Sewing Patterns
cataloging app Review
I lost the app I was using to comprehensively catalog my patterns a couple of months ago when an iOS update I did on my iPad was no longer supported by the app. This was because the developers had not bothered to update the app in years. No warning, just gone. I discovered this while shopping for fabric and trying to work out how much I needed for the pattern I planned to use.
So I took this as an opportunity to cull and resort my patterns which I have been collecting for over 20 years.
This alone took a longtime but was a very enjoyable experience to reacquaint myself with the patterns and sort them into defined sections in my pattern cabinet. Then I had to make a complete list ready to upload into a new app.
Now I had to “audition” potential app’s for suitability.
I did some research and consulted other social media forums for options. The previous app I used was called My Sewing Kit, it allowed me to catalog several different groups of sewing items including patterns, notions, measurements of people, projects and fabrics. Unfortunately it wasn’t updated after 2013. I had been using it for about 5 years and had no back up.
I had high expectations and specific needs for the new app to fill. I tried the "lite" versions of a couple but they were too restrictive or not visually pleasing to me and I’m a very visual person. I looked at the apps already included with apple devices and things like Evernote but they just didn’t meet my needs and expectations.
To begin with I started using Airtable, it worked well and allowed me to add sections to the tables with headings I wanted, what I didn’t realise was that every photo you add is uploaded to the server and chews through your data. The app has to then be online to access the info and retrieve it which costs more time and data. I soon became impatient waiting for things to load so I could see them, I needed immediate access to my catalog. I have poor internet and can't waist it like this so I stopped using the app and recommenced my search.
I then trialed an app called Sewing Patterns by downloading the lite version first. I was happy with the layout and ease of copying photos so I invested in the full version which cost $8 AUD.
I have just finished imputing all my patterns, it took me a week which I had off work recovering from minor surgery and was limited to bed rest. It took me 36.5 hours of work to complete.
I used screenshots from Pinterest for my category header images.
When I had a vintage pattern I took pictures of my pattern envelopes front and back and used these.
The best part of this app is I can input a pattern once and add it to as many categories as I want. The My Sewing Kit wouldn’t let me do this, if I had a pattern that had both pants and a jacket for example I had to input the pattern into each category individually, doubling up and wasting time.
Fabrics
Since cataloguing all my patterns I have also added a seperate section for fabric.
Even though this app is specifically designed for patterns adding a subcategory with fabrics was easy.
The Fabric catagories
The fabric category Foil has two subcategories to further define my fabric selection process
The foil Knit category list the fabric I have of this type.
this is what the page shows on the individual fabric
Storage of fabric catalogue
Pro’s and features of the Sewing Patterns app
- Has family sharing on up to 6 devices, so I can access my catalog on my phone, laptop and iPad.
- iCloud enabled so updates or additions I make on one device automatically appear on all the others linked in. You will need to select the iCloud option in the settings menu and also enable it on your device.
- In settings on the main screen of the app you can choose metric or imperial options, low/medium/high resolution photo quality.
- The app comes pre loaded with a list of categories you would probably use, this is great if you are starting your collection or are not a tech savvy person and need assistance with layout and options.
- The pre-loaded categories can be deleted, re-arranged and added too. You can tailor the categories Home Screen to list the categories in what ever order you want - alphabetical, newest or user defined.
- You can search categories by typing the name in the search box, great if you have a lot.
- It lists the quantity of patterns entered within each category.
- You can create a category like Dresses, then add a sub category like wrap dresses and then add a sub category to wrap dresses category like stretch wrap dress. A stretch wrap dress pattern could then be visible in the 3 seperate categories of dress, wrap dress and the stretch wrap dress if you wish.
- Each category can have its own picture or use the icon of the app. I used screenshots I took off Pinterest with images of a garment on a white background. I carefully chose each image so it would both stand out but not be to busy when viewed as part of the Home Screen showing the categories. At first I used pictures of people wearing the garment with a colourful backdrop but when they were all view together on the Home Screen I found it hard to pick out the garment in all the colour and pattern.
- Patterns - you can create a pattern by filling in the preset sections given. You cannot rename, delete, reorder or move the positions of these sections unfortunately. In Airtable I could create a list of my own sections in the order I wanted.
- Patterns include sections for
- - Attachment: upload photos or PDF, these appear left to right across the screen and scroll sideways. Choose to take a photo by giving the app access to you devices camera or choose from your photo library.
- Model : type in data
- Source : type in data
- Skill Level: with up to 5 stars that turn black when tapped.
- Notions: type in data
- Rating: with up to 5 stars that turn black when tapped.
- Notes: type in data
- Categories: a scrollable list of your categories which you tap to tick, the selected categories then appear listed alphabetically next to Categories.
- Fabrics. This is a subheading
- Fabrics sub heading. The fabrics subheading drops down a new set of sections you can fill in. These include
- - Attachments - upload photos as detailed above, these will appear one underneath the previous and you scroll down to view.
- Type: type in data
- Elasticity % : scroll through to select.
- Width: scroll through to select in cm.
- Yardage: scroll through to select in metres and cm.
- Alternative width: scroll through to select in cm.
- Alternative Yardage: scroll through to select in metres and cm.
- Weight: scroll through to select in g/m weight.
- Notes: type in data.
- Only the sections of the pattern you filled in will appear when you view that pattern. You can add or delete information any time.
- Photos. You can upload multiple photos for each pattern, however you need to pinch the photo to resize it to the available square display size then tap USE otherwise the thumbnail may be distorted or cropped funny. When uploaded and saved the photo is fine when viewed full size.
- Search - you can search individual patterns by number or name or symbols you may have included. I added a # to the vintage patterns I have to help me distinguish them from modern patterns with the same number.
- Filter- like on a website when searching for specific criteria you can access a search option where you can input info into the filter and the app will display the patterns that match.
- This app has been regularly updated to fix minor bugs, it was created in 2017.
What would I change/add to the Sewing Patterns app?
- Option to list sub-categories user defined order.
- Change it so Fabrics photos are listed from left to right and not down. It would be easier to view them all at once.
- Photos can distort if they don’t fit the square view shape this make them wider sometime and it isn’t flattering.
- iCloud updates sometimes don’t work and I have to go through and move the photos around then save to get them updated across devices.
- And that’s it!
My absolute fav feature is the ability to search a pattern easily, because I don’t want to double up and buy it twice anymore!
I highly recommend this app if you need to catalogue your patterns whether you have 50 or 500!