Pattern Swap, Discuss Pattern Organization & Giveaway!

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It's time for another pattern swap! Clear your inventory for something new (or new to you) - and find new patterns to explore.

If you bring at least three patterns, you can participate in all three rounds of the swap. If you bring fewer than three, then you can participate in the number of rounds equal to what you brought. For example if you brought two patterns, you can participate in the first two rounds of the swap. If you didn't bring anything, you can just want until the first three rounds are done, and then we have one final round where anyone can can take whatever they want. Leftover patterns will be donated to the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse (http://creativereuse.org/) (OR you can take back what you brought).

Please sort your patterns into the following categories: accessories, dresses, skirts, pants, jackets/suits, coats, lingerie, sleepwear, menswear, children's, crafts, vintage, miscellaneous. When you arrive, just put your patterns on the tables, which are labeled with the various categories.

For each pattern you bring, you'll get one entry for the giveaways. So the more you bring, the more chances you'll get to win a giveaway. :)

The giveaways are:

The latest pattern (http://100actsofsewing.com/shop/265583083) release by Sonja Philip of 100 Acts of Sewing (http://100actsofsewing.com/) - pants! She describes them as "an elastic-waist pair of cropped pants with a relaxed fit." For a photo of the finished pair, check out this page (http://100actsofsewing.com/shop/265583083) on her website. She just released the pattern this year. Thank you Sonja for donating the pattern!

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We're also giving away a copy of the book Subversive Seamster (http://www.tauntonstore.com/subversive-seamster-melissa-rannels-070940.html), which is about taking existing clothes and reinventing them. A Bay Area Sewists member donated a copy of this book at the last meetup (sorry, I forgot your name!) for this meetup. The book was released in 2007 but this is a new copy of the book.

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And last but not least, we'll be giving away a thread catcher! Thanks to Bay Area Sewists member Lynn Hickman for giving us another of these handy things to give away at this meetup!

(NOTE: If you have won a drawing over the past year, please do not enter. Thank you!)

After the drawing and group photo, we'll have a discussion of pattern organization. Here are some things we'll be discussing:

• How do you keep track of your patterns? Do you use spreadsheets? Apps? Index cards? Photos?

• How do you organize your patterns? By type (dresses, pants, tops), pattern company (Vogue, Simplicity, indie, vintage), etc. Do you put them in manila envelopes?

• How do you store your PDF patterns?

Please bring your ideas, tips on what's worked or hasn't worked for you. If you have any examples of your organization, please share them!

Date: Saturday, February 27
Time: 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

10:30 am to 10:45 am - put patterns/notions on tables and browse
10:45 am to 11:15 am - Introductions and announcements
11:15 to 11:30 am - Everyone who brought a pattern gets to pick 1 pattern; then we do two more rounds of picking, followed by a free for all.
11:30 am- Pattern Drawing!
11:35 am - Group Photo
11:40 am to 12:15 pm - Discussion of how to organize your patterns

Location: Berkeley Public Library
Community Meeting Room, 3rd Floor
2090 Kittredge at Shattuck
(near Downtown Berkeley BART station)

All meetup attendees get a 20% discount at Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics (http://www.stonemountainfabric.com/) on meetup days! Bring your name tag to the store to get your discount. Thank you Stonemountain & Daughter!

Note on Parking: There is metered street parking but it can be tough to find an open spot. You may want to park in a lot. There are a couple within walking distance of the library (for example, lots at 2150 Kittredge St., 2061 Allston Way, 2020 Kittredge). Suggestion: You may want to park at MacArthur or North Berkeley BART (free parking on weekends) and then take BART to Downtown Berkeley stop. The library is less than two blocks from the Downtown Berkeley BART stop.

Wheelchair accessible. Please refrain from wearing scented products to public programs. PLEASE NOTE: This event is not sponsored by the Berkeley Public Library. Groups and organizations may use meeting rooms when they are not being used for activities sponsored by the Library. Permission to use the meeting rooms does not imply Library endorsement of the goals, policies or activities of any group or organization. For more information on meeting rooms at the Berkeley Public Library, visit www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.

~Chuleenan