My new discoveries for tracing patterns, easier than before!!!!

[canadian gardener]

OK briefly I've been playing with my Burda World of Fashion magazine patterns again, and they are VERY difficult to trace off.

Till now!

And what I've learnt this last wrestling match between me and the patterns (they are multiple sizes and multi patterns all printed on top of each other like crazed German elves on speed scribbling in 4 colours)

What I learnt is applicable to any tracing patterns, where you don't want to destroy the master copy.

FIRST of all: USE A HIGHLIGHTER to spot light the size or line of the pattern you want to trace. I used flourescent yellow. Shows up great. Even under trying conditions like Burda's WOF magazine master patterns. (40 or 50 MULTI SIZE patterns all printed on 2 large sheets of newsprint in 4 colours!!!) If my highlighter method works on that visual noise, it will certainly help you with your Kwik Sew or multisized pattern tissue.

SECOND: Use wax paper. I ran out of my tablecloth paper, and decided to try wax paper finally. I'd heard of it from Nancy of Nancy's notions but never tried it.

WOOO HOOO I'm a wax paper convert.

About making wax paper bigger, fuse 2 sheets by laying on a towel draped ironing board and using a press cloth, and an iron set on wool (dry) gently fuse the wax sheets together.

YOU CAN SEE THRU WAX WAY WAY BETTER!!!! So you trace the pattern, onto the wax paper, watching for your flourescent marker to highlight the lines of the size you are working on.

NEXT USE A GOOD MARKER PEN. I used a permanent marker made by sharpie, not a sharpy cause the sharpy wasn't quite as good on the wax paper.

USE A RULER OR FRENCH CURVE for extra help making the lines smooth if that bugs you.

300 ft or 100 yards of wax paper cost me 7.59 $ a Costco if I remember correctly. It's CHEAP!

WISH I'D run out of my tracing paper years and years ago. This wax paper trick is so much fun, so cheap and Works so GREAT!!!!!!!

Wax paper RULES!!!!!!

[Missy]

great tip!!

[SewCrafty]

WTG Margery!

[Sara Noel]

I never even heard of this before. Great tip. Thank you.

[Michelle]

Yup, works really well. I've always used wax paper for tracing my patterns

[canadian gardener]

Michelle I feel sort of silly, because old sewing granny types have been telling me this for years, and Iv'e ignored it thinking it was a lot of work to fuse the sheets, to make them wide enough for some of the pattern bits, and I thought it would be flimsy.

Nope on both counts, and I am going for wax paper sewing heaven around here. I'm never going back to my white table liner paper. (medical supply houses sell the same stuff, and it's a good sturdy white paper on a roll, but you can somewhat see thru it but the wax beats it all hollow.