Vintage Patterns: Preserving Your Vintage Patterns

Vintage patterns can be great fun, but they're also incredibly fragile and usually difficult to replace if damaged. You may not want to use the original pattern for fear of destroying it. Instead, trace a copy of the pattern before using it. You can do this on tracing paper, but if you're hoping for a durable copy of the pattern, use interfacing or speciality gridded tracing paper. These are a little more expensive, however, so you might want to stick with tracing paper, butcher's paper, clean paper bags, or even easel paper. All of these will work.

When tracing your vintage pattern, copy all marks and symbols exactly as you see them. You can make adjustments after you've copied the original pattern as it appears. You can also write specific notes about adjustments or ease on the copied pattern itself without risking damage to your original vintage pattern.

Once you've copied your vintage pattern, store the original in a cool, dry place that is far away from any direct light. While it's tempting to put your patterns in plastic bins, don't. Plastic bins trap moisture and can degrade the paper the pattern is printed on. If you're looking for storage options, look at bags and boxes designed to store books and other paper items for long periods of time. These are created to allow airflow and will help keep your vintage patterns in top condition.