Transfer All Markings

After you've laid out your pattern, and cut the pieces out, the instructions will blithely say, "Transfer all markings from the pattern to the fabric."

It sounds so easy and so quick. I was taught, in the best seamstress tradition, to transfer all markings using tailor tacks, great big loopy ones. You then cut all the loops, remove the pattern, gently tease away the two fabric pieces and cut the loops in the middle. Brilliantly easily. Brilliantly time consuming.

I have been told that I should be using transfer paper. As far as I can tell, it's paper with chalk brushed across it. I get it on my hands, next on my face, on the pattern piece but never on the fabric. If I do get it on the fabric, I can't see it after two seconds.

I've started another project. Goal is to have it done in time to wear this summer. (Keep your smirks to a minimum, thank you very much.) It's silk. I've never sewn with silk before and this stuff is slippery. (You can stop anytime.)

I decided that I would try and use the transfer paper. I spent a good ten minutes trying to figure out which colour would show up best on my fabric. End conclusion, none. I managed a faint thin line, which I instantly had to go over with a marking pen. (It's ok, I checked it would wash out first without leaving a mark.). I then spent another ten minutes trying to pin together the back darts. I then had to try and make sure they were actually the same length. Grrr. By this time, I was realising that silk moves, in all directions. So once I had my darts pinned, I then went and basted the seams to ensure that it wouldn't move while sewing.

So for the front darts, I went back to the old fashioned tailor tacks. In my mind it was somewhat faster and less frustrating. But now at some point I'm going to have to pull them all out. And I know from experience that there is always one or two that get sewn into the seam and you can't pull them out. This is when you realise that using bright fluorescent pink thread, so that you can see it, was a mistake. And the next thing you discover is that you're trying to pull threads out using tweezers so that you can take it out one hair at a time.

I'm sure there is a magical way out there of "transferring all markings" but no one has let me in on the secret. And when they did, it turned out to be more work. Next suggestion please!