Vying for Attention

Do you know how to get a crafter's attention? Abby does:

This was her "subtle" way of letting me know she needed to sit on my lap. I guess I needed to take a break, too.

My Bible

I don't actually own many patterns, but the ones I do own exist in a multitude of versions--altered necklines, sba's, lengthened sleeves--so much so that they don't fit in the tiny envelope the originals came in. My first solution was to put them in larger envelopes, but I hated having to go through all the pieces just to access one variation, so I came up with a much better solution. The binder.



In the first sleeve, I keep the pattern envelope, directions, receipts of fabric purchased for that pattern, and any sketches I have made of it.



The following sleeves contain the pattern pieces and any variations I've made. I love being able to flip through the patterns, and pull out exactly what I need.





I have all the pattern pieces marked with what they are and what garments I've made with them, but eventually I'd like to have all the sleeves labeled, too. My one concern is that if the binder falls upside down, pieces could fall out, but using a zippered binder would fix that. I just ordered a couple of patternmaking books, so hopefully I'll being filling my binder with even more patterns soon!