Every seamstress knows the heartbreak of finding the perfect vintage pattern, only to realize that the beautiful silk chiffon they bought three years ago is half a meter short. A fabric stash without an inventory system isn't a resource; it's a pile of expensive question marks.

The Philosophy of the Digital Swatch Book

The "Material" template is designed for the pattern maker who understands that fabric is an asset that must be measured and managed. It moves your stash from plastic bins to a structured digital library. By standardizing the capture of Name, Meters, and Location Purchased, the system ensures that you can shop your own closet before you head to the store. It acknowledges that knowing where you bought a fabric is often the only way to find more of it.

The Blueprint: Inspiration and Inventory

The structure of this library is built to bridge the gap between raw material and finished garment.

  • The Virtual Swatch: The Pattern image field allows you to capture the print, weave, and drape of the fabric. In a stash of fifty folded cuts, a photo is the only way to quickly identify the difference between your "navy twill" and your "navy poplin."
  • Project Potential: The template is unique in its forward-looking design. With fields for Clothes Type 1 through Clothes Type 5, you can pre-assign fabrics to future ideas. "2 meters of linen" becomes "Summer Shirt" or "Wide-Leg Trousers" in your planning queue.
  • The Production Gallery: As you complete projects, the corresponding Clothes Photo fields allow you to document the result. This creates a permanent link between the raw material and the final creation, helping you learn which fabrics worked best for which silhouettes.

Usage Scenarios: The Fabric Store Check

You are at a fabric sale and see a stunning button set that would match that green wool you have at home. But is it a blue-green or a yellow-green? You open Memento, pull up the entry for the wool, and zoom in on the Pattern photo. You check the Meters field and see you have 3.5 meters—enough for a coat. You buy the buttons with confidence, knowing they will match and you have enough yardage to use them.

Power Feature: Multi-Project Allocation

The ability to link a single fabric record to five different Clothes Type ideas acknowledges the reality of the creative process. Often, a fabric is bought for one reason but used for another. This flexibility allows you to brainstorm multiple possibilities—"Skirt? Blouse? Lining?"—without losing track of the material's physical constraints. It turns your inventory into a dynamic mood board that evolves with your skills and interests.