PATTERN-TOPIA

‘You have a bigger range of patterns than Spotlight’

‘I’ve been searching online everywhere for these two retro Vogue patterns V7937 and 2634. I can’t believe I found them both at The Nest’

These are snippets of what we hear almost daily at The Nest Haberdashery It’s true, we have a serious amount of patterns Recent estimates are over 3000 unique patterns on the shop floor.

You will find big brands like Vogue, McCalls, Butterick, Simplicity, Burda, Style, New Look, KwikSew and Knitwit alongside various boutique independent brands. You might call us the Utopia of patterns or as we like to say, Pattern-topia

How did this happen? Over 10 years of receiving textile donations, patterns quickly took over. To deal with the deluge, we had to develop a cataloguing and sorting system that would put this valuable resource back into circulation

We now have a comprehensive database of patterns dating from pre-1940 through to current independent brands.

Currently, we have a couple of very dedicated volunteers who sort through the steady stream of patterns that are donated through our Textile Recovery Centre It’s an unrelenting job that requires a detailed, trained eye

If you’re a crafter, for as little as $1 you can find patterns for quilting, embroidery, appliqué, toys, dolls, bears and bags in baskets around the store

Yet dress patterns is where we have our largest range of stock. To give an idea of volume, we have 8 filing cabinets filled to the brim on the shop floor with an equal quantity in various stages of sorting out the back

The first stage of sorting requires volunteers to wade through tubs of patterns to categorise them into Vintage 1950s - 1960s, Retro 1970s - 1990s, Contemporary 2000s onwards, Vogue and Indie (smaller boutique brands).

In our donation guide we ask that only uncut or complete patterns are donated, however guidelines are not always followed.

To ensure quality control our volunteers open and check all viable patterns to check that they’re complete, and if unused, add an ‘uncut’ sticker.

Prior to sale, many of the vetted patterns are put into a new protective sleeve and then colour coded to indicate the price, with a 50c surcharge for 'uncut'.

From donation to restocking the cabinets, there are countless woman-hours that go into maintaining and presenting this cornucopia of possibilities. How do our prices compare?

Contemporary $3.50 (retail $20)

Retro $4.50 (retail $25)

Vintage $6.50 (retail $25)

Vogue $5.50 (retail $35)

Indie $6.50 (retail $35)

So next time you’re looking for inspiration - without breaking the bank, don’t just look for recent designs, take a stroll through pattern history and explore fashion through the ages in The Nest Haberdashery pattern display