I need a new iron. My Rowenta is on its last legs: It leaks, it overheats, it's a mess. I need an iron that can handle my sewing needs but doesn't require a lot of room or had added contraptions. (My present sewing area is small.) Anyone out there happy with their irons?
Edited to add: Anyone know anything about Oliso irons?
I want to find a way to catalog my burgeoning pattern collection. Presently my patterns are stored in several boxes in my garage, making it a pain to look through them, and I want a way to access my collection online. I was thinking I'd take a photo of each and upload them to my computer and to Picasa, but maybe there's a better way out there? Thoughts?
Edited to add: Many of my patterns are OOP or vintage with images no longer available, and it's those that I want to catalog. Just to clarify.
Thanks for your suggestions, and happy sewing this weekend!
50 comments:
Do a save as of the pattern pics from the pattern websites instead of taking new pics. Then upload to picasa with useful tag words for easy searching. As long as your pattern catalog is private use it shouldnt be an issue.
Good Luck
I am using Pinterest right now to track my patterns, you just have to link from the pattern comapny and you can choose to link the front of the envelope, the back etc...
you could probably create a set for each category e.g. dresses, skirts etc...
Oh I think patterreview also has a functionality for pattern stash
Peacockchic, that's helpful going forward, but many of my patterns are OOP or vintage with images no longer available, and it's those that I want to catalog.
I bought the Rowenta from Target, it was about $90 and I'm happy with it. There is an App for Ipad or Iphone called pattern pal.
The best iron I have ever had was a Sussman Gravity Feed iron. It has to hang on something and for that reason its a pain, but when my Rowenta finally gives up the ghost, I will get another gravity feed iron because I really miss an iron that will shoot steam out all day with not complaints (or spitting). I saw that zipperstop.com sells them very reasonably.
Hi Lindsay, I'm sorry I don't have an app for you but I did find on Craigslist a used 3 drawer lateral filing cabinet for very cheap. I now use it for all of my patterns. Also you could check your local furniture rental stores for used business eqp. Since the census has completed, all of the furniture they used is in many of the the rental shops.
I also have a gravity feed and I positively love it, not only for the steam but for the weight. All the real "ironistas" will tell you that it's the weight that ultimately makes the difference. But, several years one of the sewing/quilting magazines did an overview and I think a very inexpensive Black and Decker was the top pick
No need to take a photo of your patterns. You can find most of them online and just right click the image and "save as" to a "pattern" file you create on your computer. Even most out-of-print patterns can be found on Etsy or Ecrater. Just do a google search.
When available, I also save a copy of the back of the pattern envelope as well.
I store the physical patterns in boxes numerically. I don't pay attention to the manufacturer-er (Vogue, Burda, etc) I just file them all in numeric order.
I need an iron too. Thanks for the post...I will be following it. I just ruined my vintage trench coat. Quickly steamed a dart which made permanent water stains! I have a manual process (binders with envelopes and store my patterns in ziplocs which reside in the basement). Such an overwhelming orgainization process! Would love to do it online. I wonder, isn't there a wiki vintage pattern site that has many photos? Just came to mind as i am typing.
I am hooked on a pressurized steam type of iron. Unlike a gravity feed, they are able to provide steam even at low temps.
Mine is a Rowenta (similar to the DG5030), which I have used it a lot for 4 years and it is still going strong. I know some people have problems with Rowenta, so I am reluctant to recommend it. (maybe I just got lucky?)
The Reliables are well regarded, but they are pricey ($300 and up, depending on the model)
On the other end of the spectrum, I've heard some say a dry iron and a water bottle is the only way to go.
I recently received the Reliable V100 Digital Velocity Dry Vapor Steam Generator Iron and like it so far! Overstock.com had the best deal at $119.99 ($2.95 shipping).
I did a little online research and this one seemed to get the best reviews for non-gravity feed irons. One nice feature is you can override the auto-turn off feature, which I find is very helpful when sewing!
I just bought a new iron, a Rowenta DZ9080, as I like Rowenta. must be a made in Germany model. I am hard on irons (known to knock it off the ironing board)
so I replace every 2 years or so. But this one has a very nice soleplate, says microsteam 400 platinum on it soleplate and so far I am really happy with it. goes through water fast but refilling is no problem, gives good amount of steam.
I've been using DeLonghi Stiromeglio Compact PRO 300 Ironing System with Pressurized Boiler for about 4 months now. I absolutely love it. I used several Rowenta previously and they just failed after about 6 to 8 months of constant using. The DeLonghi generates so much steam. It's actually fun and fast to press my seams and finish projects now. It is not too big but it does takes up some space on my ironing board. It's worth it though. You can buy it from Amazon.com.
I use Bento, which is a database program for Macs. Cheap, easy, searchable- everything that I need. I did a blog post on it- http://couturesmith.com/2010/11/03/bento-how-do-i-love-thee-let-me-count-the-ways/ if you want a closer look. Of course you may have to purchase a new computer...
I have a Consew ES 300. You do need a dedicated sewing space to hang the water bottle (from a cute wrought iron hanger) but once you go industrial- I will never look at Rowenta again. The professional look of the garment seals the deal.
I too, am looking for ways to archive my patterns but I want to be able to do BOTH, electronically and physically. I am thinking the cute white IKEA KASSETT boxes . But I need to get there and take patterns with me to see if they fit.... As for electronic means.... I need some advice too.....
When you decide on an iron, I'd love it if you could post about it and why you chose it. I'm having similar issues with mine.
I'm reading the responses carefully because I have 1000s of patterns that need to be catalogued and is a project that will take months to complete and personally I would rather sew than catalogue!
As for the iron challenges, I have a regular Rowenta and a steam generator by Rowenta. When my iron goes I just replace it. I'm of the mind that I use it so much that there is no way it will survive forever...plus like you I have no place to hang a gravity feed iron.
Lindsay,
I have thousands of patterns, too, and have catalogued most of them. I use a free program called FileAmigo - much easier to use than MS Access, and it can include thumbnail pics. I scan the envelope, save it in a folder by manufacturer's name and the pattern number, then make an entry in my database. It sound time-intensive, and it is if you do it all at once, but I began slowly and just did them a few at a time, then I could keep up as I added them. Most of mine are vintage, and I have been selling them on Etsy - the catalogue makes it easy to list, because I can just pull the information that I already have.
The buzz I have heard on Olisio is good, but I don't know anyone that has one in use yet.
I suspend the "water works" of my gravity feed iron on an IV pole.
I went through 3, count it 3, Rowentas before I got a gravity feed. But, I have lots of space. If you don't mind looking at an iv pole, it's a good way to go. I hated how frequently I had to refill my Rowenta.
I quilt and sew and I have been using the Digital Velocity iron (V100 - the blue one) for about 8 months. It produces great steam, doesn't spit, is much heavier than a typical department store iron and can be purchased for about $140.00 on sale online. Look around and you can probably find a local distributor if you're more comfortable buying locally. I recommend it.
i need a new iron, too. The store where i bought my sewing machine sells only Oliso Irons. They are expensive, but if they are as good as my sewing machine lady says, they are worth it. I don't have one yet, but I would love to know if they are really that good.
I use an app called "Pattern Pal" on my iPhone...take pics of patterns with phone, add info; sort by type, number, fabric or what works for you. I have all my patterns and fabric requirements, yardage etc. wherever I go...hope this helps :)
I happen to like my current Rowenta - it's a rare non-auto-shut-off model. I've come to the conclusion that unless and until I am willing/able to devote the ceiling height and space to a gravity feed iron, then I am just going to replace the thing every 3 years.
I can't help on the pattern cataloguing. I don't have a big collection of them.
I too have been using Pattern Pal. Seems to work fine for me. Also have a Delonghi steam iron that I like very much.
I'm intrigued also by the Olisio iron. I have seen it used on Fons and Porter and keep thinking that "lift" things it does is kind of freaky. I guess you get used to it. My Rowenta has stopped steaming no matter what and I am one of those now using a dry iron and a spray bottle. I am not crazy about it. Personally I am leaning toward a Reliable but want to also know more about the Olisio.
As far as pattern cataloguing, at one time I did do the binder with the scanned envelopes. I thought this would go with me on every shopping trip for fabric. It was a PITA and I didn't always buy fabric because it was for a specific pattern. Eventually I found it cumbersome and gave up. If there were a simple way to set up a file on the computer, as there appears to be, then I might try it. I still think its cumbersome however, and for me anyway. Right now I have all my patterns organized and separated by type or by Designer in pattern boxes from JAs. That is simple and has worked the best so far.
Don't know what happened to my post! I absolutely love my Reliable iron. Great steam, no spitting, and you can override the automatic shut off. I've had every kind of Rowenta known to man and some other irons, but this is my favorite so far.
My darling daughter organized my patterns for me and I blogged about her process here:
http://sewmuchknitting.blogspot.com/2011/01/butterick-5244-for-kristen.html
In the binders they are organized by pattern company and in numerical order, but I plan to change that to organizing by type of garment ie:dresses, pants, tops, etc
I also have a gravity feed iron on my wish list!
I spent under $30 on a Black and Decker Classic iron. It heats fast and is nice and heavy but the steam is inconsistent.
I scanned all my patterns (fronts and backs) into Picasa after putting it off for a long time. I love it! It's so much fun to open the file and see my whole collection. And if I only want skirts, I sort them by that tag. (I've also attempted to do the same with my fabrics but am having a hard time keeping up with that one.) The actual patterns are all stored by number - there are very few duplicate numbers between companies so it's really easy to find the one I'm looking for.
If you have a Mac and iPhone or iPad, Bento is pretty useful. I've done a blog post about pattern stash organization in the last month too. The best part of it for me, is that once you have Bento, you can sync it on your Mac or iPhone/iPad when you get on your computer. So it is up to date across all platforms.
It also allows you to have separate templates for fabric stash; I have a fabric stash and a separate pattern stash. When I buy something I take a photo with my phone and add it to bento on my phone; next time I log on to my Mac and sync, it goes on the laptop too. You can take pics of the front and back, so your vintage/OOP patterns should not be an issue.
If you are interested, here is the link to my blog- www.thirtydaily.blogspot.com/
Hope that helps, good luck!
I had Rowenta irons and was not pleased with them. They leaked and spattered ~ very frustrating. I now have a Reliable i300 and it is a gem.
http://www.reliablecorporation.com/Products/Professional-Irons/i300
Absolutely delightful to use and it "never" ever spits or leaks ~ never!
I am soon buying the Reliable Velocity 100V for my everyday ironing :)
http://www.reliablecorporation.com/Products/Home-Irons/Digital-Velocity-V100
Can't help with irons, I swear by my Naemoto gravity feed, but it is not compact.
I am interested in your pattern solution as well. I have two four-drawer filing cabinets full. It took me about four snowed in days to put each pattern in a labeled hanging file folder, they are in order by company and number. I have downloaded the images of current ones from the pattern companies, tagged with searchable clues, and have the list of those that are not current to scan on some rainy/icky day when I need a project. From there, I need a way to catalog and search, but I want to store on a hard backup as well as be able to access from wherever, my plan is store on my computer with backup on a thumbdrive I can access with my netbook, and also sync with my phone. I don't do i-, but thanks to the above posts, I'm going to look at FileAmigo. K
I have used the Oliso iron,, about 5 yrs ago,, I absolutely love it,, its the legs the had me,,
I was using it at a Marth Pullen Viking School,, ironing a material for a pillow case,, I had never even heard of this iron before,, I was so taken with "legs" i forgot to notice any of the other features,, I just know it irons great,, wonderful steam,,
As far as the legs go,, you DO NOT stand the iron up,, the lady hosting the School came by and actually laid the iron down for the legs to engage,, when using it the legs dis-engage,,
The kind my Joann's store carries is about $120.00..
If you have a scanner connected to you're computer,, I would just scan them in ,and make a folder for them,, this is what I am doing with my recipes..
Here's another vote for the Reliable Digital Velocity v100. I LOVE this iron. I have used it for months now and it's true: nice and heavy, no spitting, EVER, loads of steam at the lowest temp. I love it much more than my Rowenta, which spit, and even more than my Bernette ProGlide, which I liked, but this is better. Good tip on Overstock.com!
Pattern Pal sounds great but I love Android and will not be switching to iPhone or iPad any time soon. (I have written to the makers of Pattern Pal to ask if they will be offering it for Android - we'll see what they say.)
Bento looks promising and I do keep a Mac in my workroom but I don't want to be limited to the Mac.
I like the idea that peacockchic and Dana mentioned about doing it in Picasa because then I can access it from any computer and any smart phone at any time but I would prefer an application that was designed for inventorying patterns.
I'll have to do some more research but if I don't find exactly what I'm looking for then I'll probably go with Picasa.
I would love a new iron but as long as the current one works, I'll spend the money on patterns and cloth. I won't be buying one with a teflon surface next time though - it's peeling off in threads!
As for patterns, I wish I had an iPhone or some such luxury, but I needed to be able to access them when I was away from home. My patterns are all recent purchases, so I just saved the photo-order receipt to a draft email on my email account. I can usually use the internet in a local library if I absolutely need to check something whilst shopping.
About 1-1/2 years ago, my husband purchased for me a Reliable i300 steam generator iron and the vacuum board. It is wonderful! We purchased the iron and board as a package from Allbrands (NA) and could not be happier. My old iron was still working, but I donated it after about two weeks of using the Reliable i300. It is the best iron I have ever owned.
I use Evernote to catalogue my patterns. It's fantastic and you can use it for all cataloguing all kinds of things. I also keep a record of my yarn stash.
I'm loving my Rowenta DG8030 steamer generator. It's bigger, but it knocked out a linen tablecloth in record time yesterday. Oliso has a great PR person, because I've seen them everywhere. I think Threads or Vogue did a ranking not to long ago and one of their models made the cut. See if Consumer Reposts has tested irons recently. For patterns, I use Pattern Review, even for the OOP ones. I upload or link to my own pictures.
I've had a similar problem with keeping track of my patterns - It's also difficult when you're out fabric shopping and have no idea how much fabric to buy!
I've been toying with the idea of creating a website to track patterns for a while now. I love pattern review, but there are so many features I want, that are missing.
The lucky thing is, I'm a programmer by trade so I'm thinking of taking all these ideas (and some of the comments from this post and other blogs) and doing something about it!
I have a scanner so I scanned the front and back of every pattern envelope I have. I uploaded the images to my computer and Flickr under folders for each pattern company (all the Simplicity in one folder, etc.). I also have an Excel spreadsheet with columns for pattern company, pattern number, size, description of pattern, and category (tops, pants, etc.). I find the Excel spreadsheet keeps me from buying multiples and it's easy to sort to see if I have something in particular. The scanned pattern envelope images make it easy for me to see at home (and work--shhhh!) what the fabric requirements are for something I already own, perhaps I wish to shop on my way home from work, etc. My patterns are now stored in carts with drawers but they are crammed into the back of my closet. Scanned images are easier to get to. It was a huge undertaking but I simply spent an hour each Saturday and Sunday morning scanning and logging patterns (my husband sleeps in later than I so 6-8 am is very productive time for me). One more tip, if you choose to make an Excel spreadsheet, include ALL details in your description. Sometimes I want to search for a particular designer or design element, it is much easier if you include all the information from the beginning.
What I have done is on my computer I saved pattern pictures under the pictures file and made a specific folder dedicated to sewing patterns. For the older patterns that are no longer available at the specific website, I have taken a digital photograph of the pattern and uploaded it into the folder.
Here's a second vote for Evernote. Evernote provides apps that work on most smartphone varieties. There is also a Mac and PC client app as well as a Web-based app to access your database. The database synchronizes among ALL of your Evernote installations. That means that what I view and save on my Mac is also available in my Web client, PC, and iPhone. I photo my OOP patterns and save them directly into Evernote. I can categorize into notebooks and tag entries for filtering. The pictures are excellent quality and I can read all yardage information. I can research patterns on my 17" Mac and also look up pattern information at the fabric store using my iPhone. For new patterns I save the PAttern company Web page into Evernote. Because I have the actual Web page content in my database, I don't have to worry about losing the Web page when the company reworks their Web site. (Remember the Vogue pattern site redesign last year?) I also save fabric information. Every purchase from EOS is saved into Evernote. I take pictures of fabric from local stores and save them into Evernote along with a picture from the bolt of care information. When I'm tempted to buy more fabric, I go to my sewing notebook and filter on the fabric tag. I can view my entire stash and resist temptation. ;-) I also save tutorials from Web sites and blogs. They might disappear from the Web in a few years, but they will always be in my personal Evernote database. Evernote is one of the best things that has happened to me in a long time!!!
I have no idea about patterns , I just have baskets /boxes, whatever and put lables such as "me" Pete etc on them . Works well and when I have to hunt for a pattern I get the chance to reaquaint myself with the collection.
Iron wise I have bought a TEFAL iron with its own tank . Its fantastic and especially good for tailoring and moulding wool . I have blogged a bit about it and you can see a pic of it. It doesnt take up much room and is easily carried around as the iron can be clasped onto the tank and act as a handle .
I use Evernote for other things. Evernote and Picasa both sound like decent ideas but I really want something designed for inventorying patterns.
I think I'm going to try Pattern File. There's a 10 day free trial!
I store all my patterns in 2 commercial pattern drawers I bought at a store closing. I painted them to match my sewing room. Prior to lucking out and buying these, I used metal file cabinets, which I has purchased cheaply at a used office furniture store. One set of drawers holds my vintage patterns, which I categorize by either Designer or date issued and pattern #. The other set of drawers holds modern patterns sorted by pattern #. Since I mostly have Vogue patterns, this works well, once you get the hang of their numbering system. One drawer holds my Vintage McCall collection sorted by date. I keep a file card with a list of my newer patterns, so I don't repeat when I go shopping.
I buy yardage by lengths -3 yds for a suit,2 yds for a top, etc..- according to probable intended use, so rarely do I care to specifically buy fabric for a particular pattern. I store my not insignificant fabric stash by type -wool knits,mohair, cotton prints,wool boucle etc.- on those metal industrial kitchen type shelves in Sterilite containers.
I keep a notebook with scanned images and/or cut samples of the fabric together with info re fiber content, wash instructions and width/yardage of my fabric purchases, but I prefer to rifle through my well-organized pattern drawers for fun and inspiration, fabric notebook in hand!
OK, downloaded the free trial of Pattern File. It's hard to evaluate during the free trial because you need to pay for the Pro service to get the awesome auto-fill feature BUT it seems very functional and it can be accessed from any computer (once you install Adobe Air). They are planning to release mobile versions this summer too. I think I will go ahead and sign up for Pro. (That is, when I have the money and the time to start the data entry!)
I'm an android girl too.... maybe I'll send an email to the pattern pal peoples too! Right now I just have them stored in folders in my phone. The physical ones are in binders by type. The tissue pattern is stored the same way Gigi does hers.
Post a Comment