Thursday, July 10, 2008

Patterns - how to you make and store yours?



Hi all,
This post is meant to be an interactive post. I'm in the process of creating another small doll/ornament and found myself wondering how others create and save their patterns, especially those patterns you intend to reuse.

What I've been doing lately is directly drawing my prototype on freezer paper. I used to draw it on regular paper first, but since I planned on tracing it to freezer paper anyway, I just go straight there. I use freezer paper for all my patterns anymore. I like not having any pen/pencil on my seems.

If I have to change the pattern, which is most of the time, I trace the old pattern onto new freezer paper, keeping what worked and redrawing what didn't.

Since freezer paper will eventually tear and wear out, I save my patterns by scanning them and storing them as jpgs.

What works for you? Please comment or add posts. I'd love to know.

5 comments:

sojournquilts said...

Cool ideas! You're so organized. Mine are on poster board crammed in the back of a closet! LOL. I like your system better.

Anonymous said...

I usually use those big newsprint sheets for pattern drawing, just because they're 1) cheap, and 2) I like the large size...no having to tape two pieces together and whatnot!

dollproject said...

Most of mine are on plain white typing paper scattered all over the room. I have to go on a mad hunt anytime I need to find a pattern. So, I suppose my answer would be "I Haven't developed a system yet."

twenty pound tabby said...

Dollproject, your system is the same as my old system and since I'm not very organized, I ended up losing some patterns.
Thanks Janyce! I wish I were so organized. I'm better at finding things on the computer than I am in my basement.
Machinarex, if I didn't design things so small, I'd do what you do.

Laura Bartlett said...

I have a couple of small patterns on a disc and print them out when I want them. I tend to be hard on paper patterns, so this is best for me.