Sewing Pattern Tracing Paper:
Exam Table Paper - To draft or trace sewing patterns, use exam table paper from the Doctor's office. There is a smooth, white paper which runs 21 inches wide and 225 feet long on a roll. The long roll won't run out quickly and is a perfect size to trace patterns. It is transparent and sturdier than gift wrap tissue paper. Also, it runs much cheaper than pattern tracing paper. The smaller pieces can be used to make pattern alterations. Exam paper is best used when cutting out slippery fabric. By taping the ends of the paper to the cutting table and pinning the fabric to the paper, both the fabric and paper can be cut at the same time. Strips of the exam paper can be used at the sewing machine to help in stitching a fabric.
Wax paper also works great for tracing paper. A iron can be used to press two sheets of wax paper together to build strength. The iron melts the wax and seals the 2 layers together. Overlaping sheets of wax paper can be pressed and sealed together to make wider sheets of paper. A needlepoint tracing wheel works wonderfully to trace your patterns onto wax paper. Lay the wax paper under the pattern you want to trace. The holes created by the tracing wheel will penetrate the wax paper, making it easy to see where to cut out the pattern. Make sure to use the tracing wheel on a cardboard cutting mat or a cork top table.
Another medical product that can be used is micropore white tape. The 1/2 inch x 10 yards roll can be pressed and won't melt like cellophane tape. Use the paper tape as a 1/2 inch stitching guide. It works great on zipper applications when topstitching is needed. Micropore tape won't leave any residue on the fabric when it is removed. It can also be uses to mark the wrong side of the fabric instead of masking tape. The tape can be written on as well, and it's useful to stick a piece of tape with a note on it inside garment pieces. A small reminded such as "make 1/4 inch seams instead of 5/8 inch seams" can be very helpful when sewing a garment piece.
Pressing Seam Rolls:
Empty cardboard tubes are great pressing tools. Pick up a long one from the drapery department to help press leg seams on pants. Use shorter cardboard tubes that are more sturdy to press shorter seams like sleeves, etc. It is not necessary to cover these. A few old magazines taped together and covered with a piece of cotton fabric will make an excellent seam roll. However, be careful of the magazine dyes bleeding through. Testing out the magazine seam roll will insure that the dyes won't bleed through. If they do bleed, use more cotton fabric to create a better cover around the seam roll. |
