Big 4 Patterns Discontinued?

Where have all the patterns gone?

    A lot has changed in the world of home fashion since I first started blogging in the 2000's. As a beginner I amassed a pattern hoard that I'm almost embarrassed by. I collected most of them through secondhand shops. I had to buy two Sterilite dressers to house them and eventually that wasn't enough. They're now in boxes upon boxes. I remember when we were moving into our first house and my husband's friend, who was kind enough to help us, commented on how heavy my book boxes were; imagine his face when I told him it was just paper patterns. I think I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 300. I'm supposed to be selling off the majority of my collection but recent changes in the sewing retail industry have caused me to hesitate. Apparently Fabricland has cleared out all of its patterns. I haven't been in the shop much since the pandemic started, partially because I have a serious fabric stash problem, but also because I haven't been sewing nearly as much.

    On my last visit they had patterns in a large bin on clearance but I didn't realize it was the beginning of the end. This is depressing news. I've heard mixed ideas as to why it happened, assumptions fall somewhere between restructuring and the trade wars, but it doesn't really matter what the reason was as much as that it did happen. Tissue patterns have been an essential asset for beginners and advanced sewists alike. Many people will become impacted by this decision and those looking to break into the hobby will have a harder time. I can't even buy these patterns online unless it's through a third party seller at a significant markup. Going forward I will have to become reliant on my pattern hoard, thrifting, and my limited drafting knowledge to get me through. Of course there are PDFS...if you're into that sort of thing. The Big 4 are still producing patterns but not all of them are available for print at home, which seems dumb when you realize they stopped shipping to Canada, too. I hate spending time taping the pages together and getting everything perfectly aligned. I had to buy a paper cutter just to do my Burda coat (which I'll hopefully write about soon) and it took the greater part of an afternoon to assemble the print out! Nevermind cutting the materials which is exhausting enough. Also you can't "tissue fit" with printer paper. It produces a lot more tracing an adjustment problems that most novices won't be able to tackle.

    Before things ended, I managed to get a few of McCall's more contemporary designs. They took on some "influencers" to produce patterns for them. I have no idea who Brandi is but her stuff is kind of cheap looking (some of it in a skanky way). And confession time: I have almost always hated anything by Mimi G, her patterns look really tacky to me. I don't know why Simplicity went kind of all in on her. I get what they're trying to do with the Know Me Line (apparently also her?) but it too seldom has anything that looks quality, there's a lot of frumpy looking garments in the collection. It's funny how hit and miss it can be. I was pleased that some of their stuff post pandemic was starting to look more polished off but their newest releases look dowdy and bizarre. There's a lot of ill fitting clothing in terrible fabric choices, I thought they had moved beyond that. It was cool to see the Gunne Sax re-releases even if the sample photos leave a lot to be desired; more poor fabric choices and construction issues. I did buy a PDF copy of one of them that I had always wanted but was unwilling to pay $45 for it on Ebay, with the PDF I only paid $5.99 USD plus tax, and of course the eventual headache of assembly. I doubt it will look very good without significant alterations, they have that 80's big everything problem lol but I'll do my best. The only designs that look really good to me right now are coming from Burda, but they're sort of falling behind the times. It must be a challenge to produce relevant fashions that can last more than a few years but their catalogue is enormous and readily available for print at home which is nice when you've got no other options!

    I know that most people shrugged this "pattern shortage" off because they're obsessed with insert name (indie pattern maker). I purchased a few indie patterns on Etsy over the course of the pandemic and they're not without their issues. Size inclusivity is a problem. One bodice I bought was not made for large chested women. It had atrocious fit problems in the shoulder area that I couldn't work out, and the instructions were abysmal as they were largely dependent on a video that was not in English. And even though the designer did get back to me with an adjustment suggestion their response felt somewhat shitty like it's a me problem and that the bodice wasn't designed for boobs. Another designer had fantastic full color photo instructions in their pattern and I was really pleased with the price point and the final product. There is good and bad out there and because they are independent these designers are only accountable to themselves, and maybe their partners or shareholders. Sometimes they can lack professionalism; they may misuse social media, uphold fringe politics, steal ideas and/or treat their consumer base like crap... (r/craftsnark anyone?). Beyond makers with sketchy political views, I'm not a huge fan of the shopping process; finding something reliable is difficult. I found it harder to find reviews on indie patterns that weren't obvious endorsements by friends and influencers (I guess the knitting scene has a similar problem). Now with AI slop flooding the market it's going to be even more complicated to vet out good designers.

    See that makes me sad, to think I'll never get to walk into a store and flip through the big catalogue and stumble upon something really cute or cool. Nothing is ever going to match that experience. This is the end of an era.