Sewing Pattern FAQ
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Pattern Ordering/Shipping/Delivery
Q. Do you ship to [my country]? How much does shipping cost to [my country]?
A. Yes, we ship internationally. Go to your Cart and use the Shipping Calculator to see your options. You can also check out our Shipping Page for details, but not prices.
Q. I need the pattern fast! What are your shipping options?
A. We offer two shipping speeds. Pricing depends on the weight of the purchase. You can see your pricing options and shipping speeds in your Cart. If you need a pattern tomorrow, consider our PDF patterns, which download immediately.
Q. Will I be charged taxes or fees?
A. We are required to collect sales tax on all orders from Minnesota customers. Other US customers are not required to pay sales tax.
As of 01/01/2021 we are required to collect a 20% VAT tax on all orders under £135 from UK customers.
Q. Is my pattern purchase refundable?
A. Standard Printed patterns may be returned within 30 days of delivery if the patterns are not cut or damaged in any way. Please email us before mailing. The customer pays return shipping. Due to their digital nature, PDF/Print-at-Home patterns are non-refundable. Some of our older PDF patterns still differentiate between Letter and A4 size. If you purchased the wrong type of PDF pattern on accident (A4 vs Letter size), we are happy to work with you to get you the product that works for your printer.
About our Patterns
Q. How difficult is your Solo Dress Pattern?
A. We recommend an intermediate level of sewing or more for our solo dress pattern. Previous experience in garment construction and/or sewing bulky materials will be useful. Sewers of all levels will benefit from our Video Masterclass, but we especially recommend it for newer sewers! We also have additional resources on our blog.
Q. Do I need a special sewing machine to make Irish dance costumes?
A. Short answer – no. Longer answer – maybe! Solo dresses have a lot of bulk so a heavier duty machine is recommended. Other dance costumes such as skirts or waistcoats aren’t as bulky and this is less of a concern. Check out our blog post about sewing machines!
PDF Patterns
Q. What’s the deal with the PDF/Print-at-Home patterns?
A. The PDF Patterns are downloadable documents that allow you to print the pattern from your home computer. The pattern and instructions come in a series of multi-page PDF documents. After printing, each page must be trimmed and taped together before the pattern pieces can be cut out (see illustration below). The benefit of PDF patterns is that once you have downloaded them, you can print them off multiple times. Our PDF patterns are cheaper than the printed ones, but be aware of the prep work required.
Check out this blog post for step-by-step directions on printing your PDF pattern.
Our newer patterns also include Copyshop/A0 files and Adobe layers, so you can print only the size you need. If this feature is included, it will say so on the product page.
Q. I just ordered a PDF pattern. How do I get my download link?
A. Immediately* upon purchase you will receive an email with the subject “Your Earnest Threads order from [DATE] is complete”. The email contains download links for all of your products. Don’t see an email? Check your Spam, Junk, Clutter, or Promotions folder.
*Those who pay by e-Check will see a delay in PDF patterns up to 3 days, as our website has to wait for the e-Check to clear.*
Q. I downloaded my files, but I’m having trouble printing them.
A. If you’re having trouble opening a file you’ve already downloaded, try downloading again; this solves most problems. Some users find that updating their PDF reader also helps.
If you’re having trouble printing, check that your scaling is set to 100% (or Do Not Scale / Actual Size). For Adobe Reader, we also find that setting orientation to Auto helps the program center the document on the page. Setting the orientation to Portrait sometimes cuts off one edge by shifting the document to the side of the page.
Q. I have access to a large-scale printer/my friend works in a print shop. Do you have digital patterns in large format?
A. We offer this on many of our patterns. If this feature is included, it will say so on the product page.