Digital patterns from Something Delightful

[Mottymay]

I used to buy the occasional paper pattern from Club BMV sales but nothing since it became Something Delightful.

However they have Butterick digital patterns for $3.99 and was thinking of buying one - has any one in the UK bought a digital pattern from them? 

[Tamnymore]

Yes I've bought a few of these. In fact I'm just making a Butterick Katherine Tilton dress right now which I got as a digital pattern. You create an account with Something Delightful then purchase your digital pattern. It's then available online to download. The patterns are good quality - just the same as the paper version - and there is a separate booklet which you also download and print. There's also help online although IMHO you won't need it. One thing to note - they only do them in A4 ( and I think US 'legal') so you will be printing out and sticking together quite a few pages - 50 or so for a dress. The asymmetrical Katherine Tilton pattern was even more pages. I have an ancient laser printer and it needs a bit of coaxing to print so I have to print a couple of pages at a time. I reckon it costs me about 4 -5p per page max to print (including the paper and sellotape - my toner cartridges last for ever)  so it is quite economical for me at least. I think it is a bit of a drawback that they don't do large size A0 sheets so it's not worthwhile whizzing the pdf to Patternsy but the home printing can still be quite successful.
Once you get used to sticking A4s together you realise there are shortcuts.
So - short answer - yes worthwhile if there's something you like and you don't want to wait for ever for the pattern to arrive in the UK.
I have also bought paper patterns via Something Delightful - in sales and in quantities that make the postage worthwhile - also ok but takes nearly a month to arrive nowadays. Also they've just put the postage up!

[Fabric Lover]

It always amazes me that so many are willing to go through all the pain of so much printing and the messing about with sellotape to get the pattern. Personally I can't think of anything worse, I'd rather wait for the pattern to arrive - Sew Essential are a good source of the Big 4 patterns, and I don't think the postage is horrendous. I guess though you may have to wait for the new releases to reach the uk. Each to their own! 

[WildAtlanticWay]

@Fabric Lover

I guess you don’t enjoy a good puzzle. 😂

Yes, it’s a faff but the main advantages for me are;

1. Paper patterns generally cost more to buy over here in Ireland and,

2. Printing paper is much easier to work with and not prone to ripping like the tissue paper patterns. Especially handy when it’s a pattern you want to re-use often.

3. Most companies that sell pdf patterns usually have the option to print via a Copy Shop so you send it electronically and they’ll print it out in much larger sheets and again on decent quality paper. This is probably the easiest and most cost effective option by and large.

[Renegade Sewist]

Some of us actually enjoy putting together the patterns.    For me it's just paper crafts  on a big scale. I have a 15" guillotine paper cutter that accurately trims 10 sheets at a time  so that bit is easy. And fun! I have a heavy desktop tape holder so also easy. Since I do actually do paper crafts I have an assortment of paper only scissors up to shears. Don't you dare use my paper scissors on your fabric!     They would laugh when we had sewing sessions at the LQS. If someone needed to cut paper I was the only person with sharp paper only scissors.

Plus after all the fun of assembly I'm pretty vested in a pattern and much more likely to use it.

I store them flat, on a clip type pant or skirt hanger, on a couple of big nails on the wall in the back of my closet. Multiple patterns per hanger. Works great.

[Acorn]

I'm quite happy to assemble patterns, but for me the big advantage is that I hate - really, really HATE - tissue paper patterns.  Add to that the fact that you can print a pdf out as many times as you like, and I'm very happy.  In fact I would say that digital patterns have transformed my sewing experience.

[Tamnymore]

Yes I quite like putting a paper patterns together. I identify the pattern pieces, cut them and stick them rather than sticking the whole grid together. I'm also fairly parsimonious with the sellotape!
The one problem with McCalls and Butterick digital patterns is that they don't offer A0 sheets so you pretty much have to print them yourself. If they sort that I doubt I'd buy a paper pattern from them again.

With StyleArc I buy pdfs in the sale (there are also a couple of codes which seem to work all the time as well- try GET20 and SEWITYOURWAY20 ) and then I upload the pdf of the A0 file to Patternsy and for £5 the printed pattern arrives within 2 days.

Also, is it me, but does the overall paper and print quality on the big 4 somewhat poorer now? So I'm with you there @Acorn . Once you've used a tissue pattern once you have to iron it flat to get it back in the envelope. I know it's a different business model but the physical product I get from some of the indie companies is so much better. Marilla Walker is my new favourite and the paper pattern,  envelope, instruction booklet and so on are so much better - she's a one woman band of course.

[Gernella]

I'm all for an easy life, so the A4 I bought earlier this year I had  converted to A0.  I have two Buttericks that I bought last year from the US website and paid for before I realised they only did A4.    One I subsequently bought a paper pattern in the sale and the second, didn't bother as I had another pattern similar.  If anyone would like, happy to send if they like puzzles.  For some reason I haven't got the pattern instructions downloaded although both are straight forward.  Although the first the first, they sent me the paper pattern and then another two days later.

 

[Clareew]

@Gernella what is the pattern number of the dress please?

[Gernella]

M7967 - this one is McCalls @Clareew