For those of you not familiar, a "PDF" is just a type of file, (like jpeg, tiff, or png ) and stands for "Portable Document Format." It's essentially a file like any other you might encounter and usually requires Adobe Reader to open, (which I might add, is on just about every computer these days).
 |
| Underwear and Lingerie E-book. |
The great thing is, wonderful, beautiful, rare things are being digitized and protected from decay and disappearance and made available at the click of a button for research, education, or just pure pleasure. E-books in pdf form may be read on your computer desktop, kindle, iPad and even most new cell phones! They can also be printed out and enjoyed away from a digital device.
 |
| 1920s Tunic Dress - an instant download, print at home sewing pattern. |
PDF sewing patterns can be downloaded with the click of a button and printed out at home. No need to pay shipping costs to get a pattern from anywhere in the world. Just download, print and get to work!
 |
| Fashion Dos and Donts for the Plump E-book. |
Most "digital (PDF) sewing patterns, new or vintage, are just images of parts of a pattern that, when printed and taped together, make a full-sized pattern ready to cut out and sew.
The quality of the pattern that prints out depends on the skill and experience level of the person creating the pattern, and perhaps how good their design software is. I have downloaded patterns that were simply scans of an original, and some that have been designed with professional pattern drafting software. One is not necessarily better than the other, though the price and image quality are usually quite different.
 |
| A Print-at-Home instant download pattern taped together. |
Any pattern from Mrs. Depew Vintage described as an instant download, print-at-home pattern will look like the above when you print it out and tape the pages together. They are designed to print on your home printer to A4 or US letter-sized paper. Once put together, they are full-sized, ready to cut and sew patterns.
Other digital patterns can be drafting instructions or diagrams that you can print at home and draft your own patterns from. Take for instance this pattern:
 |
| Depew 1123 |
To get a full-sized pattern you first print out the measuring band and miniature pattern, then use them to draft the pieces scaled to your measurements, much like the Lutterloh system.
I still prefer to buy the actual paper pattern whenever I can. However, I love how you have taken some difficult to find patterns and have converted them to PDF. I fure sure would never have been able to find an affordable corset pattern, but your $5.00 PDF was amazing.
ReplyDeleteBeing a numbers and math person, I am really interested in trying your new patterns with the rulers. I can't believe how many awesome new patterns are in your shop! The evening gowns are lovely and I'm trying to find a way for one of them to fit into my lifestyle. The panties look like a great starter project, but I'm thinking 1121 would be a stunning dress.
I'm getting used to the printing and taping process, and I guess the downloads are getting more common as the other big pattern companies join Burda with pdf versions of their patterns.
ReplyDeleteI can attest to the fact that the patterns I purchased from you - the Pauline set - were easy to use and I ended up with some wonderful lingerie.
I think it's a great way to preserve and share wonderful old things that might not stand up to one more trip through the mail.
I'm sooo read for an all-e pattern world, you wouldn't believe!!! Postage is too expensive and my mail still gets lost (recently, 12 issues of 3 different magazine subscriptions!) I'm so happy to see more and more e-patterns available. Colette Patterns' decision to go both analog and digital sounds fantastic to me! Now if I could just find more websites that accept my Credit Card...Oh, and tapin doesn't scare me. I'm a tracer, raised on Burda and I don't even cut out the few e-patterns I have from BurdaStyle and other sources, LOL! Bring it on, I say!
ReplyDeleteI love working with the pdf format because it is so practical and (nearly) everyone can use. Some special books (old sewing books) that I have bought in pdf format, I sent to a printhouse to get a nice paper book from it. In the meantime it is not to expensive anymore and as well as I like the pdf file I like to hold a real book or magazine in my hands.
ReplyDeleteIt is something that I am just now getting used to. Of course, your patterns so far, have been the only ones I have worked with.
ReplyDeleteBeing old school, I think learning new ways of doing things can be exciting. Being of the generation who did not grow-up with computers, but needing them in adulthood...I have learned so many new things...and trust me..life is so much more effcient!
I was at first weary of the idea of PDF. I like having the actual paper of a book, newspaper and pattern at my fingertips but I have gotten used to the new technology. Until I read your post, I didn't know they could be used to preserve old patterns. Now that is cool!
ReplyDeleteWith pdf patterns, what I have noticed is that the "print and tape together" versions are alot easier (for me), than the patterns that have to be enlarged with a ruler and dots (whew). It's such a LOOOONG process for me to draft those patterns that I don't seem to finish them.
ReplyDelete