cat-on-a-mac

I've used dryer sheets, but ran them thru a wash cycle to get rid of the perfumy smell. (Put them in a lingerie bag and threw them in the wash).

GingerK

My mom would throw a used dryer sheet in with stored out of season clothing. It didn't seem to matter how many times that sheet was used, over time the smell was overwhelming and did not wash out easily. Dryer sheets don't even live in my house anymore and I would never use them in a quilt.

If I am aiming for a specific shape, I use old tissue patterns. They tear off easily and what doesn't come off will dissolve in water. If the shape will be determined after the fact, I just sew the strips together--making sure to alternate the stitching direction of course.

quiltingcandy

Such a brilliant idea to use old clothing patterns! Definitely light weight, will tear off easily and should be fairly inexpensive. (I haven't priced them so have no idea of the cost.)

bkay

It's not quite as thin as old patterns, but gift wrap tissue paper from the dollar store would also work.

I've read that MSQ papers are not great. I don't remember what she said was wrong. You're right, they are not that expensive, but the post I read made me leery.

bkay

polkweed

The foundation stabilizes the fabric to prevent stretching. Less important if you're using only quilting cottons, but a big help if you're using a variety of fabrics, and a must if you're doing a selvage quilt. Also you can use it as kind of a paper-piecing template if you want a really precise pattern.

And because I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet, you can also do the quilt-as-you-go method and use your batting as the foundation. It saves you the extra weight/thickness of a foundation fabric, and you can swap the batting for felt to go even lighter.

Stitchnripper

I did do a couple of "fun and done" with the backing and batting. But the string quilt did just fine with no foundation.

Watson

I use cotton voile. It is super lightweight but gives enough support.

Watson

Julienm1

i asked for and not a roll of exam table paper from my dr!!!
thin so rips out easily with narrow stitches

Iceblossom

Keeping in mind that the OP does not want to tear off paper....

I sew through paper a lot, more for quilting designs than for piecing. I can buy a pantograph roll for the pattern and then copy it on to parchment paper -- I buy from the dollar store, comes in a 25 by 1 foot rool. With my vision issues although it takes more time to both copy the pattern and then tear off the paper, I get much better results than trying to mark my scrappy tops with lots of color alternation. For one reason no one can tell if you bobbled off the design line a bit! I will say to be aware that some graphite from pencil can end up on white fabric and can be hard to get out.

Another warning -- you've got to watch tissue paper for quilting base, some of it has a light glazing of some sort of poly base and doesn't tear as well as you would hope. I find in general that the tissue paper also does not hold up well to the stitching part.

Again, I'll have to tear it off at the end but in my current Christmas themed string project I am using blank/fresh newsprint (not generally carried at office supply stores I've tried but I ordered from Amazon). It is much cheaper to buy as an art supply than the sheets from quilter-specific brands.

I do really like the suggestion of paper patterns from the thrift stores!!

polkweed

Wait, has anyone brought up the wash-away sheets? I used them once years ago, so they do work. Not the cheapest option, though.