things i love to hate

I just come right out and say it: tracing patterns sucks! I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that.

Up until yesterday my pattern tracing has gone a little something like this. Find pattern I like. Decided which size to make (if applicable). Tape many pieces of plain printer paper together. Squint through paper to find appropriate lines. Trace in pencil since I'm bound to do it wrong. Fix mistakes. Go over pencil lines with pen or sharpie. Repeat for all pattern pieces. WAY TOO MUCH WORK!

A few days ago I had an epiphany. Parchment paper! It's wider than normal paper or any of the other food papers and wraps that come in rolls. At about 15" wide, it's wide enough to trace almost any pattern piece I could need. It's semi transparent so it's easy to use for tracing, thicker than tissue paper so it's more durable, but not so thick as regular paper , making it more flexible.

I was so stoked when I thought of this that I had to fight the urge to run out and get some parchment paper right then. Instead I stayed home and finished a big project I really needed to get done. (More on that later.)

I bought some parchment paper and a set of coloured double tipped permanent markers on my way to work tomorrow and did some pattern tracing while the kids slept.



My biggest problem (possibly bigger than the paper issue) is my need to have ALL the sizes traced. If I've made a pattern once I feel the need to make sure I have all possible sizes traced so I can just get to the sewing the next time I want to make it.

Enter Handmade Beginnings.

There are no fewer than 5 patterns in that book that both require the pattern to be traced AND I find to be amazing and indispensable. The Quick Change Trousers, Cute as a Button Booties, Sleep Sack, Baby in the Hood Jacket and Picture Perfect Dress are all fabulous, relatively easy patterns that are great for baby showers and gifts for friends with new babies.

I am currently in the middle of making not one but 2 Baby in the Hood Jackets and I can tell you I will be making plenty more. My only sadness comes from the fact that the sizes only go up to 24 months, otherwise I would be making them for the twins as well.

All this to say, I have finished tracing all the sizes for 3.5 of the previously mentioned patterns and I've used a whole 33' roll of parchment paper. Good thing it's cheap! I think I may need an intervention soon, because after the patterns from Handmade Beginnings I'll be moving onto my 2 favourites from Style Stitches and then the Ice Cream Dress by Oliver + S.

Somebody stop me.