5 Reasons Every Sewist Should Try PDF Patterns

I've been using PDF sewing patterns for years, and at this point I honestly can't imagine going back. I find them easier to follow than patterns from Simplicity and McCalls. Plus, many patterns have video tutorials to help you every step of the way. If you’re curious, some of my absolute favorite patterns come from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop and Ellie and Mac.

If you haven't made the switch yet, it's time. JoAnn’s is gone and PDF pattern companies are growing. Besides, PDF sewing patterns have so many advantages over traditional printed patterns — here are five of them.

1. Convenience: Download Instantly, Sew Right Away

Gone are the days of driving to the fabric store, flipping through the pattern catalogs, and hoping they actually had the one you wanted in stock.

Now you can sit at your computer and download a pattern in seconds. Once it's downloaded, you print it at home and you're ready to go. If you'd rather not deal with taping together a bunch of letter-sized pages, most patterns can also be printed on large AO paper at a copy shop — totally worth it for bigger projects.

And here's something really cool: some indie pattern makers have started including projector files so you don't even have to print anything. You just project the image directly onto your fabric and cut. How wild is that?!

2. Cost: Many Are Cheap (and Some Are FREE)

PDF sewing patterns are almost always cheaper than the patterns you'd find at a fabric store. Around $6 seems to be the average price, and a lot of indie pattern companies offer free patterns too.

Physical fabric stores still run sales where you can grab patterns for $1–$2 each, and I definitely think you should take advantage of those when they happen. But indie pattern designers do the same thing! Ellie & Mac is famous for their Wacky Wednesday sales. You can snag patterns for almost nothing.

3. Instructions: Better, More Beginner-Friendly, With Videos

If you're learning to sew, PDF patterns are going to be your best friend. The instructions are so much clearer and more detailed than traditional commercial patterns. Many of them include video tutorials that walk you through the entire construction process step by step.

Even when there's no video, the written instructions for most PDF patterns are accompanied by detailed photos at every stage. I'm a big fan of Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop specifically because their instructions are written in a way that someone who has truly never sewn before can follow. Their video tutorials are great too.

4. Organization: Digital Is So Much Easier

Whenever I tell my mom about a new project I want to try, she says, "I bet I have a pattern for that." She probably does — but it takes forever to sort through all the paper patterns stuffed in boxes around her sewing room!

PDF patterns are so much easier to keep organized because they live on your computer. You print what you need, when you need it. And if you lose a pattern piece? Just print another one. No more frantic searching or retracing pieces from scratch.

Also read: How to Store PDF Sewing Patterns

5. Customization: Print Just Your Size and Make Changes Freely

This might be my favorite advantage. With PDF patterns, you can print just the size you need — no tracing, no worrying about cutting into the original, and no confusing tangle of size lines all printed on top of each other.

Most PDF patterns have separate layers, which means you select your size before printing and only those lines show up. It saves ink, saves time, and makes cutting out your pieces so much less stressful. And since the file is saved on your computer, you can always print a fresh copy if you need to make pattern adjustments.

Here are some of my favorite indie pattern companies that use layered files:

• Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop

• Ellie and Mac

• Sew A Little Seam

• Pin It

  Patterns for Pirates

Also read: Browse This Massive List of Indie Pattern Companies

Do you have a favorite PDF pattern company? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!