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Burda PDFs Get My Vote

There has been a lot of dialog going on for a long time in the blogging world regarding PDF patterns vs. paper patterns.  The most memorable one (I think) being on A Fashionable Stitch a few years ago.  Sunni really nailed it!  That post obviously hit a chord
with sewers as she got 139 comments--equally entertaining.  Some fer, some agin PDFs.  So, I'm not going to go on a rant as its all been said before.

 That said, when in Mongolia, I do PDFs.  I prefer paper patterns, but I can only cram so many into my luggage when boots, toiletries, vitamins, blah, blah, blah need to be packed--stuff I can't get here.  Then creativity hits and the perfect pattern is on the other side of the world.

 I did haul over a year's worth of Burda Magazines last year and even though I whined through the tracing process, I have to say, everything I've made from them have FIT with little more than some of my basic adjustments.  

 So I've recently downloaded 4 new patterns.  One McCalls, one Butterick, and two Burda.  Simplicity I just gave up on as the site just fought me and they never bothered to respond to an email to customer service.  

 Both the McCalls and Butterick require downloading a special Adobe-esque program in order to print.  Oh, plus a special password is emailed to you in order to access the patterns you just paid twice as much as the sale price of the paper ones.  Security don't you know.  Plus, they won't allow printing the paper layout schematic (what else can I call it?).  Really, people???  Plus, I swear I read on one or both of them that I could only print them 3 times within one year.  ????  !!!!

 Now, the Burda ones were instantly mine.  Boom.  Opened right up in Adobe, ready to print and to save.  The no seam allowance thing just is not that big of an issue with me as I usually add on to side seams as insurance anyway.  

 And the Burdas seem soooo much simpler in every way.  As much as I don't enjoy the process, I have to admit it's getting faster with every one.  The right equipment, as in anything, helps lots.  

A rubber finger, from my old office days, is crazy helpful

I hang the cut-out patterns on skirt hooks.  These are what's available in UB.  Hey, you just can't have enough cute around the house, you know?

So, that's my PDF story and I'm stickin' to it. 


 

Comments

Coco said…
LOL, that print sew site makes my bonky as well. I use it, but grit my teeth every time. Love downloading from Burda. I kind of like to do PDFs, it's relaxing to sit on the floor with the TV on a movie or the news and play 'paper dolls'. I spy a great ruler on your work table, with all the seam line spacing...where did you get it?!
August 11, 2014 at 8:46 PM
Scenic Route said…
Hi Coco--I think I got the ruler at JoAnne's. I got an extra for here in Mongolia because it's just so handy-has slots for 1", 1/2", 5/8" etc. (and metric equivalents) so super helpful in adding seam allowance, etc.,
August 12, 2014 at 10:49 AM
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