Frequently Asked Questions

• Patterns
• Payment
• Ordering

Patterns

+- The sizes/fit of the pattern are not right, the garment is far too big.

You have probably included allowances in the patterns, which will make a model several sizes too big. Many foreign sewing patterns include allowances and seams. The seam and hem allowances are listed on the order page of the patterns and in the sewing instructions. The standard seam allowance is 1.5 cm. The hem allowances is often also listed with the hem on the pattern. This is also called "seam allowance" in English.

Have you measured your girth and compared this to the size table of the brand that you have purchased? No sizing is equal, so we do not advise relying on the indicated sizes alone but to start from the sizing table with girth sizes.

We provide the corresponding European sizes with the USA sizes, but this is approximate!

+- The pattern is not right, the pattern pieces do not fit together.

Nearly all of the pattern brands that we carry are sold worldwide. Before they are launched in the market, they are tested extensively. There is very rarely a mistake in our patterns, all the more because they are released on the Dutch market later than in the rest of the world. If, in exceptional cases, a pattern does contain a mistake, this can only be a new pattern. The manufacturer will then recall a pattern from the market and it will only become available again once the mistake has been corrected. Our experience shows that very experienced seamstresses in particular encounter this kind of complaint.

Never check if things are correct by the pattern pieces. If you still want to, please take the seam allowance of 1.5 cm into account. If you place the pattern pieces together to check, please make sure that the pattern pieces are placed on top of each other at 3 cm!

In case of complaints we also always check the pattern seriously ourselves. If this actually might reveal a mistake, we will notify the manufacturer ourselves.

+- I have seen a pattern from Simplicity (or Vogue, Butterick, McCall, New Look, KwikSew) on the website that you do not have in the shop.

We sell the complete collections from these brands. New patterns are released at least a month before Europe.
Some of the less popular patterns are not always in our shop, but may be in stock. It always pays to enquire.

+- I would like to order Trading Spaces and Laura Ashley patterns, but I cannot find them in the shop.

These are licensed patterns and may only be sold in the USA, Canada and the UK under penalty of high fines or complete revocation of the license by the licenser.

+- I cannot find the fabric requirements on the pattern.

The required amount of fabric and haberdasheries is listed on the back of the pattern envelope (this applies to all patterns). Usually, the length is indicated in the table in inches and in centimetres. The sizes are at the top, the model is on the left and the fabric width is in between. The amount of fabric indicated in meters or centimetres is listed where the size and the fabric width intersect.

+- There are no Dutch sewing instructions with the pattern, can I get them anyway?

The available language is listed with every pattern. If Dutch is not mentioned here, then there are no sewing instructions available in Dutch.

For support, you can print a glossary, which lists many English sewing terms with their Dutch translations.

Glossary »

+- I do not understand the sizes.

The indicated size sets are often USA sizes, but more and more often the brands now also list the European sizes. We indicate whether the sizing is American or European on the pattern’s order page. We advise you to always consult the size table and to compare this to your girth sizes. This will help you to determine the correct size.

+- I have ordered a large sizes pattern by McCall’s and received the wrong size, the sizes listed on the pattern are much too small.

The McCall’s large size patterns often list different sizes on the pattern envelope. These are inch girth sizes and not dress sizes!
The correct sizes are listed in the shop. We scratch these inch sizes out to prevent confusion. In addition, you can compare your girth sizes with those in the size table on the flap of the pattern envelope. You will see that you have received the correct size.

Payment

+- I have been sent a message that payment by payment slip has been refused and that the patterns will not be sent until I have paid. Why?

There may be several reasons for this.

We perform a credit check when you choose to pay by payment slip. When this check reveals a registration for negative payment behaviour or legal verdicts, you need to pay us in advance.

Other reasons may be that you have not filled in all of the required fields in the order form (date of birth and telephone number are required), if you are underage, have a post office box address or if you have had payment problems with us before.

+- I have issued a direct debit order to you, but I have still not received anything after having waited for one week already.

For this, the same reasons apply as for refusal for payment by payment slip. See question 9 above. In every other case the order is sent immediately when a direct debit order is issued.

With direct debit you have not paid immediately, even though the money has been taken from your account. We have not received it then because you or your bank has a week’s time to repay the money into your account.

Your order will be sent when payment is 100% secure and cannot be reversed.

Ordering

+- I do not have internet and email, but I would still like to order.

You can print order forms from the Customer service page or click here to print now. We can also send you order forms, so you can still place an order. You can also call us. If you order by post, by fax or telephone, the only payment method available to you is bank transfer or direct debit.

+- I have not received any order confirmation.

You have probably filled in an incorrect email address or not completed the order entirely. Please get in touch with us to see if your order has arrived with us.

+- I live in (or near) Leeuwarden, can I collect my order?

Yes you can. You do need to place an order in the shop first. During the order process, you can select the "collect" option. Collection is only possible by appointment. You will receive a message when your order is ready for collection at the collection location (warehouse).
Collection is possible from Monday to Friday between 10.00 and 16.00. Collection is not possible outside of these times.

Sewingpatterns.eu is a web shop and we do not offer any possibilities for visits. This means that it is not possible to come and pick your patterns on location.

+- I have not received any patterns.

Have you not received any order confirmation either? Then your order has probably not been received by us. This may have been caused by the filling in of an incorrect email address or because you have not completed the order procedure entirely.

We will send you a shipping message on the day of shipping. Shipping through TNT post takes 2 working days at most. If you still have not received any patterns one week after the shipping message, please get in touch with us. Your shipment may have got lost. If we do not hear of missing patterns until weeks/months later there is not much that we can do.

+- Can you ship a pattern to me urgently?

Sewingpatterns.eu processes all orders within 1 working day. We do not have a rush procedure. Please get in touch with us before you order to discuss the possibilities. If a pattern is temporarily out of stock, immediate delivery is not possible.