Pattern tracing

In the past I have never traced any of my patterns but just recently, after reading many different blogs, I have found that lots of people trace their patterns and keep the original pattern without mutilating it in any way. As I have said many times I really do mutilate my patterns and I have made lots and lots of mistakes while trying to alter them. Now as I am a follower and not a leader I decided I would trace my patterns from now on, believe me when I say how smug I feel knowing that my original pattern is still intact after I have made a mistake on my copy, then if I have mutilated my copy I can always trace another copy until I get my alterations right.

That said, I got out my my pattern paper, cellotape, pencil and the original pattern, to begin..... the pattern paper that I use is thick, white paper..... plain on one side, dots and crosses on the other an inch apart........ it is nice sturdy paper for patterns...... nice and sturdy it might be but very opaque, so much so I couldn't see my pattern markings to trace them. I tried and tried but I was giving myself a headache trying to see the damned things, so I put it down for the night to have a think about it and this is what I came up with the next morning.....

I taped my pattern to the pattern paper then taped everything to the window and hey presto I could see my pattern perfectly underneath......I just had to trace around it with a pencil.....this isn't my idea, cardmakers use this method to trace patterns, I just adapted their idea.

Another little tip I have picked up along the way.....those little glue pens are much better to use than cellotape for altering patterns.