Can you tell me what this is?
 

I found this roll of paper in my sewing room. I have no idea what it is for, or where I got it from. I am not even sure it is sewing/quilting related.
It is a roll of paper that was still sealed up in the white plastic bag. The roll is 8.5 inches long and 2 inches in diameter.
The paper is not exactly glossy, but smoother than regular paper. It feels about the same on either side of the paper.
Can anyone tell me what it is and what it is used for? I feel it must have a specific purpose!

Back in the day, old fashioned fax machines used to use paper on rolls like that.

It could be used to create custom longarm designs. Do you have a longarm? It could also be used to trace applique or paper pieced patterns, but would be a little klunky for paper piecing. It's too thick for the the Carol Doak type, and too rolly for English paper piecing.

I was thinking fax paper also. Take a small corner off and iron it. If it turns black, it's thermal paper, which is/was used in most fax machines.

I was thinking "fax paper"

Perhaps you got it to make planned crazy quilts onto and then pull the paper off the back? Or maybe paper piecing? Planning quilting designs? Or to use to make pattern pieces when making a pattern for say a round table topper? If you are making something you don't want to cut up the pattern, it would work great! Like those stretch and sew patterns you trace off from multi-sized patterns.

I could have used this yesterday... LOL!

were you ever planning on string or crumb quilting? I also think it's fax paper, but works for foundations.

Is it stabilizer?

Pattern tracing paper for sewing

Maybe its the embroidery lover in me but it reminds me of stabilizer. Or maybe butcher paper, we used to get it for the kids to draw on and also to put over top of the changing table. Is one side smother than the other or the same as far as texture goes

Probably fax paper but you might want to see how it does with PPing.

Could it be craft paper ? I used to get rolls like that for my kids when they were little. It went into a roller at the top of the easel, or just rolled out on the table.

This looks like embroidery stabilizer to me.

Well, I ironed a small piece of it and it turned purple. So I guess that means it is some kind of fax paper.

Thanks everyone for your input!

Backing for embroidery machine work?

It looks like the old fashioned roll of shelf lining paper. I use to use it all the time until they came out with peel and stick.

What about using it for paper piecing?

I was thinking stabilizer for machine embroidery. Does the correct guess get a prize?;)

Well, if it turned purple when ironed it is definitely not a stabilizer. Doubt that it was fax paper - most of those were single papers. If you trace a picture on top is there a line on it? I know there is a paper that is like a carbon - you see it in calculator tapes so you don't need a ribbon.

It looks like a stabilizer to me.

No. Maybe you're thinking of copy paper. Thermal paper came on a roll. And the early fax machines were ALL thermal. What she has IS fax paper. How am I so certain? My husband has worked in that industry for 25 years.

Nowadays faxes (a dying technology) are printed via multi-function laser printers that do print on single, plain copy paper. If her paper turned black or purple when it got hot, it is thermal paper. And since she said it's 8.5" wide, it's for faxes, not receipts.

Thanks, Peckish!

back in the day of fax machines, like everyone else here said, I remember it being a bit purple when it was hot out of the machine. Maybe 1982, I think, my office got it's first fax machine We were told we wouldn't need messengers to deliver anymore, that this new FAX machine would take it over.

I would cut it into squares and use if for making string quilts.