Weekly Pattern Giveaways!!!!!

I am taking a wee break from the Mission McCall Mondays (to catch up with the pattern wiki uploading) but wanted to share something that I'm really excited about...

Weekly Pattern Giveaways!

Oh yes! I've decided that I am going to give away the pattern I use each week for the Sew Weekly challenge.  I'm extremely lucky to have an amazing pattern stash (that comes through lots of persistence with the vintage pattern hunting!) and I really want to share it.  I love sewing with vintage patterns so much and I know a lot of people would love to give it a try but maybe don't know where to start or are put off by some of the crazy vintage pattern prices (is it me or have they gone up recently...it really does take a good search to get a good deal).  My goal is to get as many people hooked onto sewing with vintage patterns as possible!


I'll be making a copy of each pattern so I'll still have it in case I want to use it again but this way someone else can have it too!  I always wonder what something would look like sewn up by someone else!  This is also a good challenge for me to sew with lots of different size patterns and try my hand at grading more (so there will hopefully be lots of different sizes in the giveaways).


The only caveat?  For those that enter the giveaway, I am only asking that if you do win a pattern that you do not sell it.  Keep it as long as you want but when you are ready to move on, pass it along to someone else either as a gift or through a giveaway!  One of the things I really love about our sewing community is how generous people are and I definitely want to give back (I've won my share of giveaways and you have all been so wonderfully supportive).

There are occasionally weeks that we don't sew from patterns (like the pillowcase week) or there may be weeks when I want to sew with a reproduction pattern (like Wearing History, EvaDress, etc).  I'll still have giveaways those weeks--either partnering up with the repro pattern sellers or giving away a previous pattern I've sewn.


I get lots of emails asking me where people can find the patterns I use.  For those that don't win the giveaways, I'll also be offering a very limited quantity of reproduction patterns each week.  We'll see how it goes and how much interest there is for each pattern but I'll probably offer between 5 to 20 a week.  I know for those that live in the UK, getting repro patterns can be difficult!  I definitely want to eventually open up my own online store and carry some of the U.S. repro patterns (like Wearing History, VPLL, Vintage Fashion Library, New Vintage Lady, Decades of Style, EvaDress, etc.)  Because if you live in the UK, it becomes too expensive with VAT and shipping to order more than one pattern at a time (and repro patterns are the easiest way to get some of the amazing 1930's and 40's patterns).  So watch this space for more news about this.


So what I am making this week? I actually just finished sewing this dress:

This amazing McCall pattern from 1939.  I made view A.  Check it out on my blog and the Sew Weekly blogs tomorrow.  This will be the first pattern in the weekly giveaways!


The pattern giveaways will be open to readers everywhere.  To enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post by midnight GMT Friday (I'll plan to do these posts on the Tuesday of each week) for one entry,
2. If you are technologically savvy and connected then post about the giveaway on 1. your blog, 2. twitter or 3. facebook for an additional entry for each method (so you can have a total of up to four entries...be sure to leave a comment and let me know if you've done any of these extra things).

I'll announce the winner every Saturday and I'll ship anywhere in the world.  Just note that it sometimes takes awhile for packages to arrive for those outside the EU but I'll aim to mail out the patterns by the following Wednesday.  If you win a pattern, you can't win again for another six months (but you can enter if you've won one of my previous giveaways as those don't count). And again, keep the pattern for yourself and when you are done, pass it on to someone else!  That way we can keep these lovelies available and perhaps get more people involved in sewing with vintage patterns!