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
I would love this! What a great idea.
wow, this thing looks awesome! thanks for the blog post!
I’d like to give this a try. I have made all the mistakes you have in forgetting the seam allowance! Thanks for the give away.
This is a brilliant idea. It would be very useful to me in Japan where the patterns don’t have the seam allowances built in.
Wow! What an awesome tool.
Definitely love to win one. Thank you!
I trace patterns a lot too, and it is a chore. Sign me up too please!
I would love to have this tool!
Lovely!!That would save me lots of time!!
I’d like to enter your give-a-way please. I could really use a tool like that.
Hi, that’s a great idea ! Recently, I’ve been making clothes from Japanese patterns and truly I encountered the same problem as you. Hope to win this helpful tool. Thanks !
These are absolutely brilliant. I would LOVE to have one of these!
wow, this is awesome! I’d love to win one of these cool tool!Having to spend time on doing the seam allowance have kept me from doing more sewings. I definitely don’t have any excuses anymore! :D
What a fantastic tool! I would love to win one!
Looks like there are slightly more then four people interested! :D
Seem allowances are my sewing problem number one. This is genius!
That’s so smart! I would love to try it! Thanks for the chance.
that looks so handy! i’m taking a pattern drafting class next semester, and a little device like that would be immensely helpful!
What a nifty tool! That’s so much easier than drawing an extra line… :)
That has to be the best invention ever! I’m just starting to teach myself to sew and have had endless problems with the seam allowance,especially since we are in metric and most deal with inches this would give my sewing a huge boost up. I would love to win one of these lovely little gadgets.
That would just change my life forever!! please sewing god help me get it!!
yeah, there are definitely more than four! count me in!! ;)
such a cool tool!!
This would be so practical to have! Adding seam allowances is a pain.
woahhhhh how cool is that?! I’d love one!
This looks like a great tool. I’d love to try it out! Thanks for the giveaway.
i’d love one!