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 SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO need one of these!!!!! I am new to sewing and boy would this be a help! Thanks for the chance and love your site!! God Bless
This looks like a really cool tool. I definitely want one of these!
that’s very cool! adding my own seams is a big reason i don’t use my stack of japanese patterns :)
What a clever idea,so simple yet a perfect design. I’d love to win one.
I like that tool. I want one.
Where has this been all my life!!! This is such a fantastic little gadget…I must have one!
What a great idea. I would love one of these. Thanks for the opportunity!
Cool. I hope I’m lucky enough to win one.
Pick me pick me!! those look sooo nifty!!
I’d love to try this. Such a great idea. I’d only need the yellow one, so should I be lucky enough to win, you could even pick a fifth person for the green one – there certainly doesn’t seem to be a shortage of people to pick from.
That’s a great idea. It would be really useful in my sewing
What a cool concept. Would love to try it!
Wow! So simple and clever! I would love to have one of those! Thank you for the opp!
Great tool pick me!
wow, this is just perfect for impatient sewers like me :)
brilliant! I will love to have one of these! so easy and handful! thank you for your generosity!
This is great! I would be happy to have one.
Great little innovation – so simple its hard to believe it has not been thought of before!
Simple & Brilliant indeed! (sorry, wrong emailadress, should be …@creaBH.nl))
I’d love this guide tool!
Thank you for this opportunity!
Juanita
I would love trying it, this is sooooo cool !
Oh my goodness! Yes please! Simple and brilliant.
this looks like a economical simple but very very useful tool!
looks cool… and here i’ve been using taped-together golf pencils..
Would love trying this great tool!
Thanks for the opportunity.