection and a hoard. A collection is a carefully chosen grouping around a theme. A hoard is nondescript. So long as you keep to the collecting of patterns rather than the hoarding of them, I think you're doing yourself and the world a bit of good. What a shame if some descendant of a vintage pattern collector didn't know the "value" (and I don't mean monetary) of these tresures and tossed them in the garbage can? We have to protect them by scooping them up when we get an opportunity.

    I was delighted to discover the other day that I too own vintage patterns. It just so happened that I've had them around that long! LOL

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  9. Although I am not a pattern collector myself I find it hugely pleasing that these patterns are finding loving homes. Keep up the good work!
    Lee-Ann

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  10. I just took possession of my first 3 honest-to-goodness vintage patterns yesterday, and may be right behind you on that slippery slope.

    My mom and I were recently lamenting the fact that we had gotten rid of so many patterns in our sewing lives. Patterns that would now qualify as lovely vintage patterns from the 60s and 70s.

    Elle

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  11. My idea behind having more patterns than you know you will ever be able to sew is this:

    With extra patterns you have choices. when you finish one project or find yourself in a rut you have a stash that you can look through for inspiration. Also, when you find a really awesome fabric on sale you know that there is a pattern in your collection that will be a perfect match.

    It is kind of like having more clothes than you can wear in one day. You have options!

    I personally never buy patterns without intending to sew them, or fabric or yarn with out a project for them in my head. Sometimes that works out sometimes it doesn't and sometimes it just takes awhile!

    Don't feel bad dear Gertie, if they make you happy it is all ok. With out them you wouldn't have this blog and we wouldn't have your blog and you wouldn't have us and we wouldn't have you!

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  12. I think I'm ok with patterns - I have one box but it bothers me that most are unused. I bought a vintage blouse pattern recently and I can see how an addiction could start. My problem is that I started acquiring liberty fabrics a few years ago and I now have a 'collection' not a hoard(!). I've resolved to sell some on, but it's so hard, even with ones I don't particularly like!

    That dress pattern has such potential, I hope you make it up.

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  13. I have become somewhat of a collector as well although my intent has always been to use them.

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  14. This is hard for my to say...... but here goes.... For my news years resolution I vowed not to buy another pattern or piece of fabric until I use up what I have.
    I will be very proud of my self in the end but it's only the first week of Jan. and I am struggling. I hope this gets easier.

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  15. Absolutely I'm a collector! I have some of the first patterns I sewed, um late 60's/early 70's and now I am searching for them in um, a bigger size!!! :) Even if I have not sewn them all, I love to dig through my pattern stash for inspiration. I probably never need to buy another one, but where's the fun in that?

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  16. You won't believe it, but I cleaned out my mom's closet over Christmas and found a brand new dress almost exactly like the one in your pattern! It's a gorgeous bright blue with slightly shorter sleeves. Love it!

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  17. Like you, I was so sure that I only had patterns that I was planning to use at some point...until I tried to get rid of some that I decided I would never use, as they are unflattering styles on me, and found I just couldn't get them out of the house. Yikes! There is something about the unsullied possibility embodied in an unused (by me) pattern that makes me feel hopeful - I just can't get rid of that!

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  18. I'm not actually a pattern collector, yet, though I am always searching for patterns in my specific size. Haven't found many though. I am a collector of sewing machines, and just about everything else one can have in a house. My general criteria is that it is old, besides that its just a matter of if I like it or need it (as my kitchen is 90% old stuff, I houseware shop at the thrift.)

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  19. That feeling of "sad I'll probably never get around to making it" is what shook my out of potential collecting crazyness. Well, that and pattern storage issues.

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  20. Wow, that pattern is delectable! Where did you find it?

    I'm not sure if I'd call myself a collector. I definitely keep a watchful eye out for patterns from a certain year or with certain characteristics and buy them when I can, but not so I can hoard them!

    I have a fierce policy against having a pack-rat mentality, which keeps me from holding on to things when I know I'm not going to use them - especially if, in the case of patterns, it would keep someone else from putting it to good use!

    If my assortment of patterns starts to become overwhelming, it's time to weed through it and sell what I don't have any plans for.

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  21. I collect, but I use them as often as possible. If I come across patterns I likely wont make in the next 3 years I add them to my etsy shop so someone who might make them can buy them.

    I am sure there are plenty of hoarders, in fact I know several.. but for me I would rather sew the stuff I want and let the others go.

    I dunno. I love vintage, and I love patterns but I also can't stand to know that a pattern I have been searching for for years is sitting on someones shelf in a plastic coating never to be used. This has happened in real life :( lol.

    To each their own though :)

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  22. I definitely collect patterns. I also started out only buying ones I knew I would use, but now I just buy ones that I like the looks of, whether I have immediate plans to use them or not. I collect a lot of things like that, though:

    hair clips
    knee socks
    cooking supplies (egg molds, cookie cutters, etc)
    embroidery floss
    fabric
    you get the idea...

    It always starts out with good intentions, but somehow...I just get carried away

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  23. So much food for thought!
    I love many of my patterns and hope very much to wear them soon. Others I let go to new homes if I am not feeling the buzz. Ditto fabric, vintage clothes, shoes, hats, bags make-up. Ribbons however, since they are small, seem to never get subjected to culling!

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  24. I think I may have just moved into the pattern collector stage as well. I used to only buy patterns within one bust size of my current size and all with the hopes of sewing them in the immediate future. I have now bought a few pattern sizes that are way too small with the thought that I can 'grade them up' when I learn how to do that. Granted I probably will grade them up sometime in the future but it's a bit more of a stretch and I know it. But the patterns are SO WONDERFUL. I just love looking at them and planning them.....see, I'm getting excited now :-) hehehe

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  25. I recently had an AHA! moment: I realized I am NOT a pattern collector. I'm a catch-and-release vintage pattern sportswoman. I like the hunt and the challenge of the construction. Once I have sewn a pattern it loses its mystery. I have several that I ready to release back into the wild. I want them to go to good homes instead of languishing in my pattern box.

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  26. Too funny! I just counted up all my patterns this past weekend. 334!! (Not all vintage). But your comment about owning them...yet never using them just gave me inspiration for my New Year's resolution - to try and use each of my patterns this year. 334 patterns...365 days in a year...Gosh I love making life difficult for myself!

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  28. I'm a collector, not a vintage patterns collector, but simply a collector. In a sense that I collect in general. That means, as my fascination for previous times has grown, so has also my fascination for things from previous times. And since I like sewing, patterns just come natural along with other things. Like the typewriter I bought half a year ago, a gorgeous Smith-Corona from 1938. I think your idea behind becoming a pattern collector is very rational, and also it's an evolution of your interest. They give joy and curiosity about the older times. My excuse for buying though (I always need some sort of excuse), is that the vintage patterns learn me things like vintage pattern cutting, and I adopt them to my own blocks.

    Go on collecting! If you need an excuse, you could call it preserving for the future(and now I'm referring to one of the other discussions, about how we store our vintage patterns...)!

    (sorry about the deleting, I just get obsessed with grammar, and there's no edit button!)

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  29. I am definitely a collector!!! Many of the above comments ring loud bells in my head, but my stash of patterns (slowly growing), any sewing books, magazines I can lay my hands on, fabric (hmm, have banned myself from buying fabric now unless I have a particular project on the go, same goes for wool as I also knit and crochet), books generally. Whoops! But they all give me so much pleasure. I look at them all the time, and use them for inspiration, and lets face it, half the fun is in imagining all the things we could make, and how, doesn't matter that we may never do so. With regards to vintage patterns I agree with the above comments about them being appreciated, and cherished. Go for it, as long as it doesn't get out of hand, besides we all get to live vicariously through you!! Thanks!

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  30. I'm a vintage pattern collector, buyer, and seller. I love them, including the ones I know I'll never sew, and I'm grateful to every collector for keeping these vintage treasures safe for future use and study. I sew a few, usually childrens or bags. For my own clothing, I like to make my own patterns.

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  31. Yay! I thought it might have been you that got that pattern from me! I'm so glad it went to a loving home :)

    I'm a collector, too. I've been collecting for quite a long while but recently decided to slim my collection down to a specific brand and time range. I was getting over run! The other brands I have are my "stash", I guess- ones I make- or will trace off and sell the originals cause I just want to make them someday. It's kind of fun for me, though, because knowing I look for McCall patterns between the late 20s and 50s makes me a bit more familiar with what I want. I collect the magazines, too, and it gives me a thrill to open a magazine to the fashion section and pick out patterns I've got in my collection and ones for my "wish list". Lots of magazines had pattern lines they advertised, but I grew up with my mom collecting McCall magazines for the paper dolls so I guess it comes naturally.
    The Hollywood ones are quite cool, though, with the way they marketed them with the stars on the envelope.

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  32. I can't collect! I have so many hobbies and so much stuff that I can't bear to part with, that I can't add something else to my list of "must haves". Also, I'm a larger size, so finding a pattern I like in a size I can adjust for my body shape, that's under $10 (my self-imposed limit) is almost impossible. :)

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  33. As someone who fully intends to sew every pattern in her stash, I get a -little- resentful of those who purchase them just to look at! If they're not being used, I don't really see the point... that's just me though. We should set up a site where collectors can give the pattern pieces and instruction sheets to those who will actually use them, and sewers can give collectors the packets/illustrated covers in return! *dreams*

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  34. I have hundreds of patterns. It's actually getting close to thousands. I just feel that someone (me) needs to save the old, sad patterns from the thrift store/yard sale/auction/Grandma's house.
    I would love to share, as I have many patterns that I don't really love and will never make. I live in an area where few people have an interest in sewing, so I have no friends to share with. Any takers?

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  35. I love that pattern. I would have bought it too. Older patterns have more personality somehow.

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  36. I think when I bought my 50th vintage pattern, I too realized that I was heading into collector status...and my focus is as narrow as yours...I like patterns from the Jackie Kennedy era of the 60's to right before the 70's boho chick/hippykewl look came in. I totally get it!

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  37. Shame. This one would be really cute on you!

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  38. I'll be a taker Jessica! Or, you could set up a store on etsy or ebay. That way you know they're going to other people who will love them. I did this recently myself when I realized I had a number of vintage patterns I would never use, and had the epiphany that they could actually find a more loving home than mine.

    So.........whaddaya got?

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  39. Just think of it as preserving a little piece of history!

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  40. brocadegoddess--I have a little bit of everything. I have thought about selling some over the net, but I don't think I have time to do it well. I'm hoping to stop working full time within the next year or 2, maybe then I can find loving homes for my patterns.

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  41. I'm sorta a collector. But it's not entirely my own doing. See, people give me things. They find out I sew and give me whatever materials have been collecting dust around their houses. My latest 'gift'? Six kitchen garbage bags full of patterns. I need to go through them a bit better, because there aren't many that are in sizes I can actually use. Heck, some aren't old enough to be vintage and just old enough to be goofy. However, some came in wonderfully handy when I had to make a Yo Gabba Gabba Foofa costume for my niece. It gave me the wherewithall to alter, add to, and plain old make up the costume... Which, BTW is now in the top five of the category in the 2009 Joanns/Simplicity Halloween Costume Contest. I need to do some minor fixes and send in the costume. I digress.

    In some ways, I'm an intentional collector, because I see patterns that I *must* have, and then haven't sewn because, since I do more for my niece than anyone else, they didn't fit during the season for which they were meant for. I have some really cute vintage 40s sundress patterns that would have fit her last winter, for example. Ah, well, there's always the next little girl!

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  42. Yes, I collect. I've been collecting for sometime, initially with every intent to actually make the garment. Then I got into collecting apron patterns, of which I'd make. Then I got into dresses with midriffs...and it went on and on. Next thing you knew, I had over 3000 approaching 4000...then I decided to sell some...that's not working out so well...because I keep on collecting. It's fun, interesting and I guess in the end I simply enjoy the patterns because of all of the possibilities.

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  43. What, you think having 1200 patterns & counting, not including the Burda pattern magazines & the Japanese pattern magazines might mean nothing vis a vis my tendencies to collect?

    Who knew, when I was buying old patterns at Goodwill 15 years ago that they might someday be worth something (I mean to others).

    But nope, no Hollywood in my stash, though I do collect the pictures, so I can steal the designs. :-) LOVE those designs though, they are great.

    Beth

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  44. It's called SABLE. Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy. It is valid for patterns, yarn, fabric, and many other things, I am sure. Enjoy it and welcome to the club!

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Thanks for your comments; I read each and every one! xo Gertie

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