Monday, July 30, 2012

Tracing paper

A quick in between post on tracing/wax/carbon paper. Karin said she found it difficult to find wax paper and asked what I used for it.
I use Burda copying paper and am not aware of any other brand available. I can buy it in a notions store. It’s available in a package with white and yellow and a package with blue and red marking paper. The sheets are large (82x57 cm), not as large as the one Susan Khalje uses in her class probably, but I usually only have to reposition for very long or wide pattern pieces (think trousers, wide skirt panels). A set of paper lasts for a very long time. Last year I bought a new set with the red sheet, the one I used till then had lasted a couple of years. In the end it was torn by folding and using a lot, but I still have that piece too, held together by tape on the back, as it doesn’t give too thick wax dots any more, and in some cases (thinner fabric) I still prefer to use the old sheet!
I use it for “real” fabric as well, not only for muslins, depending on the fabric of course! I wouldn’t use the coloured ones on a white fabric, but have used white on white, and surprisingly usually that is just visible enough.
In English it’s called Carbon paper, and if you google for Burda carbon paper you might find a shop that sells it. This way I found out it’s also sold by several vendors on Ebay. Make sure you buy “Kopierpapier” (I indicated it on the screenshot).
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7 comments:

  1. I've never seen the Burda paper here in the states but you can get the large sheets that Kenneth King and Susan Khalje use from www.richardthethread.com You can also get it in NYC at SIL and Steinloff and Stoller. I think that Mood has it as well. The sheets are very large and KK suggests that you don't use it full size but cut it into long strips maybe 8" wide. He also told us to use clear packing tape on the back to prolong their life.

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  2. Thanks for this tip! I will check out whether this is available in England.

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  3. I'm including the link for the tracing paper Susan used.

    http://www.richardthethread.com/index.php?submenu=Stockroom_Supplies&src=directory&view=shop_richard&srctype=detail&refno=455&category=Stockroom_Supplies

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  4. Also in NYC the bookstore at the Fashion Institute of Technology has it as well in red,blue,yellow and white. It's not on the website but they will do a email order over the phone.

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  5. Lucky you...I'm in the middle of the Jean-ius class, and am having an awful time with the tracing paper. I tried getting it off of SIL but the website would not let me place an order at all after several attempts, and they never got back to me about it when I emailed the support link. I wanted to avoid Richard The Thread if possible because of the $45 minimum order, because at the time I had no need for anything else on the site. At this point, I might need to just suck it up and do it, because I guess I can justify spiral steel boning now that I'm about to sew a wedding dress, right?

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  6. It is really difficult to find this particular one in London. Luckily, I was in Utrecht market 2 weekends ago, and I bought 2 packets to take back with me to London.

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