All our catalogues each hold around 500 - 700 styles for the home-sewer (not for use by garment manufacturers etc.), ranging from fashions for the family to home furnishings/decorating and crafts. Most patterns are multi-sized in three size ranges to avoid the problem of over complex tissue pieces - for example (8 10 12) (14 16 18) (20 22 24).
New styles are launched around 4 times a year and about every 6 months old designs (known as "discards") are removed from the range. This keeps the selection vibrant and up-to-date.
The catalogue (one for each brand) presents the range to the consumer. Full of colour photography and illustrations, the catalogue is divided into category "tabs" such as Designer Dresses or Tops/Blouses. Patterns are priced by a price code (a colour code such as 'Red' for Butterick and Vogue or an alpha character A to E for McCall) to avoid the necessity for lots of different prices and currencies on the page. Larger stores normally take each catalogue but smaller stores sometimes decide to only receive the catalogue at seasonal intervals (Spring & Autumn) in order to save catalogue costs.
The fashion styles for the Butterick and Vogue brands are rated according to their "ease of sewing" (from Very Easy and Average up to Advanced) to help the consumer purchase the "right" pattern. This information is shown on the catalogue page as well as the pattern envelope.
Patterns are available either in English & French. Butterick & Vogue also have pattern instructions in German. McCall's is also available in Spanish. For other languages (eg: Russian or Swedish), a "basic" instruction sheet can be included in the local language. Posters and point-of-sale materials are available and consumer price promotions can often be agreed to stimulate sales.
Whilst the patterns and catalogues are manufactured in the USA, many export territories are handled by Butterick UK from its European offices. Most European countries are covered by a local distributor in the country concerned but sometimes, where we do not have a local distributor, we deal directly with stores - for example in Holland and in Denmark and have special arrangements for deliveries and bank accounts.
