That fabric store clerk changed how I draft patterns

I was at a Joann Fabrics in Portland last month looking for interfacing. An older lady working there saw my crumpled pattern and asked if I always mark my darts with tailor tacks. I said yes because that's what I learned. She told me to switch to a marking wheel and tracing paper instead. I tried it on my next project and saved myself at least 20 minutes per dress. Has anyone else found a small tool change that sped things up this much?

2 comments

2 Comments

simon_wood721mo ago

Oh come on, is this really a life changing thing? I mean sure, tracing paper is faster than thread tacks but we're talking about what, a few minutes? I've been using the old tailor tacks for years and they work fine. Unless you're churning out a dress every day, I don't see how saving 20 minutes is that big of a deal.

river_bailey21mo ago

Simon, how many times have you had to redo a seam because the thread tacks shifted while you were moving the fabric through the machine? I'm asking because that's the real time saver for me, not just the initial marking. The paper stays put better, especially on slippery fabrics like silk or satin where thread tacks can slide around and give you a wrong line.