zz-pd

It is for clothe making, but I have used it for when I was embroidering to mark my fabric for straight even stitches.
so you can find new uses for old tools. :D God bless.

Annya

So did I many years ago. I still my MIL's she has gone nearly30 years now. I miss her even though I was only the youngest DIL she had.

maxi

I actually use mine! When preparing a needle turn design I use it to trace a pattern onto the fabric. That forms the cutting line and will be turned under. Of course I use the tracing paper too. Am I the only one?

needlenut

No, others still use the tracing wheel and paper. But there are not so many who do the beautiful needle turn applique. I still do some garment sewing and need the tracing paper for another type of marker that is easier on the pattern. It makes a small circle imprint where I need to fold or sew.

pennyswings

This tool is used to transfer marks to material using either carbon paper or chalk covered transfer paper. You run this tool over your pattern/design, on top of the transfer paper. It is used more for clothing patterns to transfer the pattern to the material. It is really a dressmaker's tool.
Good idea Maxi for using this tool. I have used it to transfer a design to my material so I can quilt over it. I use the chalk type transfer paper.

FranM

It's a antique tracing wheel. You put special tracing paper between your pattern and your fabric and run the wheel along the pattern.
This works great if you're tracing quilting designs or if you want to mark your background fabric for applique placement.

Fran in West Texas

diannemc

It's an antique tracing wheel?? Have I gotten that old! Oh my goodness!!

The Bag Lady

That is a t racing wheel. We had to use them in Home Ec when I was in school. We had to use carbon paper for fabric and trace our seams on to the fabric. That wheel made tiny little dots to sew on.

FranM

I said antique because if you look at the construction of the ones made now compared to that one, your's is made to last.