The answer to that question is yes. Apparently a LOT of people want my copy of McCall’s 4425.
In case you’re wondering, I’m not giving it away, so feel free to clench your little fists and punch your screens in frustration over the very enticing and misleading title of this post. McCall’s 4425 is one of the jewels of my hefty, enviable collection of vintage gown patterns. I stalked eBay for a long time to find this one in a small size and I had to bid-bomb many weak, inferior eBayers to win it. And it does bring me joy to gaze at its beauty and know that I have what so many others desperately covet.
What does NOT bring me joy is the sheer number of people who email me asking me if they can have it, buy it for cheap, or if I can (seriously??) make them a copy and send it to them. (This is not a knitting pattern- we’re not talking about a 3-minute photocopy job here.) Inevitably the writers of the emails justify their requests by quoting the ridiculously high prices that vintage pattern dealers want for original copies of the pattern, and by telling me that they desperately need it for a wedding/gala/cotillion but don’t want to pay that much. What am I supposed to say in response? “OMG are you serious??? They’re charging $150 for the pattern? Oh you POOR THING!! Take mine!” Listen, peeps, I know how much the pattern costs- I actually bought it, which is how it came to be that I have it. I’ve had it for so long that I don’t remember how much I paid for it (certainly not $150) but I know it was NOT CHEAP. So it drives me kind of insane when people “graciously” offer to reimburse me for the cost of tissue paper to make a copy and for the postage it would cost for me to send it to them when I actually paid the money for this pattern that they don’t want to pay. (Also not my favorite? When people say, “The cheapest I’ve seen it for online is $125, and that’s ridiculous. Would you be willing to sell yours for $50?” That’s just bad negotiation skills in a seller’s market.)
Now, I don’t mean to come across as a let-them-eat-cake (let-them-wear-cashmere?) seamstress (even though, let’s face it, I am a freakin’ empress) I realize that not everyone can afford to splurge hugely on patterns (I certainly wouldn’t pay $150 for it), and I know what it’s like to covet that elusive vintage tissue paper masterpiece. But when something is out of my budget, I’m not about to email strangers on the internet and ask them if I can have theirs for free or if they can make me a copy for a fraction of the price, and then explain the request by saying that it’s just too expensive for me to buy my own. Lots of things are expensive- Prada boots, signed first editions of Catcher in the Rye, Warhols, Bernina 830s… I can’t afford them, can you send me yours? I’ll pay for shipping.
So I received an innovative request from Traci, who stumbled upon my blog while looking for the pattern, asking if she could “rent” the pattern for a short period of time such that she could copy it herself. I have to give a big thumbs-up to Traci for proposing a solution that would require neither hours of labor on my part, nor giving up my precious pattern at a fraction of market value, while actually offering compensation for the request. Thank you, Traci, for being decent. If Selfish had even a tiny sliver of goodwill to bestow, she would give it to you. Of course, shipping my rare patterns across the oceans to strangers without any guarantee that they’ll come back isn’t the wisest of ideas, and I don’t feel quite right about distributing my patterns for a fee such that others can make copies.
What I proposed instead was that I would send her a good quality photo of the pattern piece drawings such that she might be able to recreate the dress herself. For all the hullaballoo over McCall’s 4425, it’s actually relatively simple- a basic double-darted strapless sheath with an asymmetrical front hemline, and an additional draped panel that gathers into a little loop at the hip. And being the magnanimous sewing empress that I am, I’m providing the images to you as well, out of the quasi-kindness of my teeny, tiny, almost nonexistent heart:
Photos of pattern envelopes seem to be pretty standard fare on the web, so I’m going to assume there’s nothing unethical about posting them here. If the good folks at McCall’s think otherwise, I’ll remove them. In the meantime, you can click on them for larger views. See? It’s really not that complicated a pattern. (I’m guessing that what people really want is that drape, so you could easily start with any strapless sheath pattern and just modify it to accommodate the drape going off of the photos above.)
Incidentally, there are people on the web selling what I assume are unauthorized copies of this pattern if you really want it, but even the copies seem to run around the $100 mark. I’m not going to post links because I don’t want to promote those businesses, but if you Google and check Etsy, you’ll probably find some. As for making copies of my own, I’ll reiterate what I’ve got on my FAQ:
Despite lots of inquiring and searching, I have never been able to find definitive information that convinces me that copying and distributing vintage patterns from the 1950s is legal in all cases. In addition, copying patterns is time consuming and requires big paper and lots of space. If you can provide me with evidence that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that a particular pattern is no longer under copyright (and by this I mean something along the lines of a record from the US Copyright Office indicating that the copyright on a specific pattern has expired, not a quote from an ill-informed rant about pattern copyright on someone’s blog), then we can talk. My hypothetical fee for legally copying patterns is the same as my hypothetical fee for sewing: $85/hour for labor plus all materials costs.
Now. How may I help you?
74 comments
Comments feed for this article
October 4, 2011 at 11:40 am
Diana
Wow. You ARE a cranky seamstress. I love that about you.
October 4, 2011 at 11:50 am
Elizabeth
Hmmm…. Do I detect the slightest, ever so subtle hint of graciousness and helpfulness in your gesture here? Why, yes, I think I do. You must be softening up now that you live across the pond.
October 4, 2011 at 11:55 am
selfishseamstress
*shudder* How can you say such mean things??
October 4, 2011 at 11:51 am
Carla
I LOVE this response! I have received similar emails regarding my vintage patterns. Seriously? I don’t even have time to sew or post on my blog these days, so why would I take time out of my busy schedule to trace/copy patterns or even go to the post office?
October 4, 2011 at 11:53 am
karen
I say rustle through Goodwill and Salvation Army pattern bins (25 cents each) and go to country auctions (no one but you and me wants patterns and you and me can buy crates of them for $1.00) where you can find lots of rare and wonderful specimens. Me, I found an infinity dress uncut for 25 cents. I found other rare and coveted patterns too like Jiffy 6019 one shoulder dress and Vogue 1061 (Patou) in a $1.00 box lot. If you really want something – hey get out from under your computer screen and get out there and look! Selfish Seamstress, you’re too generous sharing the pics! xxx
October 4, 2011 at 11:59 am
selfishseamstress
Ugh… not the g-word… please, anything but the g-word! You must be in the right place… when I was living in Chicago I frequented the thrift shops and all there was was stuff from the early-90s :) My thrift shop equivalent these days though is hunting on eBay and Etsy for good patterns that aren’t labeled with any of the terms that people would search on if they wanted those specific patterns :) The sellers don’t know what they’ve got and so they price them cheap. Oh no… I’ve said too much…
October 4, 2011 at 7:30 pm
karen
PA is a sewer’s and thrifter’s paradise. Yes, the 80’s culotte patterns abound in NY and NJ – but PA, you can find featherlight machines at country auctions for $50…patterns galore, vintage fabric, fur trim…it’s the prize you get for actually living here. Not. That. I. Don’t. Love. It.
October 4, 2011 at 11:56 am
Sue P.
You are hilarious, articulate, and spot-on. Great answers. The audacity!
October 4, 2011 at 12:04 pm
June
I bow down to your awesomeness.
When something becomes “collectible,” the sky is the limit and the person with the most money wins.
Btw, since I am trying to emulate you in all ways possible, I too sent off for awesome stretch denim samples from Lura Fabrics. They came yesterday, now the decisionmaking begins! Thanks for the heads up about this company.
October 4, 2011 at 12:09 pm
vicky
I just scored a shedload of vintage patterns on Ebay for £6. Seller listed at a stupid time and had a real craptastic title. serves them right for laziness I say, those patterns could have sold for £5 or so each. so 15 vintage dress patterns for £6? not a bad nights work.
October 4, 2011 at 12:55 pm
misc-maranda
honest and funny-what a combination ;)
have you made this yet? show us, show us!!
October 4, 2011 at 1:16 pm
Saffi
Seriously?! People ask you to sell your patterns?! Are they insane?! It’s not like it’s that hard to find or alter a pattern. They may just have to compromise a little and not use the really popular patterns that have attracted an audience willing to pay $150. There’s around a century of pattern history available on ebay, etsy, or in pattern shops. It’s not that hard to find something you’d like to make and wear.
And my recommendation for cheap vintage patters is to look for the more obscure pattern companies that aren’t still producing patterns today. That’s how I ended up with a beautiful 1940s nightgown pattern for £2. Now all I need to do is gather the courage to take the fragile but enourmous pattern pieces out of the very tatty envelope and make the thing…
October 4, 2011 at 1:40 pm
T. Sedai
What are these people thinking? Clearly, if regular people are selling this online for $150, then the “selfish seamstress” will give it to me for free? I will never understand…
This pattern reminds me of a book I was looking for – The Field Theory Handbook. The school library had two copies, but I wanted one of my own. Best I could find at the time was an illegal photocopy for $150. Some people were willing to pay that price, I wasn’t (mostly due to moral standards; the actual book is probably worth that price). Doesn’t mean I was going to the library demanding they give me one of their copies seeing as how they had two and the book is impossible to find in the real world.
October 4, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Rose in SV
Well, I think you could be MORE generous. In your copious free time, can you please scale it up to a US ready to wear size 18-20? After you send it me, I’ll even send you a thankyou note!
Rose in SV <–glad that she lives nine time zones away, which is probably out of physical reach
October 4, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Jenny
People are nuts! You always entertain :-)
October 4, 2011 at 2:12 pm
Diana
I’m not surprised that you get these requests. Some people got an extra dose of chutzpah at birth. I got an e-mail a couple years ago from a wannabe local writer who asked me to send her a copy of my book for free because she couldn’t afford the $15. I pointed out to her that if she wanted the book for free, she could withdraw the volume I donated from our local library. She responded that it was too difficult to get to the library, and she preferred having her own copy. Srsly!
October 4, 2011 at 2:21 pm
lladybird
i love that you posted this because i delight in taking every opportunity to laugh at how dense people can be. so thank you, thank you.
October 4, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Lesley
You just made me spit water from laughing. I firmly believe in copyright law and would not ask you to sell your pattern for a fraction of the price (especially if I posted in the request how much others are selling it. Just silly people). I am so glad I started reading your blog.
October 4, 2011 at 2:36 pm
rosesred
I’m beginning to suspect you’re not really selfish, just really, really clear about the costs and consequences of what other people are asking you to do.
Why on earth would you ask someone for an hour of free labour (and possibly breaking the law) unless it’s to dill wells for blind kittens or something.
October 4, 2011 at 2:38 pm
Karen Mulkey
Love your blog as it always makes me laugh! My Mom had a neighbor friend make up this very pattern for her (in black silk) back in the 50’s when I was a mere child. Amazing to note the generous nature of that friend?! I remember Mom looked quite elegant in the dress despite her petite size and can hardly wait to see a photo of you in the same dress. I wonder if I still have that pattern in my stash…
October 4, 2011 at 2:47 pm
Katrina
I am just so glad you’re back, I don’t give a snickety snoo about the pattern.
Ha! Lying! I love that pattern.
But now that you’ve broken some obscure or non-existent rule of the evil pattern-making hegemony, I see that a facsimile garment could be pieced together from patterns I already have in my (not nearly as extensive and covetable as yours) collection.
Thank you for coming back to us!
October 4, 2011 at 3:11 pm
Debbie
Love this pattern too! Why would you not line such an elegant dress? Just a little surprised it is constructed with facings.
October 4, 2011 at 4:38 pm
katie
So glad you’re back! Sometimes it’s astonishing how little common sense some people have, or the temerity they display on the internet. No one would have the nerve to ask you face to face to do all that work for free!
I need a good dose of your ability to say “NO”. Will you send me some?
October 4, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Ruth
How interesting that all of these random approaches have forgotten to include the payment for your time in their calculations of costs – putting my research funder hat on and knowing that you work in the academic world I am sure that you have at your fingertips your charge-out rate, and standard overheads.
Being of selfish disposition myself I would be inclined to gently inform them of their omission and include a schedule of costs, plus taxes that I suspect would make ebay look cheap. Being generous you could of course waive the overheads, but I bet ebay is still looking cost-effective compared to a couple of hours of your time.
October 4, 2011 at 5:32 pm
Janice
Thanks for sharing the scans! Can probably reverse-engineer these based on that. :)
October 4, 2011 at 6:36 pm
livebird
Dear Selfish, that’s a lovely pattern, but it’s a bit small. If I send you some tissue, would you please trace it and grade it up to my size?
Hell, while you’re at it, what if I send you fabric, too, and you can sew it for me?
Scrap that. You probably have better fabric shops where you are. You pick something out for me. I like yellow, green and red. Oh, and silk is nice.
October 4, 2011 at 9:15 pm
Bethsews
So glad to have found your selfish selfish self. And, on a side note – best. FAQs. on. the. web (including the one you quoted)
October 4, 2011 at 10:39 pm
Beangirl
Wait. You can ask total strangers online to give you their expensive stuff for free? WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME THIS EARLIER??
You really are selfish.
October 4, 2011 at 11:33 pm
saraweirphoto
This isn’t facebook but I just want to “like” this post. Nothing more, nothing less.
October 4, 2011 at 11:50 pm
Molly
People really are crazy! I have an Advance pattern from the 50s that brings out the weird email offers (which I often see for sale for about 15 bucks). I’m glad I’m not the only one horrified by these people!
October 5, 2011 at 2:14 am
Tina Sutherland
I just want to chime in and say you are awesome. That is all.
October 5, 2011 at 4:03 am
Sara
Wow!! People are dumb. Love your response!
October 5, 2011 at 6:33 am
CoudreMode
That’s a pretty simple pattern… can’t really see what the fuss is all about. Yawn
October 6, 2011 at 10:31 am
LinB
Ditto. I do NOT want a copy of this pattern. I know this will make you rest easy, Elaine.
October 5, 2011 at 6:51 am
Gigi
Amen, sister! I get requests for copies of my treasured 1970s Vogue Bobbie Breslau purse pattern all the time. Um, no.
October 5, 2011 at 8:14 am
Pam ~Off The Cuff~
..and I get requests to hand-draft custom fit shirt patterns..in my “spare time” **for free** “…because you do so many it must only take you a few minutes” Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha !
October 5, 2011 at 10:27 am
Catharina
Love your blog. I actually sometimes think of your wise words when I have to negotiate stuff (not just sewing related stuff which I just plainly don’t even negotiate; just won’t do it..) in my life. And I am lawyer, hahaha!
October 16, 2011 at 1:47 pm
lawyer
I’m a lawyer, too. I have the same problem. It’s almost as if I overcompensate in my personal life and am extra nice because I know so many people think lawyers are a-holes. So I sometimes end up getting used.
Bizarre.
October 5, 2011 at 10:56 am
Jeanette Hargrove
Lovely dress. I have only one dress of yours on my mind now and that is how do I get the Coffee house dress. I can not for the life of me download a copy. Someone please help.
October 5, 2011 at 11:03 am
Jeanette Hargrove
Oops! My bag. Former request was to get my hands on the Coffee house dress. Instead of the Coffee Date dress download.
October 5, 2011 at 3:37 pm
wearinghistory
LOL! This post is awesome.
October 5, 2011 at 9:15 pm
Rachel
I had to LOL at this post! I stumbled in here from another blog and I haven’t been able to leave. I even downloaded a pattern (so thanks!). I also may need to borrow your response if another one of my sisters asks me to ‘sew something together real quick’ for them. (i have 2 sisters and 2 sisters in law) Because you know I don’t have anything else to since I’m home alone all day with 2 small children…
October 5, 2011 at 9:32 pm
Kerry
I have a similar experience quite regularly with complete strangers emailing me asking if they can buy one of my bikes.
Now, the background story on that: I ride the smallest size bikes that are available ‘off the rack.’ Most women my (our, I guess is accurate, since the Selfish Seamstress and I are the same exact size) height are extremely limited in what is available for racing bicycles. They are usually expensive and hard to find. The average person can buy a used bike off of eBay or Craigslist for a reasonable used bike price, or they can walk into any bike shop anywhere and buy any brand of bike for whatever price they feel like spending and walk out with exactly what they want. Unfortunately for really short people, if you want a nice racing bike, you need to either buy an expensive brand new hard to find bike, or you need to pay even more for a custom design. Does it suck? Yes, it does. Is it fair? No, it’s not. But nowhere on my blog does it say “bikes for sale”. Seriously, if I were going to sell them, I would let you know.
October 6, 2011 at 12:38 am
Fourth Daughter
Wow, $150 for a pattern?? I wonder what potential GOLDMINE I am sitting on with all my op shopped 50s-80s examples, all of which cost under $3!!
October 6, 2011 at 1:22 am
Tropical Threads
The technical drawings of so many vintage patterns disappoint me! It is a fairly ordinary sheath dress with an artistic drape? Huh! What is so vintage about that?
So much vintage is presentation, methinks.
Good post! I would say “I can’t believe how audacious people are!” but actually, I can, because I have experienced it too. The hypothetical sewing fee is a useful thing to casually mention…
October 6, 2011 at 10:07 am
Kristy
Yay Ethics! Its nice to see somebody with some.
p.s. I like rustyzipper.com for vintage patterns.
October 6, 2011 at 10:26 am
redsilvia
OMG! Stop making me cry/laugh! I get those emails too and just delete them. I do roll my eyes and say “seriously” before doing it.
Indeed you are correct, this is a basic strapless bodice with a sarong skirt. I learned this one in my second year in design college. Easy. The hard part is the fitting, but maybe they’d like you to drop by with pins and help them out there too.
October 7, 2011 at 6:15 pm
I Wish I Could… | Gorgeous Things' Blog
[…] of juju, The Selfish Seamstress wrote a hilarious post about a related issue – how to respond when friends, acquaintances and […]
October 7, 2011 at 9:33 pm
Erica B
All I can do is give the monitor a long hard stare at an asinine request. As funny as it is, it’s not funny. I was just conversing with another friend about how crazy the internet has become. People think because you blog and give bits and pieces of yourself to the world wide web that they *KNOW* you. They take liberties that they would NEVER have the balls to take in real life. The mere fact that a virtual stranger thought it was okay to ask YOU to trace a pattern (and who really enjoys tracing patterns for themselves?!) is indeed laughable. Really… who does that?!
October 8, 2011 at 10:21 am
JustGail
This is destined to be one of your classic posts. Thanks for sharing the pattern back, I’d think anyone with any amount of pattern tracing could come up with their own copy. Especially if they have the sense to do a muslin (or 2) first.
How do some people think tissue paper makes up for the time to do such a task? Or offering to buy the fabric, or yarn or….The best response was along the lines of “and I’ll expect you to be doing my cooking & cleaning while I’m making this”
October 9, 2011 at 8:53 pm
glamarama
I have that pattern! In a size 18, I think I paid around 15 bucks for it on ebay in the 90’s though (that’s my limit) when I was building up my collection. Since then I have learned flat pattern drafting and have a sloper. Much easier to learn pattern drafting in a semester than hunt for all those patterns on ebay. Cheaper too if you can take it at a community college :)
Maybe I should sell all my patterns so my husband will stop complaining about all my sewing crap…? I’m such a hoarder.
There is a gal who has a Vintage Pattern Lending Library here in Berkeley CA but she only does pre-1923; I guess because the copyrights have expired.
October 10, 2011 at 9:37 pm
Helen
Okay when I stopped laughing, I thought that I had to share this one with you.
I was asked to make a set of heirloom and embroidered shirts plus a nightwear collection on the basis that ” We know that you would enjoy it so much and it allows you to use up some of your lovely fabrics”.
Oh yes, you have all got it right – no suggestion of compensation of any sort for time, labour or some of those lovely (and very expensive fabrics – not to mention the laces)!
I think that I have topped all of you.
And yes, I am extremely selfish with my time, money and stash of lovelies so you need not even think of asking. The swiss embroidered couture edging is mine mine mine!!!
October 12, 2011 at 7:29 pm
Ktahi Giumentaro
OK so you wont trace the pattern for me. How about I send you my fabric and you make the dress for me. That would save me a lot of time.
October 13, 2011 at 1:52 pm
The Slapdash Sewist
Oh my goodness, so amusing. People are insane.
October 13, 2011 at 4:22 pm
Robin Martin
Totally hilarious! Where do people get the nerve?!?
October 13, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Emily L. Waters
You’ve changed the landscape of “it doesn’t hurt to ask.” You tell, em, sistah!
October 16, 2011 at 1:44 pm
reader
Thank you for giving me a ballpark figure for my hypothetical rates when someone asks for a hypothetical garment. :-)
Putting aside the copyright issue, which I believe is real, you would think that people who actually sew would have some idea how long it would take to make a good copy of a pattern.
I must say, though, that part of this casual attitude is fostered by women’s blogs (not yours of course). There’s this phony idea of community in which everyone has infinite time, nobody needs to use her or his skills to actually earn a living, etc. To make money is somehow infra dig.
Of course, I appreciate the sharing of information, and contribute whenever I have something useful to say.
October 18, 2011 at 10:32 pm
Lola
OMG how dang funny. I actually teach sewing to high school students and wow do I get cranky. I am actually thinking about starting a blog called “What the F%*& did I get myself into?”, changing all the students names and writing my little heart out. However, I have had one experience sewing with a vintage pattern and all I can say is: “Never again.”
October 19, 2011 at 2:24 pm
Anne-Marie
What a story !! Some vintage patterns go for a fortune I lost a bid over a Fabiani pattern … and I had put 200$ on the table. In the end, I spent the money on fabric. Which was a better spending in that case. Ok when will you make the dress ? If you already did, I will find the post on your blog.
October 20, 2011 at 12:27 pm
Butterfly
At the risk of having this post deleted here comes the revenge for the tummy-ache that resulted from your post. You are anything but selfish. You are actually the most gracious person in the world, rescuing my day with shots of Elaineniness. And I’m not taking that insult back!
BTW: I think we’re missing a book on sewing morals. Would you oh perfect seamstress honour us with such a thing? :P
October 22, 2011 at 9:16 am
Tia
There is a copy for sale online for close to $100. Wow!
I sale patterns and get a lot of weird requests; some are really selfish. ” Will you contact your customer and ask her to make a copy of the pattern she just bought because I really want it” (but didn’t want to pay the money to buy it).
October 31, 2011 at 10:54 am
Louisa
Well done for getting such a super pattern. Good for you for posting this and for saying no to those who asked for the pattern. I would love to see photos of the garment when sewn.
Happy sewing.
December 12, 2011 at 6:54 am
What’s the Deal with McCall’s 4425? « 3 Hours Past the Edge of the World
[…] The Selfish Seamstress featured her copy in a delightfully smug post, but at the time she wrote that post, the pattern was already ridiculously overpriced and in high-demand. I read all the comments. I’m still confused- why??? It’s a pretty simple strapless bodice with a sarong skirt, she posted a picture of the pattern pieces. I’m sure it’s very pretty made up. But seriously, why $130? […]
February 28, 2012 at 6:15 pm
Suellen
Ha funny! It happens. Unfortunately if you want it badly enough you have to shell out the bucks. That’s life!
March 14, 2012 at 11:12 pm
Susan (Between Naps on the Porch)
Love the way you write! :)
May 22, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Kanani Wolf
Hello: Yes! I would love to pay you for a copy of this much desired vintage McCalls 4425 pattern. Please advise me as soon as possible! Please reply to my email address. Thank you so much for this incredible offer!!!
May 23, 2012 at 1:44 pm
Kanani Wolf
Dear Ms. Selfishseamstress: First of all, there’s nothing wrong with the pride you feel about your craft. Your writing just amazes me. By the way, I found the vintage McCalls 4425 pattern in a size 10 and it’s brand new! Now I have bragging rites too!!!
August 23, 2012 at 10:34 am
Chandra
Would you consider posting a picture of the back envelope of the McCall’s 3439 and the Advance 6291?
February 4, 2013 at 4:55 pm
Aafke-Art
Love your post. You are absolutely right.
I would love this dress, and your excellent photos will enable me to make my own pattern. Very generous of you!
February 15, 2013 at 6:08 pm
Linda
Send a photo of this to Vogue. They’re looking for old patterns of theirs to republish.
February 17, 2013 at 1:01 pm
Edward
I would really love to see a picture of the back envelope of the McCall’s 3439, hopefully im not asking for too much! :)
June 27, 2013 at 3:18 am
Catherine Watson
Ha ha ha. My mother in law once asked my mother to make 5 pairs of curtains for her rest home (profit-making) – to add insult to injury, she hadn’t even bought enough of her flowery fabric and it was hell to match. Mum achieved it though – just because it was my mother in law she was under an obligation. I’ve never forgiven the in law for that.
June 27, 2013 at 3:19 am
Catherine Watson
Or rather, she felt she was under an obligation – not true
August 22, 2013 at 4:54 pm
Lynda
HAHA, I love it!! As a seller of quality vintage patterns, I get requests like this all the time and it drives me NUTS! Your response is spot-on…