I’ve been umming and ahhing about signing up for Susan Khalje’s Couture Dress class ever since we did our Craftsy giveaway a while back. I finally signed up this week and I’m absolutely loving it. I found the progress a little slow at the beginning (I don’t need to see you lay out every single piece…just a representative selection will do!) but I’m a Measure Once, Cut Twice kind of person, so I need all the discipline I can get.
Critical to her whole way of working is to focus on the stitching line and not the cutting line, so I’m going to have to do a much better job marking my pieces before cutting. However, I’m having a terrible time finding the big sheets of waxed tracing paper she uses anywhere online. They have them at Richard the Thread but I’m a bit reluctant to order from any store that enforces a minimum order of $35. I’m sure they have a sound business reason for it, but I don’t like feeling bullied into buying things I don’t need just to get the thing I do.
Does anyone have an online source for these big sheets of waxy tracing paper? If all else fails and there is nowhere else to get it, I’d be happy to split a $35 order with anyone who also needs some.
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Katherine – who has written 89 posts on WeSewRetro.com.
I'm the editor at WeSewRetro so don't hesitate to get in touch with any problems or questions. In addition to keeping the good ship WeSewRetro afloat, I run a pattern store called ZipZapKap, do an amateurish but enthusiastic job of raising a toddler, teach university professors how to dominate a computer by day and study for a masters in literature at night. My daily coffee consumption would kill a small horse.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been looking for this, too! Haven’t found any yet, and hadn’t heard of Richard the Thread. If another source doesn’t pop up, keep me in mind for splitting an order
I used A1 size sheets for working with my costume students Burda do these in yellow and white,which is available in most habi stores….but they used to do red and blue …this must only be used on mounting fabrics,toiles etc (muslins)
As it doesn’t come of ..(which is why it was fazed out) but i got some two weeks
Ago on ebay …type in burda colored tracing paper it comes in a yellow packet,with two sheets one of each colour ,yellow and white or red and blue..hope this helps.jax
I found some at SIL Thread in NYC on my last trip there. $5 for a large sheet, I think. They had a barrel of it right by the cash register.
Their website isn’t very good at all, but maybe if you call them and talk to a real person you can order it from them? Good luck!
http://silthreadinc.com/contactus.htm
Ooooh that’s great to know!! Now I’m actually grateful that I live near NYC!
Thanks!
I had the same issue – I’m also in the couture dress class. I’m sure I will eventually suck it up and buy $35 worth but in the meantime I just bought some Saral brand because that’s all my local stores had. The are normal sized paper sheets but oh well.
Thanks for the suggestions, ladies. I couldn’t find any on ebay, Jax (but you’re in the UK, right?) and Lynn it’s on my todo list to give SIL Thread a call this weekend.
Lavender, if Richard the Thread is the only source, you and I can totally split an order. I’ll just buy $35 worth and mail you however many sheets you want at cost. I’ll be in touch. Megan, you’re welcome into that group buy too if you like.
Hi all! I am taking the couture dress class as well, and I did break down and buy it from Richard the Thread. I do tons of sewing so I figured I’d eventually use it. I did find a packet of waxed tracing paper at Joanns. It is Singer Tracing Paper, smaller sheets, and it doesn’t say waxed on the front, but if you read the directions on the back it says to place the waxy side up. You’d have to move it around because of the size, but it would work.
I live in the UK and did this course a few months back. I searched high and low to find another source but gave up in the end and bought from Richard III – not only did I pay the $35 min but got stung by customs for another $50! I read on the class comments that if you ring them they don’t apply the min charge. However the paper is really good and I now have a lifetimes worth!
I bought red, white, and blue rolls from Richard the Thread. It comes in rolls of three and those three colors and rolls will work for just about everything and OMG is it so much less of a pain to not have to move it around. I also took one piece of each color and cut it into four smaller pieces and backed them on the non-waxy side with clear contact paper for the small markings I do all the time for non-couture pieces. But I’m pretty much in the habit of doing the stitching lines on everything now. And those sheets will probably last you a good 10 years if you treat them right and do the contact backing on the smaller pieces. So it turns out to be an awesome bargain in the end.
p.s. the wax doesn’t come out so don’t use it on the side you can see. Or do it on the interlining (which I pretty much use constantly now as well.
CAN’T SEE. Sheesh. bad typing, going to bed now!
You can order single sheets just call and place your . Do not order online
Call us to place your order 800-473-4997
Thank You
Richard The Thread