Sewing patterns help make sewing easier for you. Especially if you are a beginner, the sewing patterns allow you to sew the clothes with perfection.
Many people ask us: New sewing patterns so expensive and is there any value in the old sewing patterns?
The answer is yes! Old sewing patterns hold a significant value. This article will explain everything you can do with old sewing patterns.
What are sewing patterns?
Sewing patterns are instructional guides that teach you how to assemble different pieces of fabric to create a perfect cloth. They are mostly made of cardboard, paperboard, or paper.
You can put the sewing patterns on fabric, trace them, and cut the fabric as per the desired size.
You can also learn more about different fabrics in our previous sewing guide.
Do old sewing patterns have any value?
Yes, old sewing patterns have good value. But it depends on their condition.
If the old sewing patterns are vintage or branded, they will have a very high value. You could sell them at a great price because many sewing enthusiasts want to collect such wonderful patterns as decorative tokens or for use in sewing.
However, even if the old sewing patterns are not vintage or branded but in usable condition, you can still find many buyers who would like to use them in their sewing.
On the other hand, if the old sewing patterns are cut, do not have complete instructions, or some parts are missing, they will not have any significant value.
What can I do with old sewing patterns?
Here we will explain all the things that you can do with old sewing patterns:
1. Sell and earn money
If you have old sewing patterns in good condition, along with complete instructions, and no missing parts, then you can sell those patterns to other sewing enthusiasts.
Now, there are plenty of ways to sell.
First, you can join various sewing groups on Facebook and post about your product there. Second, you can join the Facebook marketplace and post the details. Moreover, if the patterns are vintage or branded, you can sell them on eBay.
Other options include selling the patterns at an auction center or asking your friends and see if someone is interested in buying them.
2. Donate to charity
If you do not want to sell the sewing patterns, the other option is to donate them.
There are a lot of charities, probably in your area as well, that accept donations in the form of sewing patterns. They resell your sewing patterns at a margin price and earn a profit to continue their social welfare activities.
However, before you donate, you need to ensure that the sewing patterns are in usable condition.
The reason is that it would be a bad idea to donate worn-out and useless sewing patterns to charity.
3. Gift to friends
If you have a friend interested in sewing, you can gift your sewing patterns to them.
It will make sewing easier for them and help them create a great piece of clothing.
4. Create unique clothing
If the old sewing patterns are present in a perfectly usable condition, you can use them while sewing.
Usable vintage sewing patterns can help you create lovely dresses with unique old designs.
What makes a sewing pattern vintage?
Vintage sewing patterns have the highest value as compared to any others. If you want to determine if a particular sewing pattern is vintage; here are some tips to help you:
1. The difference in the envelope
There is a big difference between the envelope of a vintage and modern sewing pattern.
The vintage sewing patterns have a variety of instructions and yardage charts on the envelope apart from the lithographs of clothes and artwork.
2. Format of pattern
The second difference is the format of the sewing pattern.
The vintage sewing patterns from 1920-1950 have an entirely different format as compared to the ones we use today.
Most of the vintage patterns do not have any printing on them. They use perforations generated from machines like circles, triangles, and squares to tell the user about different marking symbols, grain lines, and notches.
3. Instructions on the pattern
The very first patterns had little instructions on them.
Because the pattern-makers assumed that most people knew how to sew clothes. However, after 1920, the companies started to add more detailed instructions and diagrams on the patterns.
Therefore, if you find an old sewing pattern with little instructions, it means that this pattern is a vintage one.
How to know how old a sewing pattern is?
The simplest way is to read the details on the envelope of a sewing pattern.
The manufacturers of most of the old sewing patterns used to write their name and date of manufacturing in the corner of the envelope. Therefore, you must read the details on the envelope carefully to find the age of the sewing pattern.
If you cannot find any date, there are a few other ways to recognize if a sewing pattern is old enough. For example, an old sewing pattern will have a completely different envelope, instructions, and designs compared to modern sewing patterns.
Can you sew clothes with old sewing patterns?
Yes, you can sew clothes with an old sewing pattern. But there are some conditions to be met.
1. It should be usable
First of all, the old sewing pattern should be complete. If it is cut, then you won’t be able to make the clothes of your choice because the pattern has already been cut in different shapes and sizes.
2. It should be complete
The old sewing pattern should be complete, and none of its parts should be missing. Otherwise, it will be difficult for you to trace the sewing pattern and make a perfect piece of clothing.
Only expert people can sew with an incomplete pattern because they have enough knowledge and experience to guess and complete the missing parts. But when sewing as a beginner, it is an impossible job.
3. It should have enough instructions
Your old sewing pattern should have complete instructions on it. Otherwise, it will be difficult for you to complete the sewing process.
The instructions are helpful as they guide you throughout the entire journey.
Conclusion
Old sewing patterns are valuable if they are in good condition. You can not only use them for creating a unique piece of clothing but also sell or gift them to other sewing lovers.
