Overheard a customer at the fabric store say they use old shower curtains for pattern drafting

I was picking up some muslin last week and this lady in line was telling her friend she never buys expensive pattern paper. She said she grabs those clear plastic shower curtains from the dollar store instead. It's like $1.25 for a huge sheet, it's see-through so you can trace right over your inspiration pics, and a sharpie glides on it. I tried it for a cape design I'm working on and it was way easier to adjust the armhole curve than with paper. Has anyone else used something weird and cheap as a pattern material that actually worked great?

3 comments

3 Comments

michaeljones1mo ago

Totally did that with a cheap plastic tablecloth once! It was perfect for laying over a dress form to drape a sleeve. The sharpie wiped right off with rubbing alcohol too, so I could reuse it.

viola_butler1mo ago

Just wait until you try cutting up a cheap vinyl tablecloth for a raincoat pattern.

kelly.dylan24d ago

Sharpie wipes right off with rubbing alcohol" - yeah, the only thing I've managed to wipe off with rubbing alcohol is the finish on my dining table, so maybe I'll stick to paper for now. I tried the shower curtain thing once and ended up with a pattern that looked more like a modern art project than a sleeve. You guys are way more coordinated than me, I'll just keep buying the cheap newsprint and calling it a day.