DIY Dressmakers Paper

Chacopy or dressmakers paper is made with talc and/or pigment. Talc is also known as French chalk in the fashion industry or rhapsody talc in the cosmetic industry. It is a hydrous natural mineral consisting of silicon, oxygen and magnesium. It's almost impossible to find unscented talc on store shelves in the US. You can use baby powder, but don't use the aloe or medicated versions. Don't use cornstarch either. It isn't the same thing. Since the asbestos lawsuit, people have shied away from talc as a primary cause of ovarian cancer. However, it has since undergone a purification process to ensure there is no asbestos.

Making Cosmetics sells pure talc for $14.90/500 grams.

 

Fluorescent Pigment sampler is $6.00 at TKB Trading. You'll have to mix blue and yellow to make green.

Charcoal was once used by quilters and embroiderers for marking dark lines on light fabric. It can also be used in a pounce or Chaco liner. It isn't so common anymore. Hardwood Charcoal is $2.95/2 oz. An alternative is black oxide available from TKB. Black oxide can be mixed with talc to create gray.

Methylcellulose is a vegan alternative to rabbit skin. It is also added as an emulsion stabilizer, pigment suspension agent, paint thickener and binder. It is used as sizing to treat fabric and used on paper to prevent watercolor absorption. Without pigment, it can be a clear liquid or thick gel. It's available from Dharma Trading for $15.95. Also sold as wallpaper paste at home improvement stores.

Swedish Tracing Paper is tougher than pattern paper. Get it from Namcy's Notions for $12.99 per roll.

Wear a dust mask and surgical gloves to keep your hands clean. For colored versions, mix the talc with a small amount of fluorescent pigment. Dump talc into a shallow tray big enough to accommodate your paper. Brush paper with a thin layer of methylcellulose and lay the paper onto the talc. Press evenly with your hands. Remove the paper, being careful not to smudge the chalk and shake off the excess. Lay the paper on a flat surface, talc side up and allow to dry. Make two sheets and store them with the talc facing each other in a plastic sheet protector. Use a tracing wheel or ball point stylus for transferring lines.