In answer to a question




The school holidays are finally upon us which makes it rather difficult to keep up with this space, please forgive me if my response to comments is poor at present, I do so love to receive them and when Blogger permits me there is nothing I like better than to acknowledge and thank the writer but I know that I will get very behind over the next few weeks so please accept my apologies and know just how very important they are to me, thank you, thank you, thank you.



So now, a post in response to a comment on my last post.


Hi that is a beautiful skirt. Question for you though, hope you don't mind, how do you trace the patterns from the book?
I have that book and can't find anything that will let me trace the patterns on to other paper - my john lewis just had plastic slidy paper which would not stay still - so I gave up. But I want to make that skirt, and the pyjamas, and the shirt, and the trapeze dress.......... Many thanks Patti

I decided that Patti's question deserved a post, it is a question I have been asked several times in the past and I very clearly recall my own struggle with the same issue when I began first began to use sewing books. My answer is very simple, I use perfectly ordinary rolls of greaseproof paper
. They are cheap, easily available and come in really long rolls. Should more width be required I join with Scotch Magic Tape, I also use my Magic Tape to secure paper to pattern whilst tracing, it peels away easily when I am finished.




However, there is a rather fabulous product available called Swedish Tracing Paper and the large sewing shop in Colchester (my nearest large town) sells this off the roll, cut to length. I have been meaning to try it for a very long time, it is not slippery, thicker than the tissue paper normally used for commercial patterns, a little bit of drape and you can actually sew it which would be brilliant for making alterations to a pattern.




Unfortunately I find every trip I make to Colchester to be so traumatic that by the time I have negotiated 37 (well it feels like 37) roundabouts and found a car park without height restrictions I am generally too frazzled to buy any of the things I meant to buy. I usually leave having drunk coffee, bought a soul restoring but overly expensive lipstick and new pants & socks for children making it rather a waste of a journey. One of these days though....

I have had a quick Google and discovered that rolls of the paper are available at Gloriarty and on Ebay and should anyone have any other pattern tracing recommendations I would be very glad to hear them.


Comments

Swedish tracing paper is fabulous stuff because you can also make a mock up outfit (all sewn together) and try it to establish if you need to make alterations there and then before you cut into your precious fabric though....I have been assured that ordinary garden fleece lining is just as good and even cheaper, but I have never tried this myself.

Happy holidays,

Nina xx
rachel said…
Greaseproof paper? The least manageable stuff in the world? You must have special powers.... I use it when baking, and it drops out of its own roll-formation without warning and uncoils all over the kitchen floor, every time. Infuriating!
Donna said…
Somewhere I read the tip to use lightweight interfacing--I think that's what it's called, you use it between layers of fabric to stiffen hat brims and collars and other things. It works very well, it's just enough see through to be able to trace the patterns.
Kate said…
I use the lightweight non fusible interfacing, very cheap and you can easily see through it.
karen said…
I use japanese grid paper called copi queen.

super simple to use. ;)
I use mahjong paper [avaliable in may part of the world] which is too thick for tracing so I outline the pattern using carbon copy paper. Very old-fashioned! haha
sorry *my part of the world!
Roobeedoo said…
Burda pattern tracing paper - available via ebay. It's just a thin tissue but is much easier to use than greaseproof paper.

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