One area of my life that I am striving for simplicity in is my sewing. It is amazing to find out how quickly and
easily we can collect a large stash of patterns. That is one of the beautiful things about the style of clothing that
our family is seeking out. The clothing we prefer are basic styles that. depending on the fabric you choose to make
them with, can be plain or fancy. I have been slowly collecting patterns to make for our family. My goal
is to make as close to 100% of our clothing as possible.
To help make the goal a reality, I have been organizing a pattern binder. The first step was to make a list of
every clothing item that we each need. The list goes as follows:
For Joe & Micah:
Shirt
Pant
Sleep Pants & Top
Robe
Underwear
Thermal Underwear
Socks
Slippers
Coat
Winter Gear
For Abigail & I:
Dress
Undergarments
Apron (for me)
Pinafore (for Abigail)
Headcoverings
Nightgown
Robe
Slippers
Coat/Shawl
Winter Gear
Items specific for the little ones:
Diapers
Diaper Covers
Training Pant
In the binder, each person has their own section. It starts with the above list for their sewing needs with the
patterns purchased for each one listed. Next is a size/measurement sheet to keep track of current sizes. Finally,
I have each person's clothing patterns stored in top loading sheet protectors. I never cut the patterns. Instead,
I trace them onto other paper so that I can preserve the patterns for later use. This is especially inportant with multi-sized
patterns. It saves you the expense of buying the pattern in each size. Any traced patterns I make are stored in the
same sheet protector behind the pattern envelope.
Doing this has helped me to find the patterns that I need much faster. I am also able to see at a glance which
patterns I still need to purchase. You can do the same for your home decor and craft patterns in another binder.
This storage method would also work if you want to include knit or crochet items such as scarves, hats, slippers. socks, etc.
