Drafting Tools: The Tracing Wheel

In the previous post I showed you how to make your own pattern for a T-shirt, but the same principals apply to almost everything you could draft - the the most important tool you will need to do so is a Tracing Wheel.

A Tracing Wheel dose just that, it traces seams on pre-existing garments. Oblivious this would come in handy then copying or drafting.

Below is a pic of the two most common types of tracing wheels.
The one on the left has points around the wheel, but they generally are not quite sharp enough to poke through your garment and the paper underneath with out a great force that will inevitably ruin the garment you're using.
The one on the right has long sharp pins that allow it to pierce through the fabric and make a nice row of marks on your tracing paper. This would be my first choice.
(below: picture of the paper used under a tracing wheel with poked holes for marks)
More info: I originally bought my tracing wheel for a different purpose. Having a growing baby and loving a few of my store-bought patterns so much, I was looking for a way to keep those patterns intact to be used in different sizes as she grows. So I use the same method explained above - but backwards :) I would lay the pattern on top of the fabric I was going to use and trace over the paper, leaving the paper itself intact to be use another day and also leaving a trail of lil pin pricks to me to follow as I cut out the pieces.

also: for those of you who cant make it to the crafting store right away to get one of these bad boys, you can always use just your run of the mill needel to poke your way along by hand. but for about $7, its a worthwile investment to not cramp up your hand and save on buying new pattern to make the same thing in a diferent size.

But for those that cant get out of the house for fear of missing snick time, lunch time, nap time, bed time, mama time, - I hear ya.

Much love
Mother of Mara