Supply Source: Tissue Paper by the Roll for Cutting Slippery Fabrics

Remember this post, where I wrote about cutting slippery fabrics with tissue paper? Well, I've found a great source for industry-quality tissue paper. I asked the folks at Marist College (where I just finished up teaching a semester long course) where they get theirs, and they pointed me in the direction of South Star Supply Company, a Nashville-based business that provides sewing supplies to the garment industry. (Note: I'd never actually used this kind of tissue, since they had a different, mystery-sourced tissue paper in the studios when I was working at Marist.) South Star Supply also caters to us humble home sewists, making it very easy to place an online order. 

Their tissue paper is called "High Yield Tissue" and you can order it in widths from 30" to 72". I ordered a roll of 45" tissue, which had 900 feet on the roll, and cost $50 plus shipping. I chose the 45" width because that's the width of most slippery silks that I use. Did I mention it's pink? It's pink! Bonus points for coordinating with my hair and sewing room colors.

My only complaint about ordering from South Star Supply is that two of the other items I ordered were out of stock, so they placed my whole order on backorder without telling me. A couple weeks went by, and I contacted the company to see what was going on with my order. They were super responsive and offered to ship out the items they did have in stock (which included the tissue roll). I just wish they'd offered that when I placed the order! If you have an order that's urgent, I would recommend calling them to make sure the items are in stock and ready to ship.

I received the tissue shortly after my email conversation with customer service. When I unwrapped it, I was surprised by how thick it is--not like gift wrap tissue, which tears easily. This stuff is pretty beefy, and it has a coarse texture, which is perfect for preventing fabric slippage while cutting.

I cut out a dress lining using the tissue, and loved the results. A bonus to this thicker tissue is that you can use the leftovers as pattern paper, making it more economical than the thin tissue, which just gets thrown away.

You can even draft facings and other pieces from your leftovers! Here's a skirt piece after cutting.

To draft a skirt facing, I just used the top of the tissue to make a 2-5/8" facing piece.

Cool, huh? You could also use those extra tissue pieces to make variations on your favorite patterns.

Overall, a highly recommended product. If you're looking for thinner tissue paper, Uline carries 36" rolls, which have a whopping 5,200 feet on them. They cost $128, but will obviously last a long time. I think I prefer the South Star Supply stuff, though, since it's wider and has multiple uses.