I've been thriving on continental breakfasts and living out of a hotel room for weeks. I'm back to 12hour work days, entertaining expert witnesses in my downtime and squeezing in sleep when I can get it. I'm pretty sure the dogs think Mike and I are divorced, since they only get to see me on weekends. And, I don't expect to have anything resembling a social life until near Thanksgiving when we finish in court. Notwithstanding current time restraints, I couldn't miss my chance to go meet the Yarn Harlot as she passed through Chicagoland last week. 

It was my first encounter and it was worth every minute!   

I started collecting vintage sewing patterns before I knew how to sew. When I first started, my favorite way to acquire them was buying mixed lots on eBay. I'm sure I'm in good company with this approach. It's a really easy way to inexpensively and quickly build a collection. 

The downside to this strategy is that for every gem you find, you often end-up with a few odd-ball patterns that don't suit your needs or fit your style.

I stopped using this buying strategy after I started to hone  my sewing persona, but I never went through to clean house. I felt like I needed a sewing re-charge to jump-start my inspiration and get me sewing again, so I used my football time to organize and sort. I weeded out a pile of patterns that either aren't my size, or don't fit my wardrobe. 

Some are hard to part with. But, many more are staying than are going. If you see something you like and want it for your own, the photos are linked to their eBay listing. And, the rest can be found HERE