Printing Patterns off the Internet

So, the site I linked to earlier offers the option of downloading and printing your pattern at home, which is a little cheaper and serves the over-eager among us who hate to wait on the mail. Anxious to get going, I chose this option. What followed was an adventure in massive floor puzzles, scotch tape, and German.

I was fully prepared for a few 8x11 sheets with the pattern printed small, and I would have to do some math to transfer the pattern onto tracing paper. This was fine by me, a perfect rainy day project for my mother in law and myself. I logged in, downloaded their Document Viewer, verified my identity about six times, promised I wouldn't share it, and repeatedly swore to the website that I had the downloader already just please show me the pattern. Half an hour later, I got my first look at Pattern Part 1.

It was forty two pages.

Well, fortune favors the foolish, so I lightened the printer as low as it would go to save ink, and hit "print."

Stitch was taking the pages as they came off the printer, bearing them on a tray to my dining room/sewing studio, where my MIL and I were trimming the edges and taping them together, piecing them together by the Row and Column markings. As we kept going, we realized in horror that I had printed the Pants portion of the pattern, not the Jacket. But you can't tell because Parts 1 and 2 don't specify what they are, and the instructions don't tell you, either.

I went back to my computer, and clicked on Pattern Part 2, and this was thirty six pages. Sighing, I hit "print." While it was printing, I disassembled the Pants Puzzle and prepared for Jacket. Well, at least I have a pants pattern.

MIL gave up and took a nap on the sofa while I trimmed and assembled the Jacket pattern. I measured Stitch, which is always a chore because children hate to be measured, determining that we needed a size 7 jacket. I got out my tracing paper, and spent the next hour tracing and cutting my pattern pieces. I disassembled the jacket pattern for another day, and finally got to cutting fabric. Pink Satin, (which is funny because the pattern recommends denim, corduroy, tweed, or other hardy fabrics,) and black china silk lining. The pants will be standard skating pants, but I'm going to play with a pink applique stripe down the leg.

I started the process at 10am. I finally had cut, marked and interfaced fabric at 4pm. MIL came over as I was finishing transferring markings and shook her head. Stitch wandered over. "Is that for me?"

"Yes. This is how much I love you."

Stitch bounced a bit and spun.

So. Will I print patterns off the internet again? Probably not. If hadn't had the entire day to devote to the process, there would still be a floor puzzle in my dining room. It is rare that I have a day to devote to any one task.

Lesson for the week? Wait for the mail, or doom yourself to a frustrating day.