If so what do you trace them onto?? Red dot can get kinda expensive especially if I'm gonna be altering and retracing. I bought a HUGE roll of butcher paper at costco (my kids could finger paint everyday for 6 years!! LOL) but it's a bit to thick to be able to see the lines on the tissue paper patterns.

And what kind of pen do you use?? I have a black permenant sharpie that left stains on my table! :( Right now I am using a gel pen which seems okay.

i use pellon gridded pattern paper and a ballpoint pen. i buy it by the bolt wholesale so it is pretty cheap. works great for creating patterns from scratch since it is gridded.

I trace them onto waxed paper with a sharpie.

I've just been buying tracing paper from the stationary store, but yeah, it's expensive. I use a pencil or ballpoint pen to trace. I do have some stuff I bought from kidalog that's supposed to be good for tracing, but I HATE it. Nothing writes on it but marker, but marker goes right through it too, onto my table. Why can't anyone just make a huge cheap roll of tracing paper?? /rant

I trace onto this stuff I get at JoAnn that's just like interfacing. I think it's called "pattern ease" or something. I always just ask for "that stuff for tracing patterns".

I find that a colored pencil works best. Sharpies bleed through and pens dry up and start skipping. A nice soft colored pencil gives me a good thick line.

wax paper and sharpies are used here! :)

sew on interfacing and usually crayon. :0) works great

I have been using parchment paper & a pencil... but I would really like to find something more fabric-like (and wider) to use...
"pattern ease" sounds nice... I'll have to ask a our fabric store :)

I went to my doctor's office and begged off a roll of the 'bed' paper. He sells it to me now for $4 a roll.. I think there's about 25 yards or so on each roll. I use the ballpoint sharpies to trace with also. If I linger in one spot to long they do tend to bleed.

At one point I was using paper from an architect place, I think it's called canary yellow paper. It's yellow, sharpies don't bleed through it, and it's not *that* expensive (about $20 for 100 yards). the only reason I didn't care for it is b/c it's slightly more expensive than the dr's office stuff, I have to order it and it's a tad more brittle than the paper I use now.

Kristy


Mama to ashtyn, alliyah, anna, amanda and ozzy pup
Wife to Ty

Originally posted by arasmama
i use pellon gridded pattern paper and a ballpoint pen. i buy it by the bolt wholesale so it is pretty cheap. works great for creating patterns from scratch since it is gridded.


OOH I'd like more info!

The red dot stuff is just like sew in interfacing and I guess at 1.75 a yd it's not too bad, but I'd like to actually save some money sewing my own clothes as opposed to spending more! LOL I'm tired of only buying off the dollar table to save a few bucks!! I feel terribly guilty when I spend 3.99 a yd on fabric!! UGH! (sorry for the rant :P)

Originally posted by Thmom



OOH I'd like more info!

The red dot stuff is just like sew in interfacing and I guess at 1.75

It is similiar to the red dot stuff, but easier to write on, little thicker, and doesn't slip around so much when you are trying to cut around it with a rotary cutter. It may be what some people are talking about above - you can buy it at Joanns in the interfacing section, feels like interfacing.

Here is what my book says: PP810 Pellon Tru-Grid: Accurate 1" graph for scaling up, duplicating or altering patterns. 45" by 24 yds $24/bolt

I went to my doctor's office and begged off a roll of the 'bed' paper.
What a *great* idea! I'll have to try this one. ;)

I buy a big roll of Reynold's freezer paper at walmart and whatever I can find to write with - usually a ball point pen. It works great, and it can be used for appliquing too.

My seamstress friend IRL taught be to trace my patterns on tissue paper (like the stuff you use for gifts). Until then I had been cutting the patterns out and stressing since I felt that I was "wasting" them kwim?

I use a regular pen or pencil and trace right on my kitchen table.

I go to OfficeMax and go to the drafting section. Buy the 2 foot by 50foot *posterboard* drafting paper on the roll. I know it says posterboard but I actually can see the pattern in the right light and the kwiksew patterns are no trouble at all. It lasts a long time and is about $8.99 for a 50 foot roll, 2 feet wide :)

I use wax paper or freezer paper and a tracing wheel.
I like to use the tracing wheel much more than using a pen or maker.

I have used recycled present tissue, but it's such a pain, I finally decided to try this: http://www.sewbaby.com/big/notions4_/notions_5.html. When it runs out, I'll be trying something cheaper, now that I know better. ;)

I had it bookmarked but it's gone now. wah! i'm almost out of patternese and was going to get some more but then remembered someone recommended this stuff as a cheaper alternative. i think maybe it was some kind interfacing but not sure. it's where you buy a whole bolt. thinking it was phunkymama or tiptoefairy or someone... LOL

Does anyone have a clue what I'm talking about? :p

was it trench cloth...?
I can send you some since a really nice mama sent me a whole bolt...

LMK if you want it, I can drop a few yards in the mail to you~
Sherrie

I'm not sure what it's called. That would be very cool, though, Sherrie! No rush on it cuz I still have a bunch of things already cut out I need to finish before moving on to other things. You can just throw it in with the scraps whenever you get around to it (no rush on those, either LOL).

And a bump just in case someone knows what the heck I"m talking about. :p

If Sherrie doesn't know what the heck you are talking about then there isn't much hope many others will either. :p

This is what Sherrie has:

soil separator, trench cloth, tracing cloth, whateveryouwanttocallit (http://www.carriff.com/products/products.html)

And it is also what I personally endorse ;)

Heather

Stephanie, ya have a veeeeery good point there... ROFL!

Thanks, Heather! Off to check that out. L)

soil separater is the best!! also a great stabilizer

Okay, I know I'm the odd one out on this. Plus I don't have any experience with this stuff either. But I do know I hate the products they sell at the fabric store for tracing. They stretch... they bleed through when you trace... and they're expensive. What I do like is tracing paper. They sell the brown stuff, on a roll, at art supply and drafting stores. It's just a lil heavier than the tissue in regular patterns. It's real nice and smooth, easy to trace through, it doesn't bleed, and doesn't stretch. It's not that pricy either. the roll takes up very little space. I'm thinkiing that one of these days I'd like a work table. a big one. With areas to hold fabric bins, and the tissue roll attached on one end. it would be great for tracing and cutting.

Mary Jo, so you'd buy that stuff specifically rather than the "sewing fabric" listed on that site?

And the rest of you that have tried the "trench" stuff--which specific product do you prefer?

Starleigh, yup, I know many people prefer paper but I have, um, issues with paper. :p

Thanks for all of the opinions! Whatever I end up buying, I'm going to get a whole bolt of it so I don't want to be stuck with nasty stuff for a year or two. LOL

Originally posted by owiebrain
Mary Jo, so you'd buy that stuff specifically rather than the "sewing fabric" listed on that site?

And the rest of you that have tried the "trench" stuff--which specific product do you prefer?



The soil separator, trench cloth and sewing fabric are all the exact same product, just different "names". Look at the link, the "soil separator" is used to line trenches and the "sewing fabric" comes in the exact same lengths and prices as the soil separator. All the exact same stuff.

Heather

Originally posted by owiebrain
Mary Jo, so you'd buy that stuff specifically rather than the "sewing fabric" listed on that site?

And the rest of you that have tried the "trench" stuff--which specific product do you prefer?

Starleigh, yup, I know many people prefer paper but I have, um, issues with paper. :p

Thanks for all of the opinions! Whatever I end up buying, I'm going to get a whole bolt of it so I don't want to be stuck with nasty stuff for a year or two. LOL

LIke someone else already said it's all the same just different labeling. I went to home depot and got a roll of it 36" x 150' it should last.

Okay it is thin though so you can't tracing with a sharpie. But it folds up so nice and I have heard you can even sew it. I am very happy with it though. If you want I can send you a sample of it.

Oh and the best part is I only paid $14 for the roll!

Questions....so is it thin enough you can see the pattern underneath it??

So what's the name of the stuff at Home Depot. We have idiots at ours, and I need an actual name to give them, lol.

You should have seen them trying to find where they hid all the microwaves that were on sale a couple weeks ago :rolleyes: And the time I asked for lye, yes something simple like lye was a challenge for these people. ARGH!

It makes a good tracing paper. It's thin enough to be able to trace easily, resistant, it doesn't wrinkle, and you can even sew through it if you want to see how your pattern fits !

Depending on the stores, they will have it in the gardening section labeled as "soil separator", "trench cloth", "lanscaping cloth" or in the plumbing aisle as septic tank lining.

If you don't find it at a local store, you can order it on the Carriff website (sorry, don't have the link). They sell it under two different names, "sewing cloth" and another name.

HTH !

at Lowes, it's in the plumbing section. It's laying on a shelf so you can't really see that it's a roll of fabric. They called it soil seperator cloth. It's up pretty high, above all the plastic piping.

Thanks! I'll try the Lowe's in the next town, they are so much better than our home depot, lol.

Originally posted by TipToe Fairy
Thanks! I'll try the Lowe's in the next town, they are so much better than our home depot, lol.
Our Home Depot had NO clue what I was talking about. I just walked right into the plumbing section and Lowe's and he pointed me straight to it. I got a big ol' roll for 18$.

Do you go buy regular tracing paper? Or do you buy pattern ease? Or some thing else?

I use freezer paper. One side is paper so it's easy to write on, and the other side is kind of plastic-ey so they don't tear up when i store them. Plus a huge roll that will last me like a year is only $4 at the grocery store.

Patternease! I love that stuff!!! I tend to use the same patterns over & over again, so I feel like I get my money's worth out of it. :D

I use the cheapest interfacing Walmart carries... something like $1.12/yd. I had some Kwik Trace, but really don't like it.

Depends. If it's something I'm going to use over and over I use interfacing. If I want to just use it a few times I take it to Kinko's and make copies and cut right into them. Sometimes I laminate them if I like them (leggings come to mind!)

I don't have KwikSew but I do have some multi-size patterns I use over and over again. I buy rolls of cheap wrapping paper at the dollar store (or just use up extra Xmas wrap). I trace onto the back and then store the original pattern, instructions & copy in gallon size ziplock bags in my pattern box. They don't last forever but I think I've only worn out a couple to the point that I had to retrace them. And wrapping paper is thin enough that I can just tape them to a window and trace easily.

Michelle

I use good ol dollar store clear table cloth! and a dollor store black felt tip marker to trace the pattern on the clear plastic! I can see everything and it lasts!

Kendra

I buy the "interfacing" with the blue grids (at least that's what it's with) with a 50% off Joanns coupon. I bought some KS tracing paper, but I'm not as happy with it.

I usually use Pattern-Ease, but have used interfacing as well. I used freezer paper one time, too. For my own dipe cover patts, I used manila envelopes. I taped 2 together for the largest one and let the join be the centre of the patt so it folds in half nicely.

I use Carriff Soil Separator Fabric - it is extra thin and only needs a colored pencil for tracing. Very durable. Found out about it from a newsgroup I am on for pattern drafting software - many of the women use it for making their muslins, so you can sew it an use it as a stabilizer.

I bought it at Lowe's - back in the plumbing section. It was next to the black plastic corrugated pipe used outdoors. It was about $30 for 300 feet of 36" fabric. I bought it 2 years ago and I still have more than half a roll left. If you go into Lowe's looking for it in the plumbing section and the guy doesn't know what you are talking about, ask him where the "drain sleeves" are - and it should be near there.

I think they caught on that it can be used for this and are now marketing it as such. They also have an online store to buy directly from them:
Carriff.com (http://www.carriff.com)

Have been using Pattern Ease, but have heard (and plan to use) people LOVING Carriff Soil Separator Fabric-as mentioned by someone above :)

Originally posted by bakinglass
I use Carriff Soil Separator Fabric - it is extra thin and only needs a colored pencil for tracing. Very durable. Found out about it from a newsgroup I am on for pattern drafting software - many of the women use it for making their muslins, so you can sew it an use it as a stabilizer.

I bought it at Lowe's - back in the plumbing section. It was next to the black plastic corrugated pipe used outdoors. It was about $30 for 300 feet of 36" fabric. I bought it 2 years ago and I still have more than half a roll left. If you go into Lowe's looking for it in the plumbing section and the guy doesn't know what you are talking about, ask him where the "drain sleeves" are - and it should be near there.

I think they caught on that it can be used for this and are now marketing it as such. They also have an online store to buy directly from them:
Carriff.com (http://www.carriff.com)

This is what I use too. Its the best stuff that I have ever used and its cheap too!! How often does that happen???

Heather