Do you AO? Or Projector? Or Old school printed pattern type of person? Spoiler alert, this is not a tutorial on how to do either of the first two, the third, as in a printed pattern, sure we have a lot of choices and we are all pretty familiar with that. Printed patterns are great for having all the pieces on very thin tissue paper, but at least you know what you are getting. Well, thin paper for most of the Big 4 that is. Smaller company pattern designers may be available only as a pdf where you need to print at home or at a print shop and tape together or they may already provide the pattern on A0 size, which is something like 33 by 46 inches.
I have been wanting to get a new style, or at least try some new to me patterns. A few weeks ago, at Joanns I had made a few pattern purchases. Later, I went online to see what the bloggers were sewing and patterns they may suggest. I came across itch-to-stitch.com. There were some patterns there that I could see making and wearing! They have an option of this AO version to download then have a printing service print it for you, no more 8x11 pages to tape. You can do like I did, and download a free pattern, they have four to choose from, 3 tops and one skirt. I chose the Uvita Top. By using the free pattern, I figured since I don’t know much about the AO printing, if it didn’t work out, at least I didn’t spend too much. I first ‘purchased’ the free pattern then downloaded it to my phone. I saved it also in my DropBox incase I need to find it another day, but I see now it does save in my 'account' so I can access it there too. Then I went to theplottedpattern.com and chose A0 Sized Printed pattern on plain paper, it was $2.40, with shipping it came out under $8 because I had ordered a few envelopes for patterns, they were 15c each. If I didn’t do that, altogether the printing and the shipping would have been $6.54. It was a very easy process and I didn’t even use a computer, I did all of this right on my phone! I took a picture of what came in the package, and how I received it. The printing company says it is 20# weight paper, it feels pretty sturdy, even better than the printer paper I have been getting lately at the big box store. There are also other options, the most expensive at $4 is the Tissue paper option, and the other is the $3 Translucent paper option, all of these options come with color or black and white printing. One thing on this is there was no sewing instructions, I am not sure if I specifically left them off since I wasn’t sure how it would work. In the plotted pattern they have two main choices, “Pattern and Instruction printing” and Custom printing. I chose the first of these. The designer though gave me both the traditional pdf to print and tape that includes the instructions. For this top, I probably won’t need instructions, although they may come in handy to understand how much of a hem the pattern contained. It was a fun little experiment and I would definitely have a pattern printed this way in the future if I am presented with the option. I haven’t made the Uvita top yet, but I hope to soon.
Projecting is also another option. This one is even more intimidating to me, but may be an option for those who do a lot of downloading, or sewing a lot of different patterns, or if you design your own patterns using software. There are many choices in projectors depending on how far the projector will sit relative to your cutting or tracing area. The projector saves the trees by projecting the pattern right on fabric for you to cut right there and then! Some drawbacks, you need a relatively dark room so you can see the projection, and there is a little bit of a learning curve. Next time you see me, let me know if you have gone to the projector dark side!
For now, I may stick to paper patterns and maybe give A0 another try if there is a pattern that calls my name.
For those of us who are looking for discounted patterns, simplicity.com does have sales. They had one this weekend, and I made a few purchases. Unfortunately, after I purchased, I realized I never checked my ‘buy’ list on my phone for those patterns I wanted and was going to look for at Joanns for their next sale. Anyways, I was able to purchase them at $4.99 and 2.99. the shipping wasn’t too bad either. Well, I am off to go sew! I have been sewing a few tops, and now want to do a few blazers, but then I also need pants, and some new bras, and, and, and!
Posted by Bonny D on March 9, 2025: completely my own opinion and unbiased post.
