11+ Pattern Path and mural problem

[the Missaydes of Missy]

I do notice the 10 pattern holding limit and the "If you swap it out, anything else in your town/house will change to the new pattern"
Is there any way to avoid that 10 pattern limit without making extra characters solely as pattern slaves?
Because what if I want to make a huge mural? And/Or a 19 piece path? Has anyone got an efficient way to get a lot of patterns displayed at once? And what do you do with your extra character slaves? Just bunch their houses all in a corner?

 

[Kaiaa]

There is no other way around this as far as I know. If you want any pathways/murals that are over the 10 pattern limit, you'll have to make slave characters