As someone who often uses Japanese pattern and draft my own pattern, the last step after drafting and tracing is something that I like the least: adding seam allowances. Sometimes I forget to add spaces between pattern pieces, so I had to tape new piece of paper or trace the whole pattern piece altogether, which taking so much of oh my precioussss sewing time.
I’m sure you know what I’m talking about as only fellow seamstresses share the same thing, and I wonder why I never came across any tool that address this problem. Until one day Hollie offered me to try her new sewing tool invention, which is simply called ‘Seam Allowance Guide’, of course I immediately agreed!
The tool looks very simple, it is shaped somewhat like a thick, blunt, screw, made from plastic with a black rubber rubber band on it and a strong magnet on one side. There are two tools included in the package, green for scissors with no slope and yellow for scissors with slope. It is attached to the side of scissor on the magnet side and the black rubber band can be moved around to the desirable width of seam allowance. So simple and so neat, isn’t it?
I made a simple black shorts today and used the seam allowance guide for the first time. Instead of cutting my pattern pieces on the lines, I just give some room around the pattern pieces and put them over the fabric. Since I was using pattern paper, I can use my fabric scissor to cut the pattern and the fabric at the same time. At the end, I have my pattern pieces with seam allowance already added and ready to be re-used! Saved so much time! Thank you, Hollie!
You can go to the Seam Allowance Guide site to check out this neat tool. Hollie also generously sent me some extras, which I put up here for a giveaway so you can also have a try! If you’d like to have the seam allowance guide, please leave a comment on this post and I will send it to anywhere you are. I will draw the winners randomly if there are more than four people who are interested. The winners will be announced this Friday, May 6, 2011. Happy sewing!
190 Comments
Well isn’t that the most clever idea ever!
That’s genius! I would love to give it a try.
What a great idea! I have a number of patterns that don’t have allowances and I don’t like the extra step of putting them in. this is an easy way to add them.
Thanks for sharing them with us.
That’s such a great, timesaving idea, and yet it looks so simple!
wow that looks so cool, I’ve never heard of them before.
Wow, that is really quite clever. Neat!
What a genius little tool!
Cool tool. I’ve also seen a tool that adds the seam allowance as you trace the pattern piece – looks like a double pencil (haven’t tried it and now can’t find the link where I found this). I’ve been tracing and sewing from Japanese pattern books for ~1 year now (tops, pants, dresses) and this tool would make my life so much easier!
What a fab idea, defo need one of these!
this is brilliant!
That is so cool. I want one!
so simple but very usefull. i would like to try this neat tool
Cool!!, I love japanese pattern books, and yes adding seam allowance sometimes makes me impatient coz I want to cut rightaway. Thanks for the opportunity to win this giveaway Novita :)
Oh I would Love to Win One of those! Very clever Tool!
Gretes from Vienna, Austria
Isabelle
I have never seen anything like this. How clever! I think it would come in very handy. Thank you for offering it.
What an awesome tool. I hate adding seam allowance when tracing patterns. I need one of these in my sewing kit.
Wow! that most be the best invention I’ve seen in my whole life!
Wauw that is a need thing, and come in handy!
Like to join the give away!
I hate to mark seam allowances on the fabric.
Greetings Marlies
woww so cool. I would love to get one since I use many patterns that don’t include a seam allowance!
thanks for the giveaway!
Too freaking cool! I want one so bad now…
This is the coolest thing ever!! Wow, thank you so much for sharing and making lives a bit easier with spotlighting such a handy tool!
That is such an awesome tool! I have been ignoring my Burda patterns because it’s such a pain to trace them and then trace the seam allowance. Thank you for hosting such a cool giveaway!
Simple and genius! I would love to try it!
Thank you for your inspiring blog!
I would love to try this out! Thank you.
:O I just bought my first Japanese pattern book~! This would be sooo awesome and so helpful! :D I always forget to add seam allowances >.>