Storing Small Patterns.

[Gawdzilla]

For any pattern that's less than 8.5" by 11" I put them in a "page protector" and keep them in a three-ring binder. I insert a sheet of copy paper that has the name of the pattern and a xerox of it in case the actual pattern gets lost.

Anybody else got a favorite system?

[Dwight]

I have a $10 plastic tub from Office Depot that holds the ugly green file hangers. Put the pattern in a manila file folder, . . . put the name on the tab, . . . kinda, sorta, alphabetized, . . . works for me as I have less than a hundred patterns and stuff to keep track of.

I like your idea, . . . but I hate having to fish the pattern out of the bag, . . . then have to put it back in, . . . prefer the manila folder where it just lays in there. If there are more than one piece to the pattern, . . . they are marked 1 of _, 2 of _, etc, . . . and all hung together with a big paper clip.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Gawdzilla]

Dwight, the page protectors are no more work than the manila folders, just take them out of the three ring and dump them on the table.

[TwoCelts]

I put them in a file cabinet if the same or smaller than 8.5x11". Larger patterns I hang on hooks from a shower curtain rod that stays in the shop in the corner. 

[Sheilajeanne]

I scan some patterns to my computer as PDFs, if they are 8 1/2 x 11 or smaller. It's quite easy to resize PDF's if you want to change the dimensions of a pattern.

I also have plastic project cases that I store them in. They are just a little bigger than 8 1/2 x 11 and are about 2" thick, and can be put on a shelf like a book. There's a spot on the spine for a label, so you can have all your wallet patterns in one, purse patterns in another, etc.

[terryHHI]

I use 2 gallon ziplock bags and a plastic bin. I write the pattern name and date on bag. Using a bag makes it easy to keep track of many small pattern pieces and templates.  I also tend to experiment and test ideas. I toss those into bag for future reference.  

I changed from manila folders. I found small pattern pieces tended to leak out around folder edges and turn up scattered on around the floor.

 

[fredk]

I put very small patterns in A5 document wallets, larger than that size they go into A4 document wallets and the lot are dumped into a 42 liter [underbed] plastic storage box*. Any pattern which I can't fit into the A4 wallet goes straight into the big box. All patterns are written on what they are and construction notes. If they are lucky the wallets get written on too. Its kinda no wonder I can't, or rarely can, find an old pattern and I end up cutting a new one! Now that I'm remodeling my workspace I just might sort out all those old patterns. I see a lot of old card heading to the recycling box in my future

*I use shelf units in my work space and two 42L boxes fit on each shelf

[billybopp]

On 2/18/2018 at 6:46 AM, terryHHI said:

I use 2 gallon ziplock bags and a plastic bin. I write the pattern name and date on bag. Using a bag makes it easy to keep track of many small pattern pieces and templates.  I also tend to experiment and test ideas. I toss those into bag for future reference.  

I changed from manila folders. I found small pattern pieces tended to leak out around folder edges and turn up scattered on around the floor.

 

I've been using ziplocks too ... 2 gallon for largish patterns, other sizes for smaller ones.  Even for something as large as a briefcase, the smaller parts go into bags and bigger pieces get held together with punched holes and chicago screws.   Bags then go into big plastic bins on a shelf.

Bags come in darned handy for keeping already cut parts together for individual projects when working on more than one at a time.

- Bill

[Sheilajeanne]

For that reason, Bill, I often save the original bag a pattern came in, if it was part of a Tandy kit!