10 Yards – 29″ Wide Sew-able Swedish Tracing Pattern Paper (1907)

I’m a relatively new sewist, so grain of salt with taking my advice, but I’m in love with this.After watching many, many sewing videos, I came across someone talking about sewable pattern paper. Having no practical experience, I got a roll of this and a roll of the standard marked pattern paper seen in most sewing videos to see which I preferred.I’ve just finished my standard paper roll and will never repurchase. There’s no comparison, this is the superior product.Why the standard pattern paper is inferior (imo/experience):One of the most frustrating parts about the standard pattern paper is cutting into it since it’s SO EAGER to roll up. In perpetuity. Pattern weights make the process doable, but even then it just seems like an unnecessary struggle in the side to side comparison.It’s delicacy is a serious problem. Laying it out perfectly and then being careful not to move it AT ALL so it won’t wrinkle, roll or rip when you’re likely on the floor crawling all over it is near impossible. So much as a too-firm hand when marking with a pencil can tear it/poke a hole through it. Any too-wet writing instrument (acrylic maker, sharpie) can easily turn it to mush and wet-wrinkle-tear it straight out the paper and is almost guaranteed to bleed though and stain your table/floor. Any missed dirt on your floor will create permanent dimples in it with even a little pressure. Having to worry about moisture protective storage for fear of a totally ruined pattern. Tearing at pin insertion points like it was just waiting on the first opportunity to do so. I mean, why?I can say in my own limited personal experience, the number markings on the traditional paper are not useful enough to make it worth bothering with. If you have a ruler with a 90 degree angle, you do not need these markings. The number marks are not precise enough to be of actual use if you actually want a guideline and so you’ll be reaching for a ruler anyways.Add to that, you’ll want/need a more vibrant marker to see your own marks on the paper more easily against all the pre-existing number marks, but most of them are risky due to how easily the paper is damaged by them. Thus, you’re somewhat forced into something like pencil markings, which are very easily lost amongst the visual distraction of the numbers and have lead me to miss self-made marks when tracing dot outlines MANY times, which lead to a lot of long-suffering gentle erasing and back-tracking to correct.Also, if you regularly work with cm, as many patterns do, the number marks on the standard paper can actively sabotage you in a moment of distraction.And my goodness, the NOISE of the traditional paper. I have light-sleeper housemates and happen to be a night owl. Even just bringing scraps out to the recycling bin is just a nightmare to try to do quietly. I might as well be shaking marakas through the house with full vigor.And there will be A LOT of practically unusable scrap that you’ll be discouraged from using because of the unceasing rolling of the paper and the near impossibility of storing it/pressing it flat for future use/the will to bother with it.That concludes my personal ode to traditional pattern paper hate. I hope that’s useful to some beginner out there and saves them an intense amount of time and frustration. If you really must go for a true paper version: try the back side of wrapping paper instead. It’s cheaper, cleaner and probably a lot easier to work with.Why this product is sensational in comparison:Not only can you very easily use pencil on this (and erase it), you can use practically anything else your heart desires for whatever reason: pens, gel pens, acrylic paint pens…literally whatever you have lying around will work without damage. So long as you’re not being really ridiculous, whatever you use won’t smear, either. Since this has some absorbency and strength, whatever you use is also way less likely to sink through the fabric and stain your floor/table/whatever it’s on top of (though you should still have some kind of barrier under since there is still some bleed through, just not nearly as much).My favorite pens for marking this are the Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen Brush in a size B for nice, thick, visible, permanent lines that are precise, but perfectly visible at a distance and great as cutting guides and the Micron Pigma in a size 08 for labeling/general writing.A few other much-enjoyed aspects of this material:-Pinning this without fear of ripping is absolutely wonderful. Doubly so when you’re pinning pieces together (like interfacing pattern pieces to the adjoining piece) for storage.-The incredibly lessened rolling and reduced need for pattern weights.-Completely soundless to work with.-Totally thoughtless storage is completely acceptable and therefore reuse is assured.-The ability to iron/steam/get wet.-It’s moderate flexibility without fear of fraying or stretching like you would with a standard muslin.-Comes in the same size as a standard paper roll at almost half the price of the paper version.-Sits on and pins to fabric so much more easily and naturally without crinkling.-You can still tape different pieces together for pattern alterations AND the tape comes up much more easily if you want/need it to.-The ability to sew it is just the miraculous icing on the cake. I’ve only tried to do this once since I prefer to use an actual muslin for this, but it held and I was able to pretty easily seam rip to keep the pattern without damage.-All of this and it’s still transparent enough to allow for tracing.-Absolutely easily reusable scrap pieces.-So many potential uses. I plan on using this as a base to sew on fabric samples, 3 hole punch it and store in a 3 ring binder. I haven’t tested this yet, but I have no doubt it can handle it.Potential downsides:-You don’t get the number markings if that’s terribly important to you.-I literally cannot think of another.I plan on using this exclusively forever.Massive shout out to whoever created this and big thanks to the seller for the affordable price!