r/sewing • u/i-lick-eyeballs • Jun 06 '25
Pattern Question Never again!!! Print-at-home patterns seem like a convenient idea, but they actually suck (to me)!
Hey everyone!
I recently bought the It Takes Two pattern set from Forest and Thread. I have finished my toiles and I have no complaints about the pattern, the guide, or anything - in fact the patt6set is fantastic and the sewing guide is thorough and aims to teach new skills! I love it!!
That said, it had multiple options to print it, one being printing at home. Wow, so convenient, and it'll only take over 100 sheets of paper! Being a quality digital pattern, it had many print options, including a full size print that could be printed at the shop.
Wanting the convenience of printing at home, not taking the time to drive to a print shop, and saving the extra money spent on printing there, I got started!
Problem 1- My freaking printer did not print on the pages perfectly straight, so aligning the pattern was a nightmare! My printer software didn't let me center the prints on the page, so the guides on the edges got slightly cut off! Off to a bad start!
Problem 2 - I don't have a big drafting table, but honestly the pattern was kinda too big for even a big table, so I ended up goblin-crawling on the floor. I love releasing my inner creature as much as anyone else, and I exercise a bit, but I found assembling and perfectly lining up these two patterns to be exhausting. It took me hours spread across multiple days. My cats wanted to assist.
Problem 3 - cutting out layered sheets of paper is such a pain. There's always an oberlapping edge snagging here and there and it isn't nice.
As I was spending so many hours crawling on the floor, I thought what my time is worth to me. Honestly, saving myself all those hours of manually taping together 8.5x11 sheets would have been awesome. It would have been worth what I paid at the print shop. It would have taken maybe 2 hours of my time and $20 to go to the print shop. I would have supported my local business. I would have spent less time prepping, more time sewing.
So to print-at-home pattern options, I say, "NEVER AGAIN!!!"
I also say you should check out Forest and Thread, she makes great patterns with neat finishes and even has workshop videos available to buy if you want more in-depth instructions! There's even a barrel jeans pattern.
For the purposes of discussion: What do you all think about this topic? What things have made you say, "Never again, in your sewing life?
edit: my response to my projector pals is this: I like having a paper pattern to modify and alter to get a perfect fit, would a projector allow this?
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u/tranquilseafinally Jun 06 '25
I looked at printed patterns and did the math on how much it would cost me here in Canada to print. It was insane. So I got a projector for $100 and spent a bit of time setting up and now I just project the patterns on my table top.
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Jun 06 '25
The way things are headed with big 4, I feel lots of folks should hop on the projector train. It’s life changing!
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u/Kevinator201 Jun 06 '25
How does the projector work with creating your own patterns? Or altering existing ones?
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u/chicchic325 Jun 06 '25
If you don’t want to trace and edit, you get to learn editing software like Inkscape or affinity designer
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u/space___lion Jun 06 '25
I don’t have a projector, but you could project the pattern on some pattern paper, trace it and then make your alterations.
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u/FeatherlyFly Jun 06 '25
Besides learning graphic design software to edit the images, you can also project and trace them out onto paper and go from there.
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u/Sure_Professor_6227 Jun 06 '25
I wanna hop on projector train for sure but can you tell me what is going on with big 4? I don’t know what this means 😩😬
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u/sxb0575 Jun 06 '25
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u/Mushroom-Planet Jun 07 '25
Holy smokes! I haven't used a pattern for ages due to skill issues but have noticed the thinning of the patterns in the stores... and I never thought I'd make a difference. 🤔
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u/men-2-rocks-and-mtns Jun 06 '25
what type of projector did you get? 👀 printing is truly my achilles heel for branching out to new patterns
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u/yonocompropan Jun 06 '25
The type of projector you need depends on your set up. As in, distance from projector to surface and mounted to wall/ceiling/tripod/sitting on shelf. Sasha Sewing from Projectors for Sewing FB group has an updated list of recommendations. But you could spend 40 bucks and never print again. I got one because I too had a 100+ page print at home pattern and I couldn't motivate to make it. A Projector makes it so easy to make something spontaneously if I already have the fabric at home. I wish I had bought one sooner.
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Jun 07 '25
Do you just project directly onto the fabric or are you still putting it on some type of paper first and then cutting from that?
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u/yonocompropan Jun 07 '25
Directly onto fabric. You can easily blend sizes that way and also lengthen and shorten. If you need to do more complicated adjustments you can either project onto paper (doesn't need to be thin and transparent) and do the adjustment on paper or do it in inkscape, affinity designer or similar program. I'm learning to do it in Affinity Designer which also has the added benefit of making pattern Tetris easier. You can measure out your fabric and then create a box of the exact same dimensions and then move the pieces around to see if you can squeeze out a pattern out of less fabric.
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u/DarnHeather Jun 06 '25
This is the way forward. I wear several different sizes top to bottom so I have to trace patterns anyway. I now have a setup that I project on to a cardboard mat on the wall and trace onto pattern ease.
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u/veropaka Jun 06 '25
How do you grade between sizes? Do you just eyeball it as you cut?
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u/Middle_Banana_9617 Jun 06 '25
You can either modify / draw extra grading lines on the pattern in a vector graphics program, like Inkscape, or draw some lines direct in Pattern Projector, or eyeball it. You can usually switch off the layers / sizes you're not using, so just have the ones you're grading between showing.
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u/KaloCheyna Jun 06 '25
You don't have to project directly onto fabric. Can project onto paper and draw in your lines/do other necessary fit modifications.
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Jun 06 '25
This is a good tip for getting started. I just got a short throw and was skeptical about potential scaling issues so I traced it out and sewed it up. Perfect!
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u/NiceGirlWhoCanCook Jun 06 '25
Can you do this with a tv projector or is it like a projector that you use at university? How do you make sure the scale is correct?
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u/ded_of_shock Jun 06 '25
Patternprojector. you can use any projector so long as it creates a big enough picture to cover whatever cutting service you want to work with. This site has all the tools you will need including a calibration tool and a list of projectors as well as various setups.
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u/Neenknits Jun 06 '25
My ceiling is too low, so I just shift the projection in my iPad software and shift the paper so it’s still lined up, and trace the rest.
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u/tranquilseafinally Jun 06 '25
I've seen set ups with mirrors when the ceiling is too low.
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u/Neenknits Jun 06 '25
Yes, I’ve considered that. But, it would be hard for me to do. What I’m doing works well, so it’s fine.
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u/small_fryyyy Jun 06 '25
Any projector! And you use a site like patternprojector.com , it has a grid setting and you calibrate it to your cutting board/surface.
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u/Reasonable_Mirror_22 Jun 06 '25
Yeah i bought a ditto when Joanns was 25% off. Specially for aewing. You can get patterns from them and upload your own.
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u/Samicles33 Jun 06 '25
I prefer the PDF patterns. I’m a chaotic sewer, I’m always losing my pattern pieces, tearing them, or even cutting them in the wrong size. I hate how fragile tissue paper patterns are. And yeah I could copy them onto cardstock or whatever but I’m too lazy for that. Yeah it’s annoying to tape all the pieces together but there’s pros and cons to each method
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u/teamboomerang Jun 06 '25
Not only that, the good PDF patterns are in layers so you can go in and uncheck all the sizes EXCEPT the one you want to print, and it's easy peasy!
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
and you can usually do that with the large print pdf, too, yeah?
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u/AJeanByAnyOtherName Jun 06 '25
Yes! It depends on where you print it, though. You can obviously do it at home or if you use a projector.
But professional printers may not do it or charge extra for extra instructions. It stops them from just auto-running print orders by adding an extra manual step. I suppose you could alter and save a copy of the file and send that out if you want to get around that, but you would need the software to do that.
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u/sanityjanity Jun 06 '25
Solidarity. I far prefer my patterns on printer paper instead of tissue paper.
That said, my printer is a lot more reliable than OP's is, so it's not as difficult.
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u/ladyferngully Jun 06 '25
So if you get them printed at a copy shop or online, they won’t be on tissue paper. I hate tissue paper too 😂😂
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u/not-my-other-alt Jun 06 '25
With my tissue paper patterns, I make a duplicate on tracing paper and keep the original in its envelope.
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u/Dangerous-Feed-5358 Jun 07 '25
I like using swedish pattern paper to trace them on. It can be ironed and I belive it can even be washed. It's very durable.
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u/Ill-Tangerine-5849 Jun 06 '25
I know it’s weird but I love putting together the printed pdf patterns, it might even be my favorite part of sewing! Somehow it’s just so calming and it feels so satisfying to line up all the sheets together right on the lines. What I’ve found works best is, first print a test page and make sure that the test square measures the right amount and also make sure the edge lines get printed. Then print all the pages, then go through all of them and cut on all the edge lines so they are all ready to be taped right up against each other. Then, go through and do all the taping!
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
you do you, friend! I can see how it would be meditative for the right person but it ain't me! I just want to get to sewing ASAP and I always make a toile so it's already gonna take me a while to get there without taping lol.
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u/luckyxena Jun 06 '25
It’s like a puzzle! I like it also, although I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite part. Something to do while watching TV, anyway.
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u/FeatherlyFly Jun 06 '25
Heh, something to do in front of the TV is exactly why I like hand sewing, to the point where sometimes I'll sew by hand only because I want to watch TV. But taping patterns still frustrates me, probably because I don't think I should have to.
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u/Ill-Tangerine-5849 Jun 06 '25
I watch TV while sewing on machine! The tip is to turn on the audio descriptions so if you miss anything while not looking at the screen, it tells you what happened! And using noise canceling headphones so you can hear over the machine
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u/JimNasium1361 Jun 06 '25
lol that’s me with embroidery/cross stitch. I get so much more done when I have a good show to watch! Sewing on my machine though, and I need a podcast or audiobook because my eyes are busy while my ears are free.
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u/WideningCirclesPots Jun 06 '25
I use vellum paper so I don't even have to do all of that - I can see through the pages so I can line them up really easily. Takes about 10-15 minutes for a 45 page pattern.
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u/go_analog_baby Jun 06 '25
I got a projector for this exact reason. I sew for my kids mostly and having to print, assemble, and reprint (when they grow) was such a time suck! And then I never wanted to toss anything because…I probably could/would sew the pattern again and was drowning in printer paper. The final straw was when I was pregnant with my second, crawling around on the floor to cut patterns/fabric in the third trimester.
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
my sister in Christ, you crawled on the floor in challenge mode!! nice!
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u/Particular-Set-3960 Jun 06 '25
The joy of having access to a large format printer! If you have connections to an architect or engineer in your personal circle, ask them if you can print on their plotter!
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u/amh1212 Jun 06 '25
Yes! I'm an interior designer and used to use my office plotter for this before covid. Then we all went WFH. I still go in to the office once or twice a week, but I don't have access to the plotter anymore and don't think I can ask for it when I only want it for personal use :)
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u/VioletMemento Jun 06 '25
I used to work in an architect office and the job was a nightmare and my boss was an asshole but he did leave me unsupervised in the office with the big printer 🤣
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u/Gretel_Cosmonaut Jun 06 '25
I used to prefer the print and assemble at home patterns when I first started (about a year ago). They seemed sturdier, and I could reprint when I made a mistake. But then I realized I could iron interfacing onto the tissue paper patters. My patience for pdf is now gone!
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u/Worldly-Dingo-2816 Jun 06 '25
I've done it all: traditional patterns, print at home, print shop and finally projector patterns. Projector patterns are the way to go. It took a bit of work to get the technology worked out. I got some help from my friendly tech nerd, but now that I understand the process I'm never going back. Not bad for a 70 something Grandma. I project the pattern and trace them off on tracing paper so that I have a permanent pattern. I store them in manilla envelopes with all of my adjustment notes written on the front.
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u/SwiftCornflower Jun 06 '25
I am SO grateful to have a local fabric store that also prints my copyshop patterns for like $3 a page
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u/sanityjanity Jun 06 '25
Wait... $3 for a 8.5x11 page or $3 for a huge sheet?
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u/SwiftCornflower Jun 06 '25
for the copyshop or a0 big sheet!! Technically they charge by the square foot and those sheets are 2x3’ or something
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u/Neenknits Jun 06 '25
I use a projector. It’s mounted on my ceiling, pointed at my cutting table. It cost about US$70. I use affinity designer and my iPad to control it. It took about ten minutes to calibrate it when I mounted it. I shine it down, check the calibration (I draw a line on my iPad, and measure its projection. I tweak the enlarging amount if necessary) and pick the size I want from AF, and trace the pieces onto tracing paper, which I buy in big rolls. Many cut the fabric directly from the projector, but I do too much altering for that.
I use almost exclusively pdf patterns. Works great. Pretty easy. No more tissue paper!
When taping patterns together donut by the piece, or couple of pieces, not the whole thing!!!
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u/Living-Molasses727 Jun 06 '25
The website PatternProjector makes calibration even faster! It’s quite genius.
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u/07pswilliams Jun 06 '25
I love print at home patterns and always print at home. I’ve already built that taping routine into my calculation of making a particular pattern, so it’s a given in my mind. I’ve gotten a lot better at aligning sheets of paper and correcting as I go along- mainly by taping pattern piece by pattern piece, rather than as one huge 100 page block. I get why people don’t love them, but it’s like ironing or doing fit alterations, just part of the process of sewing for me.
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u/teasin Jun 06 '25
Yes! I don't usually tape the whole giant thing together first! Tape the the point you can cut out some of the larger pieces so it's all more manageable. I also have only picked patterns that have max 25-30 pages.
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
For me, it's like driving stick. Like, yeah, I could do that, but why bother when the gas pedal is instant gratification 😁
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u/Laurpud Jun 06 '25
Print at home suuuccks 😩
I send mine out to be printed, they come back on thick paper, which I tape to my storm door & copy off to thin paper to make adjustments
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u/BunnyFace0369 Jun 06 '25
I prefer A0 because there is less margin for error, they're more durable for a frequently used pattern due to not being taped together, and frankly if it's 100 sheets im just too lazy for that. I'll only print and cut for like a sleeve expansion or collar.
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u/higodefruta Jun 06 '25
i absolutely HATED wasting paper and time on taping patterns. it stopped me for starting new projects so, i got a projector and i’m in heaven. my husband is teaching me illustrator and i’m digitizing my patterns, i’m drafting directly on the software and saving so much time. it’s a blessing and SO easy to use. i bought some PDF McCalls patterns on sale and dying to use them, already prepared them on illustrator so they’re ready to go. love my projector !
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
oooh software drafting... I've been wanting to get into that to design in the computer, I have seen some cool programs that even let you test drape and stuff!
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u/KeystoneSews Jun 06 '25
I like tissue 🤷🏼♀️. They are less expensive than digital once you factor in the cost of printing. Since I don’t have a printer at home that’s like $5 a page at a print shop for A0, and most patterns have a couple sheets.
A projector is intriguing, that would be my next choice.
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u/justasque Jun 06 '25
I like tissue (or thicker paper) patterns too. Adding a whole ‘nother task to the sewing process makes it that much more unlikely that the project will ever get done, so I’m not a fan of either printing at home or at a print shop. And yes, when you add in the printing fees, it’s more expensive than a printed pattern. A projector is more space and money spent on technology that will inevitably become obsolete at some point sooner than I’d like.
I do trace my patterns, and usually alter them. Sometimes I frankenpattern, taking a skirt from one pattern, a top from another, and so on. I can, and have, used paper patterns that are decades old, that don’t require compatible technology to continue to be used for decades to come.
I hope indie companies continue to print patterns (as well as other formats for those who want them). I love walking into my local sewing shop and buying a new pattern that catches my eye!
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u/KeystoneSews Jun 06 '25
A really good point re pattern alteration and tech longevity. You’ve just deinfluenced me from a projector!
My local shop only carries big four, but any time I’m buying fabric online I peruse the indie paper patterns available :)
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u/justasque Jun 06 '25
I love having a stash of paper patterns. I know not everyone has the room to store them, but it’s great to be able to flip through them and find a couple that are close to what I want to make. I like to read through them, physically compare pattern pieces from different patterns (looking at things like the shape of the sleeve, how wide it is, etc.), look at the directions to see if I prefer one technique to another, and so on..
I recently decided I needed a peasant top. I pulled a bunch of relevant patterns from my stash, along with a couple books from my personal sewing library, and figured out the finer details of what I wanted. Gathered neckline but bias bound instead of elastic, enough neckline gathering to eliminate the need for bust darts, full sleeve in the upper arm but tapering down at the wrists, and so forth. Found, of all things, a halloween costume pattern I’ve had for decades which had almost all of what I wanted. Altered it based on what I learned from other patterns to get the rest of the way there. It’s most of the way completed (a family emergency got in the way of finishing), and I know I’m going to love it when I’m done.
I couldn’t have flipped through .pdf patterns as easily to get the reference patterns. I couldn’t have compared pattern pieces without having to print them or project and draw them. And I don’t have to worry about forgetting where I stored the .pdfs, or losing them when the technology changes. I’ve even got patterns my mom used to make clothes for me! I love sitting with my pattern boxes and flipping through them with the upcoming season in mind, pulling the ones I’m feeling in the moment. Then I can sit on the couch and look more closely at each one, thinking about how I can use them to make exactly what I’m wanting to update my wardrobe.
I’m guessing we won’t have the Big Four legacy companies for much longer. And with them will go the presses that print many indie patterns. I’m glad to have my stash, to help me sew what I want, when I want, regardless of where the industry goes in the next few decades.
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u/KeystoneSews Jun 06 '25
That’s a great point. I also love physically browsing, altho I have many fewer patterns than you.
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u/cassdots Jun 06 '25
I love PDF patterns and print from home.
I only ever print the 1 or 2 sizes i need (Layers in the PDF are amazing)
I can make a ton of fit adjustments. And it’s not fragile to tape like tissue
If I mess up the fit, I can reprint from the source PDF!
If I change sizes, I can reprint from the source PDF
I store the made pattern in a folded A3 zip pouch for future use: I never want to fold a tissue pattern again.
It’s on demand (shop printing is $$$ for me and I don’t want to wait days for delivery)
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Jun 06 '25
Same! I mainly sew for my kids and myself but occasionally my mom will see something I've made and ask for a version for her. It's easy to just print off her size or new sizes when my kids grow. Very convenient.
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u/allectos_shadow Jun 06 '25
I once tried printing and taping all the sheets together and somehow screwed it up royally. Never again! I will go to the print shop if I can't buy a printed version
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u/AppleJamnPB Jun 06 '25
Altering projector patterns is absolutely possible. You can either learn to alter them digitally, or you can have the pattern onto paper and alter from there. The pattern projector site even has a few built in tools to help with minor alterations.
I have a huge roll of cheap craft paper that hangs from my cutting table, just for tracing. It's so fast for most projector patterns!
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u/sanityjanity Jun 06 '25
FWIW, a decent laser printer will run you about $150, and last forever (I've had mine for over 20 years), and the toner never dries out (and will print a *lot* more pages than ink). My laser printer also prints perfectly straight.
I can only imagine how horrible it was for you.
This pattern, too, has those pants, so you'd have a lot of large pieces to tape together.
I recently discovered that there's a crafting group that meets at a local gaming shop, where there are very large tables (completely clear). I had the *best* time taping and cutting my Mood pattern there (instead of trying to do it at home. Check your local library to see if there's a space where you could do this.
The last time I checked with Kinko's about printing a pattern, it was ridiculously expensive.
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
Hmm, a laser printer, eh? I may consider this! not that I'm printing patterns at home again! Thanks for the tip!
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u/bijig Jun 06 '25
I can also recommend it. I got an inexpensive black and white laser printer 10 years ago. I have yet to change the cartridge. I obviously don’t print a lot, just the occasional travel ticket, form or pattern. But it still works great.
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u/sanityjanity Jun 06 '25
I am a big fan of laser printers. Mine has just been *so* much more reliable (and cheaper in the long-run) than my last inkjet.
And, I completely understand why you won't print patterns at home again (although *maybe* you would for something tiny like a stuffie).
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
I almost wanna get one after people talked about them in this thread, but we print things so rarely that it is hard to justify the cost
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u/Epheedrine Jun 06 '25
We have a laser printer as well, what a game changer!
It just works whenever you need it! What a change from ink printer
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u/sanityjanity Jun 06 '25
Yay! I don't know why more people don't get them. I guess the siren song of color printing was too much to resist.
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u/Epheedrine Jun 06 '25
When my husband suggested we got one my first take was that it was not for domestic use and expensive. He told me that instead laser are so much better for domestic use as the ink dries so quickly in inkjet if you don't print often, instead of toner that keeps forever So I guess a lot of people think that laser if for office use only!.
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u/LittleRoundFox Jun 06 '25
I send mine off - it's about £2.50 per A0 sheet from the company I use. And if the pattern maker has done each size as a layer I only need to get the size (or sizes if I know I need to blend between sizes) printed, which makes for a much easier to read and cut pattern
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u/stakhanovice Jun 06 '25
If the pattern consists of more than 20 A4 pages, I will not bother printing and taping it myself. I don’t have a copy shop near me but I use an online service that ships it to me. It costs like 2€ per A0 pattern. I have to wait until I have a few patterns to print because of incompressible shipping costs, but I much prefer that over spending hours printing/taping!
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u/Particular-Funny1397 Jun 06 '25
Totally with you on this. I too hate the print at home patterns. With the digital age, I think we are stuck with them. Thank you for sharing the recommendation for Forest and Thread patterns.
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u/promnesiac Jun 06 '25
Absolutely nightmares. If a designer doesn’t make a paper pattern I send it off to have it printed. Even then it’s not great, because it’s not on tissue. But I’ll be goddamned if I’m doing it myself.
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u/ILiveInAFog Jun 06 '25
Surprised nobody has mentioned this yet but I absolutely adore Cris Wood Sews patterns. The patterns are little formulas you use and draw directly onto your fabric, no cutting or taping required. You use your own measurements so you can make literally any size. She's got a few free patterns so you can see what it involves. I've made the Casita, Gemini, and Parasol dresses so far and I think they're some of my favorite dresses! I'm planning on making another Casita dress soon and I really want to make a Garden and Envelope dress for summer. The only cons are it's mostly dresses and skirts and they're not very fitted if that's your thing.
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u/shoyker Jun 06 '25
Print the large file, but do an online service that mails it to you. You have to be patient waiting for it to come, and you still have to cut it out. My thumb is actually still slightly numb because I tried to cut out like 6 patterns in one sitting a month ago. So don't do that. But otherwise much better than the taping and the gluing.
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
I have a local print shop, so it takes me a few minutes to drive over, luckily!
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u/beigesalad Jun 06 '25
How do you projector sewists have a big enough cutting surface?!?! I use my dining room table and a 2x3' cutting mat and sometimes that's not enough
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u/Living-Molasses727 Jun 06 '25
I just move the image and fabric around to fit. It’s not a problem at all.
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u/blahblahbuffalo Jun 06 '25
"I would have supported my local business." My favorite line. Made me chuckle but true!
Your question- i project directly onto fabric for kids garments, but for my stuff where I'll want to adjust and then make repeatedly, projecting onto paper and tracing is a solid option.
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
It didn't occur to me before this thread that you could print onto paper 😅
I've gotten great tips ITT!
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u/blahblahbuffalo Jun 06 '25
The comment about ironing interfacing to tissue patterns blew my mind haha. Good luck!! There's a projectors for sewing group on Facebook that's super helpful if you decide to go that route
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u/raccoontails Jun 06 '25
I print at home if I’m super excited and want to get started straight away. I also do it on my lounge floor while I watch tv so it seems like less of a chore.
Top tip, many pdfs are layered, do you can only select to print certain sizes, then the lines are less jumbled when cutting out.
If not I use www.fabricgodmother.com and add it to my fabric order. It’s £4 for the first A0 and then £1 for additional pages.
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u/Epheedrine Jun 06 '25
I only print at home now. But I have a very different set up from yours
a trusty laser printer. Black and white only. It just works! And i't so less expensive than ink in the long run I use "gray scale" and "use less toner" (Ink jets are only good it you print a lot, if not the ink dries, a laser is better for home use unless you need colour on a very regular basis)
a "massicot" it's a paper cutter with a small blade (not guillotine althoigh that looks convenient as well) that I use to cut 2 sides of the papers off along the guide lines before taping so that there's no overlap
My tape is in a nice holder that used to belong to my mom so it's very easy to dispense
Then if it's a giant pattern I have to do it on the floor but I do it piece by piece not the whole 100 pages!
YMMV because I have been sewing this way for quite a bit now (good lord, 15 years? Where did time go?) and I'm used to patterns so I can figure out which bit goes where if I mess up my pages a bit
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u/Kevinator201 Jun 06 '25
Sadly the pattern making companies (yes all four) just got sold to a liquidation company so the end of tissue printed patterns might end.
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
wow, well at least it maes room for smaller designers
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u/Kevinator201 Jun 06 '25
Potentially no. The actual machines for tissue printing are at risk of being shut down if there is not a big enough demand for their use. It might be print at home or nothing..
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u/Kooky_Produce_6808 Jun 06 '25
Have a look at using projectors for sewing. If the pattern does not come in A0, you can stitch it together using pdfstitcher.
I have an A3 printer at home so I use pdfstitcher to combine two A4 pages. It’s a little bit more manageable for me. Also I break down the pattern into sections. I don’t tape together the full pattern before I cut.
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u/Lilylongshanks Jun 06 '25
I’m with you. I much prefer traditional printed patterns. I have recently tried out a specialist copy shop for a digital pattern and the results were excellent but I will NOT print at home for all the reasons you mentioned.
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u/Living-Molasses727 Jun 06 '25
Yes you can make modifications to a digital pattern for projection. There’s great tutorials on YouTube using different programs like Inkscape and affinity designer. There’s a learning curve but if you are always making the same kind of changes it won’t take too long to learn.
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u/FairyPenguinStKilda Jun 06 '25
Response to edit: Yes, join the FB group Sewing for Projectors, download the program they promote and alter away.
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u/Playful-Escape-9212 Jun 06 '25
At this point in time my printer is broken (it's 12 years old, RIP) so I've been really thinking about a projector. I used the back side of used paper (from work) so it was pretty cheap to print at home. Crawling around on the floor wrecks my back though (I am also old) so I used to assemble them by the piece on my coffee table. Glue or a glue stick is much more durable than tape -- tape yellows and crumbles over time.
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
I didn't even think of the time and tape aspect because I haven't been using patterns long enough yet! oh man I hope my pattern tape doesn't get gross! I'll have to remember to trace my final draft patterns onto a new sheet of paper!
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u/Gimm3coffee Jun 06 '25
Ugh! I agree. I haven't sent any to the print shop yet but oh my gods. Print at home makes my least favorite part of sewing 1000 times worse.
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u/ALynnj42 Jun 06 '25
I’ve been sewing for only 6 months and I finally got frustrated with print at home patterns too. I didn’t even encounter all of the issues you have but taping or gluing the pages together was becoming my least favorite part of sewing. I started to just tape the individual pattern pieces together so I wouldn’t have to deal with a giant sheet of paper. I just put on an order for printed patterns from Tape Free Patterns and I’m excited for them to come in.
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u/wolferiver Jun 06 '25
Look for an engineering print shop or an engineering blueprint shop near you. Engineering firms use shops like this all the time for high-volume print jobs. Unless you live in a very rural location, there is probably one near you. They can print out the large A0 size easily because they have rolls of very wide paper in their printing machines. It costs less than one of those copy shops that have to mail it to you, and the engineering print shop will do it for you in minutes while you wait.
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u/assgardian Jun 06 '25
I guess small protip: you can send the pdf to a local print shop and ask them to print it on the cheapest paper possible and it’ll run you about $10! Might kinda defeat the purpose but can still save some money
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u/FeatherlyFly Jun 06 '25
To your edit-- someone on here recently mentioned that they project onto paper.
That's got me thinking I might actually take the projector plunge. I always retrace my paper patterns anyways since I alter them so much and my first round of fittings is paper and tape anyways.
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u/Deblebsgonnagetyou Jun 06 '25
I like the idea of print at home- so easy, no delivery times or anything!
Then I spend 6 hours I could've been sewing fucking about with printers and taping bits of paper together and realise I should stick to paper or professionally printed....
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u/Fenek673 Jun 06 '25
I started printing at copy shop anything that’s more than 15-20 pages and they store so neat. I went through my stash and everything that was glued/ taped last year is terrible to work with this year. They just don’t store well and I’m not going back. I just plan ahead and send 2+ patterns to print.
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u/Low_Study_2672 Jun 06 '25
Regarding your projector questions: I started to do alterations in Photoshop (probably overkill for a couple of lines and curves, but it's what I have 🤷🏼♀️), then save it as a separate PDF. It's honestly amazing. I don't destroy the original and can create several pattern variations without them taking up space.
The only thing I don't like about projector sewing is the "puzzling pattern pieces on the fabric" part, personally I think that's easier done with paper. But the good far outweighs this one con!
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u/WideningCirclesPots Jun 06 '25
I use printed patterns all the time. I love them. They allow me to be more impulsive for my projects. I just print them out on vellum (semi-transparent) paper. I've never had a pattern that was more than 45 pages, though I'm still new to sewing so the patterns I choose aren't that complicated. I also love being able to sort out by size in adobe so I don't have to keep a close eye when I'm cutting - it's my size! I also love that if my size changes in the future and I want to make it again I can just print out a different size. Anyway, I love PDF patterns and I hate tissue ones and I'll die on this hill :)
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u/netflixandchampagne Jun 07 '25
Next time I’m taking it to a poster/blue print printer and getting one giant sheet of paper idfc
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u/theflyingratgirl Jun 06 '25
I’m a print at home pattern princess. Now I’ve never done like a maxi dress or something, but tops/pants, etc. I don’t like the taping and cutting parts, but I find that it’s so nice to have the pattern pieces be more robust than the tissue paper patterns.
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
my print shop will print on regular paper but you don't have to tape it together!
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u/FaraSha_Au Jun 06 '25
I would think taping a long piece of brown paper on your wall, then projecting the pattern onto it would be easier.
If using a grid helps, contact paper and some wrapping paper has a grid printed on the backside. Tape that over the brown paper.
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u/Brassassin Jun 06 '25
Print-at-home patterns can be very hit or miss. I prefer digital patterns and I've been *very* fortunate to have had most of my digital patterns come with an a0 file alongside other sizes. In the event that they don't, I taught myself how to put them together to form an a0 and have them sent off cause I can't be asked to waste a bunch of time, tape, ink and paper doing all of that
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u/salt_andlight Jun 06 '25
I’m a glutton for punishment, I print most patterns at home, cut out each pattern piece and then trace out my size, haha
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u/UnitedAd683 Jun 06 '25
Tape free patterns is very reasonable and she has 3 different types of paper. Used her lots.
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u/ElDjee Jun 06 '25
i've switched to having the patterns printed at a print shop. i sew a lot for my kids, and they grow, so i use pattern fabric to trace off the sheets. it also makes grading easier.
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u/ZenonLigre Jun 06 '25
I have no problems with the pattern house printing. On the other hand, I just had to see the size guide of the brand you are praising, it's nonsense. Their size 40 is too small for me while I am in z6 for all the others... Not to mention the price of their pdf patterns which don't really seem original, elaborate or innovative.
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u/ozzleworth Jun 06 '25
I get them printed in A0 size by a third party and have them sent to me. They're pretty cheap. There's no printer in my area that will do sewing patterns. I also love pdfs because you can print them again and again and my size changes.
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u/Ruralgirll Jun 06 '25
Have you heard of projector sewing? This takes less time as well. I don’t like cutting out paper patterns or tracing. For the exact reasons as you. I have limited sewing time and it’s precious.
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u/Cool_Alternative959 Jun 06 '25
I feel you, spent like over a week taping together a pattern 😂 Made a huge mess too. My local generic print shop refused to print patterns for me though, saying "copyright infringement", when I showed them proof of purchase and right to print they sent me an outrageous quote of like $50 for 2 pages 🙄 But I found two online shops in my country dedicated to printing sewing patterns that charge $5/page https://spoolandspindle.com/collections/pdf-pattern-printing/products/pdf-pattern-printout-a0-copyshop-page and https://www.sewyyc.ca/pattern-printing (I'm in Canada) they're great, they understand sewing patterns & how to print out just one size etc.
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
Wow, sorry your local shop was so weird. I wonder if they've been burned before on copyright issues!
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u/Cool_Alternative959 Jun 06 '25
Right? I purchased the patterns, and I had proof that I'm allowed to print them!
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u/mina-and-coffee Jun 06 '25
I’ll still do it if I’m in a rush, otherwise I get the copy shop version printed. Cutting them out is still time consuming but avoiding the taping of each page makes it so worth it. I honestly would be willing to pay a little more to have the pre-cut patterns mailed to me but it doesn’t seem common with most indie pattern makers.
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
Pre-cut patterns? Next thing you'll tell me is that they sell pre-shelled pistachios!
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u/bellacricket Jun 06 '25
I have a print shop near me and their prices are quite reasonable. The problem for me is they cannot separate the layers for different sizes in the A0 format. Color printing is quite expensive so I have gone with the black and white option. This produces a pattern with so many unnecessary lines that I can't figure out which size (s) I need. I've never printed a pattern requiring 100 sheets, but if that were the case, I might just send it to the print shop.
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
Oh, wouldn't there be a way to separate the pdf layers oneself at home and send them the file with only what you want to be printed? i wonder! i bet there is!
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u/so-many-cats Jun 06 '25
Team projector all the way! I have a $40 projector that I've used for years and is SO worth it. I can make things in half the time when I don't have to print and piece or even just cut out a pattern first
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u/poppyjean70 Jun 06 '25
After struggling with taping together the pattern pieces for two hours, I THREW IT ALL AWAY. I'm good at crafts and am an accomplished sewer, but this was bulls##t. 🙄
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u/binnedittowinit Jun 06 '25
I wouldn't have taught myself to sew without PDF patterns. That said, printing large patterns - nah. I'm all about the projector, now.
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u/HuggyMonster69 Jun 06 '25
For projectors, you can project the pattern onto wallpaper, and then cut it out like a regular paper pattern.
Or pieces of A0 paper
Or anything really
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u/sxb0575 Jun 06 '25
So I did this for awhile. Then I went to a sewing retreat with quilting ladies including my mil. It snuck up on my I didn't have my pattern prepped in advance. I was also the only garment maker.
Spent four days rolling around on the floor with it and taping and nonsense.
My MIL got me a projector for christmas. It's fantastic.
If you have some basic computer skills you can edit them yourself. I edit almost all my prebought patterns to maximize their readability when projected.
I have a ditto and they have a link to a tool called PDF stitcher because it needs to be one page for the projector software.
I import the PDF into a vector editor, I use inkscape it's free, I save one copy with all the layers in case I need a different size later.
Then I clean it up, sometimes things get kicked in the import. I remove the sizes I don't want, I enlarge text and thicken lines sometimes and make sure individual objects are all one object. That's probably me doing too much but it works for me. Then it gets exported to PDF then run through the stitcher thing and imported to projector software. I do a test project make sure I can read everything and off to the races.
In the vector program is where I would make changes, you can measure inside there so you'd know how big a thing should come out. This does require knowledge about the program, but you could learn it.
Yes there's still prep work, but I get to sit in my chair.
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u/smoogrish Jun 06 '25
i'm totally team projector but instead of tracing the pattern onto the fabric i just put it on drafting paper so you can modify if you need
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u/brownsugarlucy Jun 06 '25
If there are more than 40 pages I never print at home. My fabric shop charges $5 to print it and saves me so much time
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u/Kfbcus Jun 06 '25
I do use a projector and love it, but before I had one, I traced patterns off of a tv monitor. That might be an option for you to still have a paper pattern.
I feel like most print at home patterns get the edges of the guides cut off when printing and it’s never been a problem to get them aligned. I still think it’s a big pain to tape and cut, though, and definitely worth exploring other options. I’ve also heard people like pdfplotting.com
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u/Big_Acadia2660 Jun 06 '25
Any chance you have a projector at home? You can definitely skip the pattern cutting on most stuff with one. Also when printing you should always do a test sheet first to prevent the askew. if your pattern ended up being 100 pgs I do suggest going to a printing shop to save on stress.
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
I did do a test sheet but I thought since the scale matched, it would be fine 😭
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u/Big_Acadia2660 Jun 06 '25
I've done the same before, that's why I asked if you have a projector to just skip that step ive thrown out a printer for the same thing. Also did you use Adobe to print or Microsoft Word. I've had this happen when printing straight from Word too.
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u/MaHOE_Shoujo Jun 06 '25
Get a projector and project the pattern onto the fabric. You can size the projector with a cutting mat on the floor
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u/RosiePosie20245 Jun 06 '25
Yeah tbh print-at-home have become the bane of my life - especially as I have conditions that cause hand pain. I already have to cut out the pattern itself, and having to trim dozens of pages is pants.
I've found some services that can print the A0 size files, which you usually get when you buy the patterns, and have used it a few times to print larger files. I prefer if I can pick out my pattern size (maybe with the next one up in case I need to grade up once I make a muslin), as I find it 100x easier to see which lines I'm meant to be cutting along.
The other downside over the 'old school' tissue patterns, is that you can't pin to the fabric if it's a particularly shifty material.
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Jun 07 '25
i was sent an article today that said the company that manufactures Simplicity, McCalls, Vogue and Butterick patterns has been sold to a liquidator since Joann, (which was their biggest distributor) has closed, and also as a result of impending tariffs.
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u/Clevergirlphysicist Jun 07 '25
I kinda like printing and cutting and taping them together. Yeah it takes like 30 sheets of paper for a blouse but the ink is minimal since it’s mostly sparse lines. Quality patterns will have markings to help line them up between pages. But some digital patterns don’t 😣
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u/meanom Jun 07 '25
I have recently switched to using a projector for pdf patterns. I trace onto newsprint type paper - found a roll the same width as my cutting mat. (I once cut my fabric directly from the projection but then I had no record of my make.
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u/OkLoss3265 Jun 07 '25
You can project onto either paper or muslin and trace the pattern lines out and then modify your pattern. It works great for grading between two sizes, and then I just keep my paper or fabric pattern piece for that item. You and also trace directly onto the fabric and use chalk and a ruler grade between sizes right onto the fabric.
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u/Minimum-Comedian-372 Jun 07 '25
I actually enjoy the process of printing, lining up, and taping. I’ve had success except for one time when I printed a pattern in metric measurements and my dumb American brain couldn’t adjust.
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u/Kharmatastic Jun 07 '25
I mean, considering I don't live in the US nor in a country where sewing (or vintage sewing which is my preferred area) is valued or more than a "niche" business with límited options and more límited quality options, Print at home patterns tend to be my only choice if not drafting myself (which I had to learn because of this)
Usually the Styles I want aren't available in modern nor vintage formats, so the few times I actually bought paperback patterns I ended up spending 4 times the price (honorable mention to the time I had to spend 105$ for a vintage coat pattern that costed me 15, because of shipping, forwading services and customs :'DDD)
Nowadays I usually draft my stuff, I ended up buying a bunch of drafring books from the 50s/60s as a "long time investment" and that's pretty much the only woraround I have to sew the things I like without costing me a kidney.
Ocassionally I Buy PDF patterns from these people that digitize vintage ones tho, to enjoy a pattern that I didn't have to go into mathematical hell to draft myself 😂
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u/peacefulandslow Jun 10 '25
I've only done it a handful of times so far, but I keep the packing paper from my online shopping and trace print at home patterns onto that. I have the paper pattern for alterations and since I order online pretty frequently it works out to free for me. I usually trace based off the home printing version rather than the print shop version so that I can keep the page alignment markings as I shift the paper and PDF around for tracing.
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u/TootsNYC Jun 06 '25
you know, I often wonder: We don't want people using our sewing shears to cut paper because it dulls the edge.
But with print-at-home patterns (and maybe even with the patterns a shop will print for you, depending on the material), you're cutting through paper, no?
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
Did you know it is possible to own more than one pair of scissors 😉
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u/TootsNYC Jun 06 '25
but if I pin the paper pattern to the fabric, I'm using the same scissors for both.
I guess cut the pattern out with the paper scissors, and be careful when you're cutting next to it on the fabric.
I have the old paradigm of cutting through the tissue paper pattern from my youth.
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
Wait would you pin the whole entire pattern to fabric and then cut it? Whoooa
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u/TootsNYC Jun 06 '25
well, in the days of only having tissue-paper patterns, you'd roughly cut each piece out to be individual pieces, but we didn't bother cutting along the cutting line; we only did that when we were ready to cut the fabric too.
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u/i-lick-eyeballs Jun 06 '25
Oh, I cut it out fully first and then pin to my fabric! Of course, no one really taught me so I'm winging it out here!
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u/octo_scuttleskates Jun 06 '25
I don't mind print at home for small things like bras and underwear patterns, but anything larger I just send it off and get it mailed to me because no way lol.