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Benefits of using Swedish Tracing Paper

Swedish tracing paper is made from eco-friendly abaca fibres which makes it more tear resistant than regular paper but at the same time keeping a transparency which allows you to easily trace your sewing patterns.  We wanted to share with you 12 great reasons to use Patterntrace, our Swedish Tracing Paper:

1 – It is fibrous paper, like a light interfacing, so easier to manipulate than printer paper.

2 – It is translucent so you can easily trace the pattern beneath it.

3 – It is a metre wide, ideal for large dressmaking patterns, no more taping pieces together.

4 – You can use it to draft patterns, why not place it over your cutting board so you can see the grid underneath to help guide you.

5 – It comes in 10m rolls, enough for several patterns

6 – You can use it to make pattern alterations ensuring a good fit

7 – You can iron it (with a cool iron – I use the silk setting on mine) to remove creases, so feel free to fold up your patterns to store them so they don’t take too much space.

8 – You can sew it to make toiles, or 3d versions of bag patterns etc. No special needle or thread needed, just sew it as you would cotton fabric.

9 – You can use it to trace multiple sizes off a pattern – preserving the expensive original pattern.

10 – It’s easy to write on, use a pencil, chalk or pen, it’s not shiny and slippery like regular tracing paper so much easier to label or transfer pattern markings.

11 – It is made from Abaca fibres which means it is compostable and environmentally friendly 

12 – It’s made in the UK!

Do you want to try Patterntrace? You can get a full 10m roll here.  Plus don’t forget if you sign up to our newsletter you’ll get a 15% off discount code!

 

Benefits of using Swedish Tracing Paper

General tips and points to remember…

  • The terms jersey, knitted and stretchy fabric can get used interchangeably, not just here but generally as you look around online you’ll see these terms being used to refer to similar things.
  • This fabric can be made from a variety of fibres such as cotton, viscose, modal, polyester, wool and bamboo. Usually they will also have a percentage of a stretchy fibre such as elastane or spandex.
  • The thickness or weight of them can be described in grams per square meter but as this number is hard to put into context and isn’t always available more subjective terms can be used to describe them such as light weight, medium weight etc
  • They can also be referred to with special more technical names such as ponte roma, double knit, single knit, sweatshirting and loop back. I’ll cover the most common ones below in more detail
  • I've tried to keep things are relevant as possible for the home dressmaker. These is lots of other more detailed and technical information out there but I hope this summery helps you understand more about this great fabric and how to sew it into your handmade wardrobe.

How to work out the amount and type of stretch

They stretch in different ways by different amounts. Some fabrics have a two way stretch and will stretch between the selvedges. Some have a 4 way stretch and will stretch lengthwise as well as between the selvedges. Use a swimsuit as a way to remember - it’s a 4 way stretch as it must stretch the length of your body as well as the width of your body.

The percentage of stretch refers to how much the fabric physically stretches, NOT the percentage of stretchy fibre (spandex or elastase) that is in them. Sewing patterns will typically as for a minimum percentage of stretch the fabric must have.

Why is percentage stretch important?

Sewing patterns designed for this type of fabric are typically designed with negative ease. This means that the garment you make will be smaller than your actual body measurement so that it stretches and fits around you. That’s why it's really important to use the right amount of stretch, otherwise you won’t be able to get the garment on/off or move in it!

How to use your Stretch Percentage Measurer

If you’re using a pattern which is designed for jersey fabrics then it will probably tell you the stretch percentage that the fabric you use needs to have. This is different from the stretch content, which is how much elastane or lycra is in the fabric.

Step One

Hold a 10cm section of your fabric, stretch it as far as it will comfortably stretch, without over stretching

Step Two

Every centimetre over 10 will correspond to 10% of stretching. So if your test piece stretches to 14cm, then the fabric has 40% stretch.