The last couple days I’ve been working on scanning in the envelopes for all of my patterns and logging all of the info on them as well. I started out scanning them in so that I could make a printed guide for myself to use when I wanted to make something new. Digging through manila folders works a lot better than stacks or baskets of loose patterns, but even when they are split by category and then in company and numerical order it is very time consuming. I figured if I could list 20 patterns on a piece of paper with an image of the envelope it would save me so much time and effort. As we’ve started frequenting more flea markets and antique stores, I thought it would be good to have a list of the patterns I have as a reference guide so I’m not buying two of the same thing. In some cases where a pattern is incomplete it would be nice to know so that I COULD buy another copy. This lead the long-way-around to me deciding to add a page to the blog for my pattern collection. I hope to have it finished in the next couple weeks (although my dad is coming to visit next week so that might slow the process down some). My husband’s record collection is online and seems to serve him well when he forgets if he has this or that album although I haven’t updated it in over 2 years. LOL. I’ll get around to THAT one day too! Look for the “My Patterns” listing coming to the top of the blog very soon!
I started logging my patterns at the Pattern Review site but derailed on that. Also I thought about an MS Access database with photos but have not made the move toward developing that either. For now I would be happy to have a project work out–one definite wadder and one UFO for the last two projects. But I love the pattern you have shown in this post–so pretty!
I signed up for the vintage pattern Wiki but I haven’t added anything to it yet. They say the patterns have to be out of print but they give no exact date for them… lol, I think all but the handful I’ve bought new are out of print for sure. I’ll get around to adding to someone else’s site eventually, but for now I need something that *I* can look at. I’ve got two wide drawer stacker things full and I just recently got them seperated into categories (children, women’s dresses, seperates, others, etc). Each pattern goes into it’s own manila envelop and I put the info on the fronts, but even that is getting to be a hassle. SOmething like this where I can just look at the picture and find the # then go pull out that folder will be great!
That pattern is one I just aquired from the big Elkhorn flea market last weekend! It’s probably the most expensive one i ever bought, $4.50! LOL Before that the highest was $3. There was a stack of mint (envelopes still white and not only uncut, but they looked like theyy had never been unbfolded) 50′s and early 60′s patterns at one stall for $2 each… I only had like $13 in cash left on me so I only bought the best 6. I’m kicking myself now of course, should have sent hubby to the ATM!