Wlho has the best patterns?

[TheOtherVillainess]

Sewing wise? My next door neighbor is buying a new sewing machine and said I can have her old one as soon as I find someplace to put it!

So who has the better patterns? And where do I buy them? With the fabric stuff at WalMart and JoAnn's??

TOV

 

[Stephres]

My mother sews and prefers Butterick and McCalls. She says that Vogue is kind of hard for beginners. You can find pattern books and patterns at fabric stores like JoAnns. I would think that Wal Mart would have them too, by the fabric.

 

[Costumesaremylife]

Joann's sometimes has weekend sales when patterns can be around a dollar each. That's when I stock up. Definitely sign up either in store or on line to get their circular, because you get a coupon with every circular and the sales are always good!

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

OK..I'll have to do that when I go into JoAnn's. The first project I want to do is a pretty shawl thingie like everybody's wearing these days. I figure it couldn't be TOO hard..it's two giant triangles sewn together with a slit for the head to go through at the top.

TOV

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

As for the "best" pattern SO much depends on what you like, your skill level, etc. Also when you get into the costume and home furnishing area some of the items are trademarked and only one company will have them. Same thing for some of the "designer" looks.

That being said here are my thoughts:

Vogue is definitely not for beginners nor the faint of heart. You need to be fairly skilled to work throuh one of their patterns - even the ones marked "facile" (easy).

Butterick tends to run small. You want to always check body measurements against those on the package and purchase the pattern size accordingly (and if you're sewing for someone else don't tell them what it is!) but then also check the actual pattern measurements to ensure there is sufficient ease. This is true with all brands but my experience has been Butterick is worse than any of them.

Simplicity is just that - simple. You are not going to find a lot of complicated trim and detailing on most of their patterns. But they are easy to work with and when one is learning a good place to start. I started my daughter with a Simplicity pj pattern a couple of years ago and she was able to master through the basics.

McCalls...not my favorite. Many times I find looks I want and so end up buying the pattern. But I don't like their directions. It seems like they always make things too complicated in the directions and far too many times I end up doing it my way in the end. Usually that is ok, but occasionally there is a reason to do it a particular way...then I find myself taking apart and redoing.

Whichever way you go have fun with this!

Deb