January 2021 - You Make It Simple

Being able to purchase a PDF sewing pattern online is a good thing. In this post, I am going to show you some tips on how to download and print PDF sewing patterns step by step.

Where to find PDF sewing patterns?

There are several places to find printable patterns online. Some common places are Etsy and on private sewing websites.

You can find my sewing patterns HERE.

Where to locate your purchased PDF sewing patterns?

Email: Most places will send you an email with a link to a download page, or they may direct you straight to a download page for an instant download.

Can’t find your email? I get this a lot from customers saying they can’t find the email or they don’t know where to find the pattern. 98% of the time, the file is in their spam folder. So check there first. Another issue could be is that the email you have on that account has changed or you’re looking in the wrong email account.

CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER!

Etsy: Etsy digital shop purchases can always be located by going to your Etsy account.

Click on your account

Choose “purchases and reviews”

There you will find all your purchases. Click on the digital purchase and it will direct you to the download page where you can then click on DOWNLOAD. It will download the PDF to your computer.

Private Seller: If you purchase the pattern from a private seller, you may need to register on their site or create an account. Once you do that you’ll have access to the files forever once you log in. All sellers handle their PDF files differently but most likely this will be the process.

How many times can I download the pattern?

This depends on the seller. Some have unlimited downloads and some will only let you download so many times. (I find this to be rare).

How to save PDF Sewing Patterns

Once you download the pattern, you’ll want to save it somewhere that you can easily find it. Here are a few suggestions.

Dropbox
Google Drive
A designated file on your computer
Other Cloud Storage

What you’ll need to download and print the PDF Sewing Pattern

Some kind of PDF viewer. I recommend Adobe Acrobat and you can get the FREE download here.
Printer
Paper
Desktop computer or laptop

Printing the PDF Sewing Pattern

Just a few things to note:

Before printing, check to see if there are any special printing instructions. Some patterns will come with a separate PDF with printing instructions.
All printers are different and will have different printer ques.
Most patterns will have you print at 100% or at ACTUAL SIZE. Make sure the “fit to page” or “page scaling” is turned off and not clicked.
Check the paper size. (Most likely the pattern will print out on letter or A4 size).
TEST SQUARE. Most patterns will have some kind of test square that you will measure to make sure the pattern is printing the correct size. Locate the test square and print that page only! (This will save a lot of paper in case it is not printing correctly).
Measure the square and make sure it measures what it is supposed to and then proceed to print the rest of the pattern pages.

That’s it! Stay tuned for some great tips on how to assemble and store PDF sewing patterns.

Here are some other sewing posts that you may be interested in.

I hope you’ll give some PDF sewing patterns a whirl.

Jan Howell

My intention for this website is to share tips and tutorials that I have found on my journey of life that has brought me joy, improved health, and peace, in hopes that it will do the same for you. I hope you'll join me on this journey!

Connect:

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

How To Make Your Own Zipper Pull Tabs // Simple Craft

Easy To Make Organizer Containers Using an Upcycled Tissue Box

February 18, 2023 / Craft Video, CRAFTS, DIY HOME, DIY Home Videos, Organizing, Paper, Recycling, Tutorials, VIDEO AND AUDIO LIBRARY / No Comments

10 Easy To Make DIY Valentine’s Day Decorations and Gift Ideas

January 19, 2023 / Craft Video, CRAFTS, Gifts and Cards, Holiday and Seasonal Crafts, Holidays and Seasonal Sewing, Paper, SEWING, Sewing Videos, Tutorials, Valentine’s Day, VIDEO AND AUDIO LIBRARY / No Comments

How To Make an Orange Pomander / Sweet Smelling Christmas Craft

December 14, 2022 / Christmas, Craft Video, CRAFTS, Holiday and Seasonal Crafts, VIDEO AND AUDIO LIBRARY / No Comments

downloadable PDF pattern printing PDF patterns sewing pattern sewing tips

Have you ever gone through the sewing machine attachments that come with your sewing machine and wondered, “What the heck is this used for?” I certainly have! In this post, I am going to walk you through the 7 most basic sewing machine presser feet and how to use them.

Whatever type of sewing machine you have, it will come with some basic presser feet attachments. Some of them may look very intimidating and seem complicated to use. NO WORRIES. By the end of this tutorial, you are going to be all ready and hopefully, excited to tackle any sewing project.

What are presser feet?

Presser feet are small attachments that are added to the machine to help feed the fabric through the machine while you sew. There are many types of presser feet and each does something different to make the sewing task easier.

Make sure to use presser feet that are compatible with the model of the sewing machine! Some feet are universal and can be used and several models of sewing machines, but others are not. When you purchase a new foot, it will tell what models it can be used on.

7 Basic Presser Feet

Standard Presser Foot

This foot is most likely the foot you’ll be using for most of your sewing projects. It’s used for standard and decorative stitches.

Straight stitch
Satin stitch
Zigzag stitch
Overcasting
Other fancy stitches
Zipper Foot

Most machines include a zipper foot. There are several types of zipper feet and different ways to attach them. Depending on the setup of your machine, will determine how you attach it.

It’s pretty obvious what the zipper foot is used for, but how does it work?

Most commonly a zipper foot has gaps on either side of the foot. Depending on which side of the zipper you are sewing you position the zipper tape under the relevant side of the zipper foot. You stitch along one side of the zip then repeat for the other side.

The gaps in the foot allow you to sew close to the zipper teeth on either side of your zipper. If your sewing machine is capable, you can also adjust the needle position to more precisely place your stitching.

You can also use the zipper foot to attach trimmings and that have a tape, just like you do with a zipper. A zipper foot can also be used to apply piping. (There is a piping foot, which makes the task even easier

Overcasting/Overedge Foot

This foot is wonderful if you need to finish the raw edges of fabric but don’t have a serger or overlock machine. There is a little bar in the center of the foot that works to wrap the thread around the edge of the fabric for a neat finish and to prevent fraying.

There are usually a couple of options for overcasting stitches on most machines. You may need to play around with the length and width of the stitch to get the result you are looking for. I always recommend practicing on a piece of scrap fabric first.

You can watch the video tutorial where I will show you in more detail how to do the overcast stitch on your sewing machine.

The overcasting stitch can be used even if you have a serger. It comes in handy for quick, small, and hard to reach places.

Blind Hem Foot

This foot is a nice option if you want to hem a pair of pants, curtains, skirt, or other items that you don’t want to be able to see the seam and you don’t want to sew it by hand.

The foot has a gap down the center and the right side of the foot is wider than the left side. The left side is also slightly raised compared to the right side because once the fabric is folded correctly there will be three layers of fabric to fit under the left side of the foot (two layers of the garment fabric itself plus the hem allowance), but only one layer on the right side

You can watch the detailed blind hem video here

As I mentioned before, take a piece of scrap fabric and test it out there before sewing on your project. It takes a little tweaking to get the stitch how you want it.

Select the blind hem stitch on your machine and position the foot with the right side of the foot snugly against the fold in the fabric. The right side of the foot will act as a guide as you sew making it easy to sew accurately and ensure the stitches are falling correctly.

As you sew the stitches will be straight and then it will jog over to just catch the main garment fabric as it joins it to the hem allowance. You may need to play with the needle position to get your stitches in the correct place.

You will see a minimal amount of stitching from the right side, especially if you are using thread that is the same color as your fabric.

Buttonhole Foot

This foot can look intimidating, as at least it did for me until I used it. There are different types of buttonhole feet and some are fancier than others. I’m going to show and demonstrate how to use a one-step buttonhole foot. Most machines will come with at least a sliding or adjustable foot, which is similar to the one-step.

The one-step buttonhole attachment looks similar to the sliding and adjustable buttonhole feet, but it also has an area at the back of the foot where you can insert your button. You slide the foot until the button is fitting snugly in the gap then engage a lever or similar on your machine (instructions for this feature will be in your manual). This allows the machine to measure the button and stitch out the correct sized buttonhole in one simple step. I LOVE IT!

Practice on a scrap piece of fabric first. It’s actually quite fun making buttonholes!

Button Foot

You can always just sew a button on by hand but if you’re not a fan of hand sewing this foot could be a very welcome addition to your sewing kit! This foot allows you to sew a 2 or 4 hole button, and in different sizes, depending on the size of the button you are using.

Some machines will have a special setting for applying a button. But if it doesn’t NO WORRIES!

Simply set the stitch width according to the gap between the holes on the button and set the stitch length to “0”. The machine does all the work. If your machine does not have the special button setting, when you complete the stitching, move the needle position to the left or right and set the width to “0” and take several stitches in the same hole to knot the thread. Or you can just manually knot the two threads on the underside.

Viola!

Applique Foot

An appliqué foot is shorter in length than most presser feet and has a wider area for sewing all kinds of decorative stitches. The foot is shorted in length which makes maneuvering curves and angles easier.

The front of the foot sits on the fabric to maintain the required pressure; however, the back of the foot is raised to allow stitches and fabric to feed through easily.

Simply attach the foot to your machine, select an appliqué stitch of your choice, and sew around your chosen design quickly and easily. One of my favorite stitches to use is the blanket stitch.

There you have it. I hope this was helpful and allows you to feel more confident and familiar with those foreign-looking attachments that come with your sewing machine.

It’s always a good idea to read through the manual that comes with your sewing machine. There may be some good tips in there to help make your sewing experience a lot easier.

For those of you who would like a little more direction and tips on all the SEWING BASICS, be sure to check out my SEW SIMPLE COURSES. Find out more about them HERE.

OTHER SEWING POSTS YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN:

Sewing Machine Needles, Why choosing the right one matters!

Unpicking Serger Stitches the Easy Way

Have fun sewing, and remember to KEEP IT SIMPLE!

Jan Howell

Connect:

Jan Howell

Where to find PDF sewing patterns?

Where to locate your purchased PDF sewing patterns?

How many times can I download the pattern?

How to save PDF Sewing Patterns

What you’ll need to download and print the PDF Sewing Pattern

Printing the PDF Sewing Pattern

Jan Howell

Share:

Connect:

Social Media

The Latest

Jan Howell

Related Posts

7 Basic Presser Feet

Standard Presser Foot

Overcasting/Overedge Foot

Blind Hem Foot

Buttonhole Foot

Button Foot

Applique Foot

Jan Howell

Share:

Connect:

Social Media

The Latest

Jan Howell

Related Posts