Using a Tracing wheel

Hey there sewers! Ready to take your hand-stitching and design skills to the next level? Then you need to learn how to use a tracing wheel. No matter what level of experience you have, tracing wheels are an essential tool that can help you make precise stitching patterns as well as copy patterns from one material to another.

A tracing wheel is a handheld tool that looks like a circular cookie cutter with a pointy wheel on the end. Its purpose is to trace patterns onto fabric without having to use pins or markers. It even works great for transferring designs onto paper.

How to use a tracing wheel is simple. Start by finding the pattern you want to transfer to your fabric. Pin the two pieces of material together with the pattern in between them before using your tracing wheel. Place the wheel on the pattern side and steadily roll it back and forth to make a traced outline of the original pattern onto the other piece of fabric. You can make several passes with the tracing wheel if you need a full and detailed trace.

The greatest benefits of using a tracing wheel are accuracy and speed. This tool helps you make sure you stitch or cut the exact shape or line you intend to make. Plus, it’s faster than using a ruler and marker to create the same outline. Plus, you don’t have to worry about ruining your fabric with pen or marker ink, like you would if you used these traditional marking tools.

There are three basic types of tracing wheels on the market. You’ll need to experiment a bit with them to really see how they work for different types of fabrics or for pattern making.