When cutting out your own pattern....what do you use? I have heard of people using tissue paper.....which seems like it would tear easily. What is your preference and works best for you?

Cardboard cereal boxes work good for me. Not to hard to cut, but heavy enough to last.

Also, the clear plastic that bacon is packaged on.

I use template plastic.

Me too. There are sheets in packages of about 6 and they have grids in red also.

I use junk mail and the subscription cards from magazines for my English Paper Piecing patterns.

For paper piecing I use the ends of the paper rolls from exam tables that my doctor's office saves for me.

I use plastic from milk cartons and some containers (like Cool Whip) for applique patterns if I need to use it a lot or want to save it. If I just need one or two I just trace it on paper.

good ideas

Jim has started saving the lids from the coffee cans for me too.

Does Hancock or Joanns carry these? How expensive?

I know that Joann's carry them.
I save various clear plastic lids for this.
I have printed out shapes on file folders cut to fit through my printer.
If it is a template that I am going to use a lot, I use plastic. Each time you trace around cardboard, the template edges shrink. If you hold up the first tracing and compare it to the 20th, you can visually see the difference. Imagine the difference if you cut 100's for a large quilt... So rather than running into a problem when I go to put them together, I just use plastic to begin with :wink:

Thank you for the idea of using the plastic that is packaged with bacon. We have to use turkey bacon now sigh... but the plastic is still the same :-D