Category Archives: Tutorials

Are you confused and always in a fix when you are planning to transfer patterns on to fabric?

Here is a list of easy methods to make this job easy for you!

But first, I would like to tell you about something called a light box or a light pad. Having one of these is great help when you are tracing patterns. They light up the pattern from the back making it easy to see the tracing lines through the layers of fabric and paper. I recently pulled one off of Amazon that is USB enabled and thin as a card, great to use and easy to stow away.

However, if you don’t have one of these, then a glass windowpane or a lamp lit under a glass table serve the same purpose.

And now, off to the list of methods to trace patterns

1. Heat erasable pen

Place pattern on the light pad and position the fabric on it. Use paper clips or masking tape to hold fabric in place if you are tracing a large pattern. Trace using heat erasable pen. The pen marks can easily be erased using a hot iron or blowing with a hair dryer.

2. Washable pen

Employs the same method as the heat erasable pen. Except that in this case, the marks can be erased under water.

3. Carbon transfer (5B/6B pencil)

Carbon is rubbed on the wrong side of the paper using a 5B or a 6B pencil along the pattern outline (especially if the pattern is directional). Then the pattern is placed on the fabric carbon side facing the paper and the outline traced using a sharp tipped pen. Carbon marks may sometimes leave permanent marks though.

4. Heat transfer pencil

This is a special type of pencil that can be used to trace the pattern outline on the wrong side of the paper using the light pad or a windowpane. The pattern is then positioned on the fabric and transferred using a hot iron.

5. Transfer paper

Transfer paper is available online and in stationary shops in many different colours. Fabric, transfer paper and pattern are placed one on top of the other and the pattern traced using a sharp tipped pen. Transfer paper marks are easily removed by washing.

And so, I leave you with various options to trace your patterns, the next time you start a project.

Watch my video to see how easy this is! Choose the method that’s best for you and have fun creating…

Embed YOUTUBE video here

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