Sewing Pattern Storage Ideas

Need some ideas for sewing pattern storage?
If you’re in Fall Cleaning mode at your house,
you’ll need to organize your sewing room, too.

I’ve always been a pattern hoarder.

I have every pattern I’ve ever purchased for myself, my husband and my children.

And the patterns I’ve acquired during the years of sewing for others. I used to keep a copy of every customer’s pattern, so I could sew for any of them without having another fitting session. Sometimes I even surprised someone with a birthday gift of a free sewn dress.

So I have oodles of patterns by now.

I need many different pattern storage ideas to keep track of them all.

Frequent customers’ patterns I usually kept in their personal bin with all the fabric and notions they gave me. These bins fit into a hutch above my sewing machine desk.

Old patterns are stashed into decorative tin boxes that act as decor on top of my cabinets. These come down only when someone wants to modernize a vintage pattern. Which happens quite frequently these days. After forty years, the old patterns are coming around again.

I’ve collected a few ways to store patterns by now, and we’ll share our ideas, plus a few more we’ve found around the ‘net.

Pattern Boxes

Most sewists probably have a stash of patterns from the Big 4 pattern companies: McCalls, Simplicity, Vogue and Burda.

The envelope sizes for these patterns vary a little, but for the most part fit into the pattern boxes available at fabric stores.

These boxes can be found in various designs, and usually come un-assembled. That means you have to fold them from a flat packet to a box shape, getting the flaps in the right places, etc. Directions are included in the package.

If you can’t find a box design you like, cover the box with fabric, gift wrap or contact paper to match your sewing room decor.

This is a sample of this type of pattern storage:

3 Ring Binders with Page Protectors for Sewing Pattern Storage

A standard size three ring binder with page protectors creates great pattern storage.

You may want to consider using zippered page protectors or secure-top page protectors. The secure top page protectors have a flap on top to keep the contents from slipping out, and are a more economical choice than the zippered pouches.

To keep the page protectors from sagging if the binders are stored upright, consider placing a sheet of cardstock in each protector to add stability. You could glue a copy of the front of the pattern envelope to the cardstock for quick identification of the included pattern. Or print a copy directly onto the card if your printer can handle thick pages.

Three ring binders come in many colors and designs, so you can probably find something that will look good on your sewing room shelves.

Manila Clasp Envelopes and Magazine Organizers

I love the simplicity and cohesiveness of this pattern storage system. Click on the source below the photo to find the website where I found this idea.

She has attached a picture of the pattern on each manila envelope, including a name and description of the pattern.

So many of my patterns are self made variations of my basic pattern, so this storage idea is perfect.

I would want to store the magazine holders on an open shelf, so I’d pick a style to match my sewing room. Then I’d turn them with the tall side to the room, so the envelopes were more hidden.

Zipper Storage Bags with Strings for Hanging

If you have a closet in your sewing room this pattern storage idea could be your answer.

I love the way she has a picture and pattern description in each bag.

I don’t love the helter-skelter way the bags hang. It would drive me crazy fumbling my way through all the bags to find the pattern I wanted.

So this one is a no for me, but some of you might find it the perfect answer.

Homemade Zipper-Bag Binder

I’ve been using this method of pattern storage for years, and I love it.

Well, most of it.

The fabric binders are pretty, economical and super handy, but you can’t stand them up on a shelf to create decor in your sewing room.

So they go into niches I happen to have in my writing-cum-sewing desk, or into drawers. All three of mine are different designs, so it’s okay that I can’t display them all out in the open.

But let me say again, this is the winner among all these storage systems. In fact, I love it so much that I’ll do a tutorial to show you how to make your own. Look for it in a couple of weeks.

Two of my handmade pattern storage binders with sewn-in zipper bags.

The Grand Finale of Sewing Pattern Storage Ideas

As I researched sewing pattern storage ideas, this showed up on my screen!

Who wouldn’t want one of these in their sewing room?

We don’t have enough patterns to fill all the drawers, but oh, the craft paraphernalia it could hide with style! You could create faux vintage pattern envelopes to show in the glass, then anything you wish could be stored behind it.

Sewing Pattern Storage Ideas | Organize Your Sewing Room