How to create a pattern

[Big Jim Mac]

You can get large rolls of paper at newspaper printing plants for next to nothing. When the web rolls get too short they take them off. Being in the magazine bidness, i get these for free (well, we drop about $1.2 mill on printing, so not really free.) For curves, I hang the paper on the wall and use the drooping string between 3 points to get curves. Worked great for my cat tarp. Once I had the pattern made I pinned it to the material and cut around the paper. If I was going to do this again masonite would be the way to go I believe. All my woodworking patterns are made this way.

[fred1diver]

if you have a paper mill or a printing shop near your place, you could always ask for roll endings, they usually have to either cut them up and repulp the paper to recycle or try to find someone who wants them, ask for culled rolls they are going to be scrapped anyways, if you'd be closer I could get you some kraft paper scrap rolls or whats left of them