Reuse Sewing Pattern Tissue Paper

1.  Craft a pretty bouquet.  Tissue paper flowers shown are by Montclair Made.

Found a clever site - Crafting a Green World, The Home for Eco-Friendly Crafts.   This is a blog post from Jackie Hernandez  using sewing pattern tissue in several re-purposed projects. 

Here are a bunch of inspiring ideas for reusing sewing pattern tissue paper.

 

2. Wrap up a gift or use sewing pattern tissue in the gift bag.  The cute wraps here are by Lil Fish Studios.

 

 

3.  These matching gift tags also by Lil Fish Studios look stunning with stitch detail and found buttons.   Comic books and greeting cards make great gift tags, but who would of thought to use sewing patterns.  All they need is a sturdy foundation.  

 

4.  Make flower tissue twinkle lights with this how-to from Everyday Beauty.

 5.  Decoupage letters.  These paper pulp letters with sewing pattern decoupage are by Copabananas.  You could get a similar effect with paper mache letters found at most craft stores.

6.  You can never have enough craft storage.  Decoupage a box with the tissue and cutouts from the pattern envelope.  The adorable sewing button box here are by Sewing Geek.

 7.  Junque Art Studio and Crab Apple Design makes really cool magnets using both the sewing pattern tissue and the pattern instruction sheets.  

Reading a Sewing Pattern

Whether you have been sewing for awhile or just learning, this book offers comprehensive, easy to understand instruction for successful garment construction.

Here's a quick excerpt from the book on Reading a Sewing Pattern.

By Jan Saunders Maresh

Even though a sewing pattern might be labeled "easy" or "quick," the pattern instruction writers sometimes assume that you have a certain amount of general sewing knowledge. Nothing can be more intimidating than trying to figure out what all the hieroglyphics are on the various parts of a pattern. Don't have a pattern panic attack! Take a look at each of the standard pattern parts one at a time, and you'll be shopping for patterns like a pro in no time.

Reading the front of the pattern envelope

On the front of the pattern envelope, you often see several style variations of the same project. In the world of sewing, these style variations are called views. One view may have a collar, long sleeves, and cuffs. Another view may have a V-neck and short sleeves.

In home decor patterns, you may have several views in one pattern for a basic window treatment. Another pattern may have several pillow views. A third has several options for slipcovers. Views simply give you style options on creating the same basic project.

Reading the back of the pattern envelope

The back of a pattern envelope contains the following information about your project:

• The back of the project in detail: The front of the pattern usually just shows the front of your project.

• A description of the project by view: Always read the description of a project on the back of the pattern envelope. Drawings and photographs can be deceiving, but this written description tells you exactly what you're getting.

• How much fabric to buy: This information is based on the width of the fabric you choose, the view you're making, your size, and whether your fabric has nap or not.

If your fabric has nap, the pattern requires you to buy a little more fabric. Your fabric has nap if it falls contains any of these qualities:

• One-way design: For example, your fabric shows dancing elephants printed in the same direction. If you cut out some of the pattern pieces in one direction and other pattern pieces in the opposite direction, you'll find elephants dancing right side up on part of the project and upside down on another part of the same project. You need extra fabric so that you can get all your elephants going in the right direction.

• Fuzzy texture:Such as velvet, corduroy, Polarfleece, and some sweatshirt fleeces. When brushed in one direction, the fabric is smooth; when brushed in the other direction, it's rough. This texture difference translates into a color difference. You need more fabric to cut out the pattern pieces in the same direction.

• Uneven stripe: For example, the fabric has three colored stripes — red, blue, and yellow. To match the stripes at the seams, you need extra fabric because the pattern must be laid out in the same direction. If the front and back pattern pieces are laid out in opposite directions, the stripes are cut on the front, going from red, to blue, to yellow. The stripes on the back would be cut so that they go from yellow, to blue, to red. When you sew the seam together, the stripes won't match at the side seams.

• Even or uneven plaid: The color bars in a plaid must match both vertically and horizontally. If the plaid is not symmetrical in one or both directions, you need to lay out the pattern pieces all going in the same direction. This technique requires more fabric — for making the plaid match.

• List of notions needed for specific views: These notions include items such as the number and size of buttons, the zipper length and type, elastic width and length, shoulder pad style and size, hooks and eyes, and so on.

It's what's inside that counts

Inside your pattern envelope, you find the following items necessary for your project:

• Pattern pieces: Some pattern pieces are printed on large pieces of tissue paper. Others are printed on sturdy pieces of white paper called master patterns.

To preserve the master pattern for reuse, simply trace the size you need onto a piece of pattern tracing material. (This material is available through sewing mail-order catalogs and specialty fabric stores. Look for Trace-A-Pattern and Do-Sew brands.)

This way, you can trace off another view or cut out a project for someone else who is a different size without destroying the master pattern.

• Key and glossary: These references help you decipher the markings on the pattern pieces.

• Pattern layout: The layout shows you how to lay out the pattern pieces on the fabric yardage for each view.

• Step-by-step instructions on how to put the project together: Instructions are written in various degrees of clarity depending on your knowledge of sewing.

The project instructions may run more than one page. If they do, staple the pages together in the upper-left corner and post them in front of you as you sew. Then you can easily check off each step as you finish it. If you don't have a place to post the sheet, set it next to your sewing machine, folded to the section you're working on, for a handy reference.

Tracing Sewing Patterns

by Carol Slinker

Do you have expensive, out of print or vintage patterns you cannot bear to cut? The best way to preserve your patterns is to trace them onto pattern tracing cloth or paper.

Do you have a favorite pattern that you use over and over?

If the pieces are already cut, an easy way to preserve them is to fuse each pattern piece to a lightweight, non-woven interfacing. Just cut a piece of fusible interfacing the size of the pattern piece and place the adhesive side to the wrong side of the pattern on an ironing board. Set your iron on synthetic (no steam) and fuse the interfacing to the pattern in smooth even strokes. Press until the pattern is thoroughly adhered to the interfacing and trim the edges to finish.

If your pattern is not cut, tracing or copying each piece is an excellent way to preserve original expensive, out of print and especially vintage patterns. Tracing a vintage pattern is especially satisfying, as you can cut out, sew and enjoy your vintage-style garment while the fragile pattern remains intact.Most pattern pieces are printed on large pieces of tissue paper, such as the patterns currently available in fabric stores today. Tracing the pattern pieces is a practical way to reuse these patterns which are commonly printed with multiple sizes and views on each pattern piece. By tracing the pattern pieces, other views and different sizes can be cut from the same pattern without destroying the original, and you can always go back and make the same style for someone else.

Some pattern magazines have four or five or more patterns printed in different colors on one sheet, so you have to trace them off to use them at all. Other patterns come as "master patterns", and tracing them off is good if you want to modify the pattern for one garment without losing the original. Examine the fit and try to make as many adjustments as possible while tracing. For example, most of us have standard adjustments to make to a pattern to allow for arm length, waist or hip size, etc. Instead of tracing the pattern exactly and then making the adjustments, either gently fold the original pattern piece or mark the ending point, and then move your tracing paper up or down the correct distance and fill in between.

The materials used to trace patterns are many and varied, from the packaged tracing paper kits available in fabric stores to using kitchen waxed paper, which is easy to see through, sturdy and if a larger piece is needed, just fuse two pieces together with a dry iron set on wool. Other tools required are an iron, a pen, French curve and ruler.

Before tracing the pattern, press each pattern piece lightly with a cool, dry iron (no steam – it could shrink the pattern) to remove any creases. Lay the pattern on a smooth hard surface, position the pattern tracing cloth or paper on top and secure with tape or weights. Use the French curve and ruler to trace the cutting lines and any necessary markings, adjustments, etc. and remember to label each piece with the pattern number and view, etc. Remove the tape, if used, and cut out the new duplicate permanent pattern. The original pattern remains intact and uncut.

If you're looking for quality sewing patterns to make your own stylish aprons, tote bags, hats & accessories or children's wear I hope you'll visit my eBay store. Where Saving Money is Good!

Thank you so much and Enjoy!
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