Paper Trail

Coming from the realm of electronic publishing, I had no idea about the work involved in bringing a physical product to market. I'm used to putting weeks or even months into pattern development and testing, and then *poof* the product is instantly available online. For the paper patterns, I had to extensively reformat my layouts, proofread like crazy, and then send to the printer. For some reason, I felt like all the hard work was done at that point (hahahahaha). After the monolithic pallets of patterns arrived in my driveway, it dawned on me that I had a lot of physical and mental tasks ahead of me. Marketing, packing, and mailing...OH MY! I just wanted to hide out and sew - LOL! Anyways, I'm happy to report that my paper patterns are finally finding their way out into the world!

I've posted the details about each individual pattern, plus front and back cover images on my product page. Of course, there is so much more to a pattern than its cover, so I want to give you some peeks at the inside pages of the instruction booklets. The full-color sewing guides are 20 pages long, and just as detailed as the downloadable eBooks.

Pictured above are the sections on Materials, Fabric Selection, and Sizing from the Portrait Peasant Pattern. These "background" pages as I call them are so important for getting a great fit and just the look you are after.

And, yes, the famous leg charts are included!!! They are so helpful when you don't have exact measurements (like when you are making a gift, creating something to sell, or have a recipient who just won't hold still for you). I've made so many pairs of Easy Fit Pants (pictured above) based on the charts.

Lots of folks were wondering how I was going to pack all diagrams and instructions into a much smaller page count. By cutting out white space, and labeling with letters for extra clarity, I was able to keep the step-by-step diagrams that make all the difference for us visual learners. Simply Sweet Tops and Dresses (above) is loaded with options, so there are lots of diagrams!

Despite my obvious affection for diagrams, sometimes photographs are the absolute best way to demonstrate a technique. In Precious Dresses, for example, I use lots of photos to explain the addition of puffed sleeves to the bodice. It may look complicated, but it is so easy when all the steps are right in front of you! Plus, the printers did an excellent job of making the small photographs crystal clear so that all the details are visible.

Finally, the actual patterns are printed on high quality paper. They are minimally nested, and many pieces have multiple cutting lines for different length options. You can definitely cut and use the pieces directly, but I recommend tracing off the sizes you need as you need them. That way, you get more bang for your buck (and you don't have to keep up with a bunch of little pieces)!

On my website, I've added a section for links to the awesome shops that are going to be carrying my physical patterns (right next to the great sites that currently sell the downloadables). If you are a retailer and are interested in offering these detailed, easy-to-sew patterns to your customers, please contact us for ordering information.