Comments on: Tracing and Marking

By: Monique

Monique — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:14:24 +0000

Thank you SO MUCH I have learned more from reading your blog than I have in fashion school! this will get me to change the bad habits I had gotten from an old sewing teacher, also I am going to change my cutting way’s now that later.

By: Megan H

Megan H — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:25:18 +0000

I don’t know of anyone that does store them flat. I suppose one could with a paper sorter type thing, but yeah, I guess I was just wondering if it is ever done. I guess it wouldn’t be, because hanging them is just so much more convenient.

At work, we just punch holes in the patterns and thread cord through the holes to hang them. What other methods for hanging them are common, or is this “the way” to do it?

By: kathleen

kathleen — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:04:05 +0000

Hmm. You mean oaktag patterns? I didn’t realize people stored them flat. How do they manage them, sort them, organize and find the pieces? I suppose if people do store them flat there has to be some reason for it but I can’t imagine what it might be. Explain it if you can find the time, thanks!

By: Megan H.

Megan H. — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:25:08 +0000

This is great advice, thank you!

I personally know the pain of handling patterns that have been traced with a sharpie. A woman I used to work with did so, and often if I had to change the pattern, I’d end up with black marks all over my hands, and sometimes on my clothes from the pattern edges.

I didn’t know about the angled wax pencil thing. I’ll have to give that a shot.

What are your views on hanging cardstock patterns rather than storing them flat?

By: Sewer

Sewer — Mon, 25 May 2009 06:11:35 +0000

This was really helpful. I’m still a beginner, but this spring I started analyzing every aspect of my prep technique because I thought I was not cutting with sufficient precision. I’ve tired every marking tool known to man. The points about marking at an angle both on the paper and the fabric and holding the ruler a bit beneath the line are things I haven’t read before.

By: nowaks nähkästchen

nowaks nähkästchen — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:45:22 +0000

Thank you so much for all those articles about cutting and marking! Now a lot of things make sense to me. (Like why you don’t need pins….) And I know better what to change, to improve my homesewing.

Thank you again!

By: LisaB

LisaB — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:33:05 +0000

Kathleen, thanks for this post and the one on rotary cutters. Even though I’m an enthusiast, I’m trying to learn to do things the right way, and I sometimes need reminding. I appreciate your addressing these issues.

By: Gigi

Gigi — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:56:43 +0000

Thank you so much for this post! I am trying so hard to unlearn some bad home-sewing habits and it is so helpful to see and learn the correct way to do things.