I am often asked, “Where did you get that fabric?” - enough that I have written two blog posts on the topic. One is devoted to IRL Shopping, the other focuses on online shopping. I also have a series of posts about fabric shopping in New York (Part 1, Part 2), and several posts about fabric shopping in other countries.

Naturally, now that those mysteries have been solved, I am frequently asked, “Where did you get that pattern?”. The answer(s) to this question is pretty straightforward, so you won’t be seeing any fabric-shopping-style mega posts. But I will answer the question!

I buy my current season “Big 4” patterns during online sales, and I pick up BurdaStyle Magazine whenever I’m in a train station with a news stand that stocks it (regardless of language). I don’t sew a ton of indie brand patterns, but if there’s one I love, I buy it, or ask for it as a birthday gift (an $18 pattern or a Japanese sewing book is an excellent gift!). But I know that’s not what you’re asking. You’re asking about vintage.

I sew a lot of vintage patterns. I buy them from all the places one would expect to find vintage items of any kind: eBay, Etsy, estate sales, and thrift stores (but those last two haven’t been possible since Covid-19). Buying vintage patterns at estate sales or thrift stores involves a lot of luck: you either find something you love for 25¢, or you don’t. But with eBay and Etsy, you can search.

This is where I know my answer might be unsatisfying if you’re looking for an instant purchase. There are a couple of reasons I have patterns that you might have trouble finding:

1. I’ve been collecting patterns for years - I’ve been stashing them away for longer than I’ve been blogging about sewing. This goes for vintage and Big 4 - I bought a lot of Big 4 patterns in the early 00s that I either sewed back then, or I’ve only felt ready to sew recently.

2. I am extremely patient and focused when there is a pattern I want. I’ll wait a year or more for one to pop up, I’ll just keep waiting. I typically will not purchase a pattern unless it is in my size, but if you are willing to buy a different size than your usual, you may have a shorter wait time.

I do a lot of research in vintage magazines and online, and I have a well honed sense of personal style - it’s gotta be something I want to sew up and wear. There are also patterns I seek out for specific design details, that I may wish to study for educational purposes, or apply to a different garment entirely. I have limited space for my collection, so I don’t buy patterns unless they are on my wish list. For a while, I was constantly searching for patterns I wanted, but currently I am very inspired by my collection, so I’m not actively shopping.

A good tip I can offer is to look at different brands and eras. Pattern designers are basically always reinventing the wheel. It’s unusual for a pattern to be unique (Vogue Designer patterns are the exception - they are often unlike any others - which explains the high price tags), and style is cyclical, so silhouettes reappear over time. Here you can see two dress patterns from the early 1970s - they are very similar! I sewed and reviewed both patterns this year (Simplicity 9259 and McCall’s 3131), and compared the pattern pieces. If you have your heart set on a certain style, expand your search and you’ll likely find something that will get you pretty close - it just might be from a different decade than you expected.

My main advice is to be focused and patient. And never judge a pattern by its dated envelope cover! So many styles can be modernized with just a few tweaks. Do you have any good vintage pattern shopping tips to share? Let me know! XO, Martha