A product review of Pattern Trace UK's Swedish tracing paper and the benefits of using it with your sewing projects.
I have been sent this item for free to review, but all opinions in this post are my own honest thoughts on trying out this product.
When it comes to my sewing projects I’ve always traced my patterns rather than cutting into the actual pattern paper, especially when it comes to using the big sewing company patterns and the indie patterns that I’ve printed the PDFs for. My reasoning behind this is simple, it preserves the original patterns with their multi sizes for future use or if I wish to pass them on to someone else at a later date.
I’ve tried all manners of paper over the years, newspaper when drafting pieces from scratch, cheap tracing paper from the kids’ art section, greaseproof baking paper and dot/cross paper. So I’m intrigued to give this roll of Swedish Tracing Paper a go, kindly sent to me for review by Pattern Trace UK. This 1m x 10m roll is a certainly a useful addition to your sewing kit. Pattern Trace have even offered me an extra roll of the paper as a competition prize so head on over to my Instagram for the chance to win and try the paper out yourself! If you’d like to purchase a roll from Pattern Trace UK then be sure to read through to the end of this blog post for an exclusive discount code.
What is Swedish tracing paper?
Swedish tracing paper is a fabric like paper that enables you to trace patterns so that you don’t have to cut into them. It’s soft and flexible so you could also use it as a toile, especially as it’s stable enough to sew without ripping like normal, thinner paper would. Sold on a roll, Pattern Trace’s Swedish tracing paper is made with sustainable abaca fibres, a leaf fibre from a plant related to the banana plant.
How do I use it?
To trace a pattern you would simply lay the tracing paper over the top of your existing pattern on a flat, smooth surface and mark out all of the pattern details. It’s translucent, so easy to see through without having to hold it up to a window or other light source. When it comes to the marking I often use a pencil or biro. As you can see from my marking experiments in the photo, pencil is the best to show without transferring through to the paper underneath whereas any felt tip like pen such as a water erasable pen or permanent marker can end up passing through the fibres and marking your original pattern.
Even though it is on a roll, the tracing paper doesn’t curl up as easily as greaseproof or thicker paper does but it is a good idea to place some pattern weights or small objects (I usually grab the xbox controllers haha!) on top of the Swedish tracing paper to prevent any shifting whilst copying. Once you’ve traced your pattern you can then cut out the tracing paper with scissors and continue your sewing process with cutting out the fabric. If you like to keep your patterns in envelopes or a folder, the pieces can be folded, stored away and a quick, cool iron will take out any creases on the next use.
What are the benefits?
Swedish tracing paper is very versatile due to its durability, it doesn’t tear easily and is translucent for copying pattern markings onto.
Other benefits are:
It can be sewn and unpicked multiple times, making it useful as a toile.
You can save the original size range of a pattern by using it to trace multi-sized patterns. Very handy when you are sewing different sizes of the same pattern.
Pattern Trace sell the paper on a roll so it’s easy to store and access.It’s flexible, quite similar to a light interfacing, so it’s good for manipulating alterations.
You can use it as a practice sewing piece for any tricky steps which you may be unsure about, so you don’t end up using your fabric until the technique is perfected!
It’s eco-friendly. Those sustainable abaca fibres mean that you can compost the left overs!
The roll measures a metre wide so it easily accommodates large pattern pieces without the need of taping lots of pieces of paper together.
Where can I find it?
You can find the Swedish Tracing Paper that I’ve reviewed here on the Pattern Trace UK website. Use the code scavenger to get 10% off all orders (any products) and for the UK there's free delivery on orders over £10!
For the chance to win a roll of Swedish Tracing Paper head over to the competition on my Instagram.
