Mother(Joansews) has used weights and liked them. Usually I use pins when marking my darts in jumpers, that's probably not the technicial way but it works for me.
Susan in Bama

I mark with tracing paper and wheel, pin them in, and then sew them. Sometimes I will use a marking pen just inside the line and sew past the line should the mark not want to remove or show up later. Tailor tacks are the last resort in my sewing world.

This is the first time I've heard of weights being used to mark darts. I have seen and used the straight pin going through each side of the fabric to mark and then matching pins up..fast and easy unless one of the pins falls out.

I use a very strange gadget called a Tack-It Pattern Marker (can't remember when or where I got it) that looks like a large stapler but when I press down on the head of it, puts small circles on the fabric when used in conjunction with tracing paper. Sometimes when doing darts, I connect the circles on the fabric with a marking pen or Chaco marker, but sometimes I just eyeball it, pin and sew. I also mark set-in sleeves and lots of other things with the Tack-It. I have learned a bad lesson about tracing paper and tracing wheels, having had trouble getting yellow tracing paper marks off a white baptismal gown where the tucks were marked (this was in the 80's before I learned better methods). Had to bring it to the cleaners who tried everything and finally succeeded on their last attempt to remove it. If you must use a tracing wheel, always use a smooth one, not serrated. I love the Tack-It and wouldn't be without it. I've never used weights but I have heard of them just to hold the pattern down while cutting out the fabric. Soup cans will also work, I'm told.

Oh, reading over...I didn't explain myself very well. I meant to be asking two questions...one about weights for cutting out pieces, and the other is about the darts. Lots of good info here, which I appreciate a lot!

I make small clips along the cut edge of the darts, one at each leg and one in the center. I usually use a pin at the tip. If when sewing darts, you will stitch the last few stitches exactly on the fold line, it will be much smoother at the end. If using inside darts, I usually use tailor's tacks.

I use weights when I have plenty of room to cut & willnot have to move or shift things as I cut. You can use lots of things for weights. I saw stacks of heavy washers wrapped to keep them from marking light items. I have one set that is chair leg caps filled with lead......purchased but could be homemade. One set has stickers that keep them from sliding but they tear your patterns & can embed in things (like feet),if dropped or knocked off. My mother used a type of weights cutting long, long ago before they were marketed as such. She used cups, extra scissors, salt & pepper shakers...whatever was handy.

Darts: If it is a straight dart like in pants or skirts, I will mark the top & bottom with chalk or an air erase pen. I had been sewing many years, by my mother or aunt's rules, before I was old enough for Home Ec. I never cared for tracing paper & wheels because it was hard to impossible to get the marks out of the fabric. After Home Ec, I returned to my initial ways. Curved darts or long darts covering areas above & below the waist create more of a challenge. There are dots along them to be matched. I use the air erase pens & mark only the dots & start & stop points.

I use fabric weights for my home dec projects. They come in very handy whenever I use my rotary cutter.

I think I've become a mood pattern marker. I recently bought the chalk tracing paper and really like it--so much better than the old fashioned stuff I still have from, oh we won't discuss year. My tracing wheel wasn't within reach, a bic pen with a cap was, so I used the large end for large dots and the cap end for small dots--it worked like a charm. I also found that a soap sliver works well on dark fabric..leaves a nice scent too.

I know this is a dumb question..but then do you pull the pattern paper back to put your marks on?

I sure wish I could "apprentice" with some of you ladies...

I made weights from cloth and BB shot. They're about 2"x3" finished, partially filled and hug most any surface nicely.

I use 'tailor' tacks to mark my darts.

I use tailor tacks on wool or boucle (not much call for that in Florida, tho), but I love to work on it!

I completely cut out my garment, stacking the pieces out of my way. Then I go back through & remove my pins & mark my darts. I leave the pattern & fabric together until I assemble. When I start sewing & removing my pattern, I keep a clothes pin handy. As I remove a piece of pattern, I fold it & clip it with my clothes pin...adding to my stack as I go. When I finish removing all of it, it is ready to put back in the envelope.

Thanks so much everyone.. I got a lot of great advice! I really appreciate it.

I was taught in 8th grade home ec to mark right after you cut the pattern(s) out, and keep the pattern piece pinned (you move your pins around to mark what you have to) on the fabric so you know what you are working with and someone else didn't accidently pick it up with 20+ girls in the class. The pattern pieces go back in the envelope as sewn.

It was one of those good sewing habits I never lost because it is a good one with no lost pattern/unknown pattern pieces and everything marked before you even look at a sewing machine.

Susan_on
I hope this is the level of basic you meant, don't want to seem to be insulting your level of sewing ...

All internal pattern markings (that is anything not on the cut edge) circles, dot's, squares etc, should all be cut out of the paper pattern Before you place the pieces on the fabric. There is a wonderful thing called a drill (makes a perfect little round hole, but you need to pad underneath with a wodge of thick paper), but if you carefully fold the tissue pattern you can snip with scissors.

Yes, this is a boring job, but it does save time later on.

Once your lay (all the pattern pieces pinned (or weighted!) on the fabric) is complete you start by cutting out and notching (making a tiny little cut at 90o WITHIN the seam allowance) all the edge markings, this will be things like the matching points on the hipline of a skirt, or the points to match the back and front of a sleeve. As someone else has said, do NOT remove the pattern pieces from the fabric.

You'll end up with a pile of cut fabric (usually in layers of 2) with a pattern piece on top. Then you can mark things like the ends of darts. I use tailor's chalk, it usually comes off pretty easily, but you should ALWAYS test it on a scrap. It'll leave a nice clear mark the exact size of the little hole you cut earlier. Then you take off the pattern, turn over the fabric to the (unmarked 2nd wrong side) and reversing the piece do the same on the other side.

If the pattern piece is large or has lots of complex markings, I'd repin it, otherwise you can line it up quite easily.

If the fabric is likely to get a lot of handling before sewing, has lots of complex construction details, is a colour that the chalk doesn't show on or is likely to stain - I'd use Tailor Tacks. Use embroidery floss, it doesn't fall out as easily as sewing thread.

As someone else has already said - when you have completed all the markings it is an EXCELLENT idea to keep the pattern pinned (or safety pinned) to the fabric pieces. Time can pass and you have NO idea what piece is which. Also good idea to mark the wrong side of the fabric on each piece.

There is NO such thing as a STUPID QUESTION!

Hope that helped!
AJ

AJ, that is very useful and welcome info and not insulting at all. I quilt, but I want to do other types of sewing so badly, but I am really insecure about it. I can do other hobbies too, like cake decorating. But sewing really intimidates me. Thanks again AJ, and thanks to everyone for helping me.