Every once in a while, I get fed up with the clutter and conduct a purge in the sewing room. Most often I purge patterns; sometimes I purge books. Purging patterns isn't a big problem. I use lots of Burda Style Magazine Patterns and if I absolutely have to, I can always retrace patterns hastily purged. Purging books is another matter. Mistakes are not so easy to fix. I got rid of several books a few years ago and I lived to regret it. Gwen warned me, but I didn't listen.
Wouldn't you know, I needed one of the books I so foolishly tossed aside in 2009. Gwen is entitled to a big, fat "I told you so!"
My current project (BSM 06/2008 #128) needed a little enlarging in the bust area. The dress has princess seams. I forgot how to pivot and slide princess seams and I got rid of the book that would have helped me. It wasn't all my fault. Nancy Zieman should take some responsibility for my problem. Her
Fitting Finesse (1994) had information on using pivot and slide on princess seams. The updated version,
Pattern Fitting with Confidence (2008) omitted that information. I believed having both books was just a waste of space, so I got rid of the older Fitting Finesse. When I needed to refresh my memory, I discovered I didn't have the book I needed! Who leaves important information
out of an updated version of their book?!? Thanks a lot, Nancy!
Did I buy a replacement? I plead
nolo contendere. An observant reader will notice the photo above was taken in my own sewing room. Please, don't let me purge again. Friends don't let friends purge sewing books.
I too am a purger. So in 1996 I got rid of a Vogue sundress pattern from the early 80s. What a huge mistake. I spent close to 15 years trying to replace or replicate it. Found it on eBay. Wrong size. Someone was bidding against me. Nerve. Turned out to be my daughter who gave it to me for my birthday!
ReplyDeleteI have purged sewing books. What I do before is to photocopy what I want, as it often happens that I am keeping an entire volume when I just want 2 pages of information. Your library probably has that book. Maybe you could make a photocopy. Takes up less room if that is why you had to purge.
ReplyDeleteAnnie Too funny!
ReplyDeleteI confess to doing the same as seistafashionista. I just don't have room for all the books I want to own. Worse yet, when I need to look up somthing it can take weeks to find it. Much easier to photo the few pages I need and store in a subdirectory. So sad that these books are all going to the recycle center. But that the way of excess
would this help?
ReplyDeletehttp://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2008/05/full-bust-alterations-or-adjustments-fba/
Being the lifelong book hoarder that I am, it is hard for me to get rid of them. But you'd better bet the same thing has happened with other things.
ReplyDeleteAt least there's the internet. I see that someone left a comment with a great tutorial on how to do this. Personally, I wouldn't let this discourage purging, which has it's own benefits. Good luck.
ReplyDelete