Originally Posted by Muv

Hello Linda - This is how to do it:-

In the top half of a piece of paper write out your word, actual size, making sure that you take one continuous line with as few changes of direction as possible.

Fold the paper in half beneath the writing, so the writing shows on top, and insert a blank piece of paper, half the size of the first piece, between the the two folded halves. It should fit snugly inside.

Now make sure your sewing machine is unthreaded, and sew along the writing. The inner piece of paper will stay in place once you have done the first few blank stitches.

When you have finished you have the writing transferred onto the inner paper as a line of perforations.

Use this second, smaller piece of paper as your pattern. Thread up your machine, pin the paper pattern to your material, and sew along the line of writing. When you have finished the paper comes away fairly easily because it has now been perforated twice.

The advantages of this method is that you do not need to use any fabric marker, and you do not risk transferring any pencil or biro etc. from the paper you first wrote on. Also, the first time you do the blank sewing on the paper you have a practice run before doing the real thing.

I've tried it once on a treadle and it drove me nuts. I've done it twice on a hand machine and it was ideal, because it is so much easier to go extra slow.