patterns galore

You know what I really need? I really need a better way to store my patterns.

I have a lot. A lot, a lot.

Ok, maybe I'm a pattern junkie.

But I paid full price for NONE of them. I swear. I probably paid ten cents or a quarter for about half of them. Thift stores! There's not much better than vintage patterns. And  I got quite a few for free. If I do succumb in the store, I only buy when they're less than two dollars.

Because who knows when I'll need a pattern for a halter dress from 1947?! Maybe tomorrow! Remember the red print dress I just made this fall? Rummage sale pattern! Ten cents. Booyah. And the pattern on the left--yep. Made that one too. It swings like a mad cat.

Still, I've got two desk drawers full of patterns, and they're hard to keep organized. Of course, I like looking through them so it's no hardship, but there must be a better way. Some sort of binder system? Patterns can be kind of thick, though, and it would be best if I could easily see the front and back of each envelope.

All six dozen of them. No--maybe it's more like fifty. Well...ok, I'm not sure. Less than a hundred.

I need help. Does anyone have any ideas? (Help with organizing patterns. Geez, you guys!)

back in the day

Well, I've been hunting through some old photo archives, trying to decide what next little bit of fabulousness to display...and I ran across this pic. My first apartment. Sigh. Memories. More specifically--my first "sewing room" setup.

And then I ran across this picture, from my next place. Still sewing in my bedroom--but note the splendiferous addition of the aqua chair and the wall-mounted thread rack.



And now...of all delightful things, I have an entire room for all of my sewing gear. Ok, so I let Gladys think it's her room, but she's not going to read this so I can be honest. Of course, I just realized that I don't actually have any full pictures of my sewing paradise, but I do have this one:



Yes, that's just the shelving for the fabric. Sigh of happiness. The closet beside it is quite full as well. Perhaps this makes me something of a dork, but it also makes me jump for joy. I don't think I could ever go back to keeping all of my fabric in two rubbermaid tubs and spreading projects out on my bed. I am quite thoroughly spoiled.

And there's no way this fabric would fit back in those tubs! It's like the Blob. It's just gone too far and the growth is exponential and cannot be contained by modern science. Evil chuckle.