Trade or not?

Added a few patterns to the Trade area last night, so today I'll be babbling on about what goes into the Trade area -- and why.

No matter what the style, condition often makes the difference between the Trade and Recycle area. Incomplete patterns are automatically disqualified as are most multi-size patterns that have been cut to one of the smaller sizes. Unless newer patterns are unused, they'll need a pretty special plus to make the Trade cut. After that, it's a combination of my opinion and my understanding of your preferences.

Lingerie patterns from any era are likely to end up in the Trade area. "Lingerie" includes slips, bras and panties, and the lacy range of nightwear. Your very basic flannel pajamas and fleece robe patterns probably won't make it.


McCall's 2496 was a lingerie no-brainer. It cover the 3 basic styles (baby dolls, pjs and nightgown) and a rather unusual use (in home sewing patterns anyway) of lace side seams which are lapped and stitched along the torso. The UPC code on the front came as a surprise because the pattern dates from 1986. Must have been one of the first examples!


I usually view camisole patterns as lingerie, so unless it's really b-o-r-i-n-g or in bad shape, it goes in the Trade area. Simplicity 5352 had one view cut out, but the rest was unused and the combination of 2 camisoles and 3 jackets in very different styles won the day.



Vogue 7254 is my idea of the classic lingerie pattern. Can't you just feel the satin? Shaped shoulder straps are always a nice option, and the short dolman sleeves give you lots of drape. Between the style and the graphics, this one just needed to be complete to qualify.

Fashion Designers, I must admit, are not my strong point. Yes -- I have heard of most of them -- but while I can evaluate a 1940s pattern in a heartbeat, the relative merit of designer patterns is much tougher. To some extent, I simply go by your response to various patterns we've listed, and sometimes a little market research helps too. The end result is that some designer patterns DO end up in the Recycle area, but there are 2 pages in the Trade area dedicated to designer patterns, too.



Butterick 6371 is by John Kloss, and the donation included 4 of these patterns in 3 sizes. Can't say the style does a whole lot for me, but I do know that John Kloss has a loyal following. So in they went....


Laura Ashley is another designer name that automatically gets tossed into the Trade pile. This didn't strike me as being one of the most compelling of her patterns, but the envelope art is usually a treat for the eye.


Erm... this is embarassing. Obviously the red squiggles on Simplicity 9712 are a designer signature, but for some reason it took me forever to read. The style didn't ring any bells, either. And then there was that "Ah Hah!" moment. Pauline Trigere. How could I not have seen that? Fortunately no one was around...


Very Vintage patterns (and reproductions thereof) are highly likely to go into the Trade area. We don't get too many modern reproductions (such as the Vintage Vogue line) but they always disappear quickly.


Simplicity 9360 (factory folded) was another no-brainer for the Trade area. The 60th anniversary special pattern is not particularly hard to find (or expensive), but the Art Deco logo and the 1930s dress style (and your little dog, too) are hard to resist. In fact, we had 4 requests for this one within a few hours...


Sixties to Eighties Most of the complete patterns donated to us come from this era, so there's always something to include in the Trade area. Condition is quite important, but a gently used complete pattern may make the grade if it's interesting enough.


Yes, yes -- tiered skirts are not too popular. But McCall's 5648 also features 5 little summer tops that are not just your usual tank tops. I'm pretty sure you could wear them with jeans, too. :-) Factory folds? Sold!



The first time I saw McCall's 8325, I looked for the Laura Ashley label. It's not an Ashley design, but the full-length floral print certainly has the same feel. I also like the way the pleats are held down by a top-stiched belt band that complements the top-stitched yoke.


Unusual Details are my favorite reasons for including a pattern in the Trade area. It's always a joy to find something a style with a unique twist or construction details that takes it beyond the ordinary. And if it's special enough, I'll cut a little slack on the condition, too.


I loved the neckline on Butterick 6962. At first glance it appears to be a standard notched lapel style, but a closer look reveals that there's no collar -- just the wing lapel. The tuck pleats are on the back too -- another detail I liked -- and it's a wrap dress to boot! All fine points, and the final decision maker was that it's still factory folded. (Too bad it's a size 10....)



Butterick 3426 is front wrap skirt pattern. Although wrap skirts are very popular, they're also quite common and you'll often find them in the Recycle area. This actually isn't one of my favorites, but the highly unusual asymmetrical closure shown on the red model -- plus the pattern's factory-folded condition -- elevated this to the Trade area.



Simplicity 6491 includes a front wrap skirt pattern, but I hardly noticed it. What did catch my eye -- and keep it -- was the figure-eight effect of the waistband and pocket on the slim skirt. I liked it well enough that this would have gone into the Trade area even if it had been used.


Decisions, Decisions. Sometimes I just can't make up my mind -- and the decision of Trade vs. Recycle could go either way. This is where I've learned a lot from you guys. When I've put an "on-the-fence" pattern in the Recycle area that should have gone into Trade, you usually let me know by the number of requests for that pattern :-) These days, I'm more likely to include these in the Trade area from the start.


Butterick 3850, from 1986, makes a lacy nightshirt with flutter sleeves or a plain v-neck nightshirt with pull-on pants. It struck me as being right on the line between pajamas and lingerie, and very nearly went into the Recycle area. Again, the factory-folded condition won out.


Pants patterns rarely make it into the Trade area. But I liked I liked the waistband options offered by McCall's 8471, and the unusual side hem pleats shown on the brown model. A larger size would have been nice, but at least it's factory folded.



Maybe it's just something about the short sleeves, but the photo on Simplicity 9338 made me pass right over this. It wasn't until I took a closer look at the line drawings that I began to appreciate the charm of this pattern. Probably not for the beginning sewer, though :-)

Well, that's the tour for today. Let's do it again soon!

Did you find them yet?

Goodness, it's been almost 2 hours since we uploaded a bunch of fresh patterns to the Recycle area and so far all we've gotten is spam :-)

It's been a while -- I've been a bit under the weather -- but we have been plugging along here even though I haven't been in touch. Those of you who requested patterns have been getting shipments, the Post area is somewhat functional, and lots of patterns have come and gone.

Quite a few Trade patterns were added during the month, but those immediately went out the door. Apparently you not only have to have points, you have to be there the day they're posted, too :-)

The new additions to the Recycle area feature lots of career wear from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s. About three-quarters of the patterns are factory-folded -- although many have suffered storage damage. Sizes are generally in the 8-10-12 range. About 70 went up today, with a couple of more large clumps to come in the next few days.

I know, I know -- you'll believe it when you see it. But since the photos are done and mostly uploaded, getting through the remaining 180 patterns from this lot will go quickly.

See ya soon!

I knew I liked that pattern....

Just got a cute note from Mary C., who donated many of the patterns that were added to the Recycle area on May 1st:

Received my patterns and thank you. I have to tell you something funny. One of the patterns I requested and received is one I sent to you! I found my little note inside the envelope. :)

Ah, it happens all the time. Apparently absence DOES make the heart grow fonder -- at least when it comes to great patterns that you decide to give up :-)

You may have wondered why so many of the patterns in the May listing were marked "complete". (Usually the bulk of the patterns are marked "unchecked".) Well, thanks to Mary's system of checking her patterns and leaving the notes inside, we knew which ones were complete and could pass the info (and the note) on to you. Thanks for making everyone's life easier, Mary!

And more of you were probably wondering when on earth we were going to get around to adding more patterns. What can I say? You'd think I'd know better than to even suggest a schedule...

The rest of the family isn't big on fixed schedules either, so we've had (and are having) an extended round of Charlie's birthday and Mother's Day get-togethers. And then there were the not-to-be-missed annual rummage sales and the odd doctor's appointments. As Roseanne Roseannadanna says, "It's always something!"

Well, dear souls, we just got through 55 miscellaneous patterns and freshened up the Recycle pages for you. Have fun!

Somebody take these patterns -- please!

Anyone who dropped by the Recycle area for a look at the May 1st postings got a surprise: a previously unannounced policy change to the Recycle program. Now for the record, I'm generally not fond of surprises. But -- as the old saw goes -- necessity is the mother of web site policy changes. And not all surprises are bad...

The user friendly summary of the changes:

Old Policy	New Policy
Fresh patterns posted on the 1st and 15th of each month only.	Fresh patterns posted whenever they're ready -- as often as daily.
You can request patterns twice per month.	You can request patterns once a day (every day, if you want).
Limit of 10 Recycle patterns per month.	Limit of 100 Recycle patterns per month.
Established members get up to 5 patterns per request; new members up to 3 patterns.	Established members get up to 8 patterns per request; new members up to 4 patterns.
Ambiguous postage limits.	New members limited to postage of $3.00 or less; established members can set their own limit.

Why the change? As Pattern Rescue has grown, the number of boxes arriving on our doorstep has increased steadily. Unfortunately, the number of patterns going out the door has stalled.

We thought that the January increase (from 3 patterns each time to 5 patterns) would get things moving. We thought listing more patterns each time would help. Instead, every new group leads to more disappointment and wasted time for more people. You wouldn't think it would be hard to give away sewing patterns, but it's astonishingly difficult to be fair to those who support us the most and still give the casual or new visitor a chance to participate.

Last time around we posted a large number of 1970s toddler patterns. That was all fine and well, except that everyone wanted the same patterns. We had to write a record number of "Sorry, they were all gone" emails -- not to mention the folks who ended up with only 1 or 2 patterns when they were eligible for 5. We had more requests than ever before but ended up shipping fewer packages than we had in very long time. Time for emergency action!

From here on out, we'll be working on a box of donations and posting ALL the ones we've finished at the end of the day. That means the Trade pages will get updated more frequently, too -- an improvement we know will be welcomed. So stop by often! And in the meantime, feel free to bombard us with questions :-)

The Case of the Disappearing Post Pages

I am SOOO aggravated right now. Kathy wrote us asking when her pattern request would show up on the Post page, which led to our horrifying discovery that the Post pages are all dated from February.

Now, yes -- we do get behind on a fairly regular basis. But having personally uploaded at least 20 updates to these pages since February, I just can't believe it. More to the point, I can't figure out the problem, either. A black hole doesn't seem likely, but darned if I know where the uploads have gone.

With the next group of Recycle patterns due to post in 24 hours, it may be a couple of days yet before we get this tracked down. But we ARE working on it. In the meantime, the blog now has a shiny new "Site Glitches" label, and we hope you will let us know if you discover any problems while visiting.

On a happier note, Sewing Project #1 is underway. Decided to go with the non-tiered dress and have the main pieces cut out. It's got a lined bodice, but I want to add a contrast band to the bodice top and haven't quite figured out the best way to do that. Hoping to find enough time tomorrow to dig out the sewing machine and get that dusted and oiled :-)

Mary says "thank you" - by the way! She had to have a routine blood test today, which she absolutely HATES. The ride home was teeny bit grim. "Well," I finally said, "maybe the mailman will bring you a box of patterns." (I didn't catch Mary's response, which was probably just as well.) As it turns out, the mailman brought four boxes of patterns -- and Mary is now back to her usual sunny self!

Speaking of patterns, time to get back to work. Talk to ya soon!

Anyone recognize this merry maid?

Ah, we get all kinds of mail. One of this week's inquiries comes from Vickie, who recently acquired a tea towel decorated with this charming design. Vickie thought it might be part of a set and would like to get the pattern for it.

Looks like a 1940s era stamped linen to me -- and while I've seen lots of humorous maids or housewife embroidery transfer, this one isn't familiar. But then -- stamped and tinted linens are definitely NOT my area of expertise.

Does anyone out there recognize this? Have you seen any transfers, linens, or even completed towels for sale anywhere? Your tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, guys!

Life is good

Ah, maybe 2009 won't turn out to be SO bad after all.

By mid-February, we'd decided that -- never mind the Year of the Ox -- it was going to be the year of the appliance. Anything requiring electricity to operate seemed to take on an evil little life of its own.

First, the coffeemaker died. The very same coffeemaker that we'd splurged on a bit. But hey, it had a built-in grinder (heaven!), was made by a well-known and reliable company, and came with a 2-year warranty. Lasted less than 4 months. Grrr....

A few days later, the dryer started making those "turn it off, turn it off RIGHT NOW" noises. Over the last 17 years we'd replaced just about everything at least once, but it had finally worn beyond repair. So off we went to appliance stores, little suspecting that a severe case of sticker shock was in our immediate future. And for that kind of money, you only get a one-year warranty? For crying out loud, the coffeemaker has a 2-year.... Never mind.

Also spent far too much of February preparing for the switch to digital TV. Mary got a much needed new TV (no more waiting 1/2 hour for it to warm up) and -- with the big antenna on the roof -- was all set. We got a converter box and an estimate that it would cost about $300 to get our very own big antenna on the roof. Sigh....

Meanwhile, the house was cluttered up with boxes and cords and instructions manuals for the new label printer and the new multi-function office machine (hah!) with capability of printing on ledger size paper. Both intended to speed up the whole pattern processing system, could we ever find the time to figure out how to use them!

February dragged on into March. And, as you may remember, Mary ended up in the hospital. Nothing like having a loved one in crisis to put all of life's petty little problems back into focus! Happily, Mary made a quick recovery and is back to her usual feisty self. And I think she had a talk with the appliances when she got home, because nothing's broken down for a few weeks now.

So here we are in April already, and it's a wonderful time of year here. Winters are so long, and dreary, and cold, and gray.... But the forsythia and daffodils are in bloom, the tulips are about to pop, and lilacs buds double in size every day. We're seeing the results of some of the trimming we did last year -- and finally can plan what to do next! Our seed catalog order is almost ready, and this year's vegetable garden is 3 times larger than last year's -- with a few things already in. Not to mention that the church sale season begins tomorrow...

None of which has much of anything to do with patterns, but I am also happy to report that Sewing Project No. 1 is underway:



My grandniece's 7th birthday is coming up, so I decided to start out with a girls dress. She likes lime green, can you tell? You may have also figured out that I couldn't quite make up my mind what to do, so I picked up a few extras and I'll decide as I go. Hope my rusty sewing skills are up to the challenge!

And yes, those are brand spanking new patterns. One might think -- what with thousands of patterns right on hand -- that I could have made do with one I already had. But hey, you're only 7 once, right? Besides, they were on sale for 99 cents. And you guys will get the two I don't use, so no scolding!

Meanwhile, the sorting and processing for Pattern Rescue goes on, as always. Most of the Trade patterns posted the other day went quickly, but there are a few left and a few new ones have been added, too. Progress is slow, but we're getting there!

Talk to you soon.
J