My favorite ways to mark fabric.

I have two. One would be familiar to my grandmother–tracing paper and a tracing wheel. Sometimes a tool doesn’t need to be updated; it’s classic for a reason. These continue to be the best ways to transfer marks like darts, pleat lines and other information from a pattern piece. The tracing (or transfer) paper is placed between the pattern and fabric and a wheel is rolled over the marks. You could also use a tracing pen or other blunt tip object.

I adore the Japanese Tracing Paper we carry here at MD. I had not used it before, but definitely found the other tracing papers I had used either too waxy or too powdery that left a mess when I worked with it. This superior paper provides the finest, crispest line. You can use it over and over again and lasts forever!

I also recently decided to replace my ugly blue plastic handle tracing wheel with one of our Clover bamboo handled ones. I find that even the most mundane of tasks can be made better with a good tool (and even better with a pretty one!)

My cats know my Chaco Liner is one of my most-reached-for tools which is why I’m sure they go for it first to play with. And lose. I have multiple colors…and so does MD! Choose a color like yellow or pink that works for both colored and light fabrics and have a white on hand for times when something subtle is needed. With loose chalk in one end and a tiny wheel at the other, create a fine mark every time that simply brushes away. Plus, there are refills to replace the powder when you’ve marked it all away! There are other similar alternatives, but I love the control I get with this pen style. The MD toolkits have replaced the classic tailor’s chalk with this bad boy because its versatility and awesomeness.