As I am a dressmaker, I always make my own patterns for dolls clothing. To have my patterns last forever, I use all my old X-rays. Put on a white sticker to write on so you can easily find it's back.
Yes, we do not get to keep our x-rays in the US usually. I have found other sources of flat plastic are the stiffener plastic piece used in the bacon packages. It's large enough to make a stencil or doll pattern piece on. I keep my eyes open for reusable 'trash' and actually buy items at the store that are packaged so the containers, carboard or other packaging can be reused.
X-rays are actually the property of the doctor, you pay for the time to take them. Most medical offices sell old ones to a company that extracts the silver from them and gives the silver bar to the physician. I used to clean the x-ray processor and had to run plain film through to make sure the x-rays wouldn't have streaks on them. I saved the plain, clear film for quilting patterns. Worked great.
My grandmother worked at a hospital and brought home *stacks and stacks* of old X-rays. They creeped me out as a kid, but as I got older they fascinated me. She used the acetate to make stencils, and many times used it as templates for quilting. Having to cut out the same shape over and over again was much easier with a reuseable "pattern" or template. She would cut out the shape needed from the acetate and label it with the dimensions, and what pattern she used it for. I can see how this would work well for reusable doll clothing patterns too!
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