Paper Trails

I taught my pattern class at UT today. As usual, it took two days to prepare for it. I left the cutting and folding of paper until last . . . I always do.

For each student that attends, I hand out a set of instructions and a pattern package. The pattern package contains 2 sheets of 24-inch wide paper - around six feet long. Since I also sell the pattern packages online, I make up extra ones each time I prepare for class. I also take extra packages to class in case I have a student(s) that bring more than one garment to reproduce.

That being said, last night I had to cut 42 sheets of paper from a roll. A HUGE roll. My favorite brother-in-law gets the 24-inch rolls and brings them to me. The current one must way in at close to 50 pounds.

In the past, I've had to clean off the floor and roll the paper out, cut it with scissors, then roll it back the other direction. Just imagine how time consuming and painful doing that 42 times might be.

I've been pondering an easier way to handle the job all week. When Steve got home I discussed my solution with him and made a quick dash to McCoys for two closet rod holders. Steve installed them and ran an iron pole between them, screwing it into place. He also picked the huge roll of paper up and situated it for me, about 6-1/2 feet above the floor -- right over my plotter. As it so happens, my plotter has a 36 inch long slit in the top made specifically for cutting straight lines on large pieces of paper. (Are you feeling the Hallelujah course yet?)

Yep, all I had to do was pull down enough paper, run a razer knife through the channel and fold. I completed all 42 pieces in less than an hour -- a 3 hour job the old way.

Now, I just have to look at the paper hanging from my wall the rest of my life, because those screws are not coming out.