I Searched 1800's Patents to Understand This Ruler
The sewing gauge has all kinds of bits and bobs on it. What are they for? Well, I did a deep dive on the ruler by searching old patents. Here's what I discovered.
---
00:00 - Intro
00:45 - Seam Gauge
03:06 - Notches
04:20 - Tiny Holes
06:11 - Pointy Bit
06:59 - End Hole
08:11 - Seam Allowance
09:30 - Vintage Gauges
10:08 - Final Thoughts
---
Save 10% on you next sewing machine: www.qualitysewing.com/corn
Use code CORN at checkout.
---
👩🎓 My Pattern Drafting Courses → cornelius.ooo/learn
---
💸 Patreon → cornelius.ooo/patreon
👥 Become a Member → cornelius.ooo/member
🪙 Share a few coins → cornelius.ooo/paypal
---
✂️ The Scissors I Use → cornelius.ooo/cut
🧵 Shop Sewing Essentials → cornelius.ooo/shop
---
📱 Website → cornelius.ooo
🖥️ See my Day Job → cornelius.design
---
✉️ Newsletter → cornelius.ooo/newsletter
🎥 Instagram → cornelius.ooo/insta
📹 Tiktok → cornelius.ooo/tiktok
🎞️ KZhead → cornelius.ooo/youtube
---
#sewing #sewingtips #nowyouknow
---
Some of the links shared may be affiliate links. Learn more here → cornelius.ooo/disclaimer-priv...
UPDATE: Apparently, the reason for the little holes in the slidy bit are where I should be putting my pin when I use it as a compass. Then use the hole on the end of ruler for my marker. The offset of the pin hole matches the offset hole on the end ruler and so the measurements stay correct. Please comment below if you know more.
This comment is probably better than your entire video. I love these little tidbits of information re: metrology. Like why the end of a tape measure is loose/wobbly.
Could the little holes in the blue slide be used to help pin down the gauge and center a zipper on a seam? 🤔
Black hat gets my vote. 😊
I love your videos!
I was just gonna say that maybe a mechanical pencil would fit into the little hole, but actually this makes a whole of of sense. The more modern fully plastic versions have a little pivot on one end for this function.
It's not only a sewing guage, it's also a knitting guage. The one inch markings are for counting your stitches per inch across a minimum of a 4" piece of knitting. You use it by knitting about a 6" swatch. Then you set the slide to the area you want to measure and leave it set there while you are knitting say a sweater. Every so often, you use the notches to count the stitches between the notches. If a pattern calls for your gauge to be 8 stiches per inch, you should count that many. If you count across several rows and the count goes from 8 to 7 to 8 to 6, it means your yarn tension is off and you need to correct it. You measure the rows the same, but the count is usually different. It works the same for crochet. It's used in a lot of needlecrafts.
Thanks for this I am currently going cross eyed trying to count my rows accurately!
Cool! This tool has so many uses.
Thank you.
Thanks for this. I will certainly use it in my crochet!
Ive got one it's about 30 yrs old says right on it "Sewing & Knitting Gauge" 👍🍻.
Back in the 60s we actually had sewing and cooking classes in 7th grade. We were taught how to use these for a multitude of projects. They really should bring back life skills.
Very true and a little repetition there would help too.
And Shop! And Driver’s Training ! And REQUIRE it to get a Driver’s License!!! I had Home Economics in 7th & 8th grade. We were taught using tracing paper and those holes are used to push a pin or. Needle through with tracing paper underneath to mark fabric
Both my kids (20 & 21 now) were very upset there were no life skills classes or shop. Education has done a great disservice to a few generations. I’ve taught the kids the basics; cooking, laundry, dish washer, hand washing…but not sewing I suck at sewing! 3 years of classes 🙄🙄🙄
This isn't a life skill. Believe it or not we are not going back to the 1880's.
@@OceanusHelios In home economics, I learned how to do run an electric sewing machine and do basic service on it (NOT a treadle from the 1880’s), design a pattern, pick the fabric- color, fabric pattern, etc, decide which style-collar, sleeve, length, waist-and made it to fit the person that it was made for. I wasn’t -then. Or now- stuck with something off of a store rack that matched everyone at school that either was too loose (but a sewing machine can fix THAT, too!) or too tight, in a horrible color in an itchy fabric! I also made a blanket and towel to dry myself and dishes, and toys for small children to play with. In cooking, I learned to make a baked Alaska, cook a leg of lamb, turn off the gas if there was a gas smell, put out a fire started in a frying pan, and learned how to properly entertain. We rotated into shop for a week (girls were not allowed to take shop in those days nor boys take home ec. Some more recent changes have been good things). My school made the decision that BOTH sexes needed to know SOME life skills!. Shop is where I learned how to use basic tools, both hand & electric , make a shelf and replace an electric plug, change a fuse in the car and change a tire. The boys were taught how to thread a needle (both hand and machine and sew on a button and properly iron pants and a shirt. In cooking they learned to fry, boil, bake and broil. They served a breakfast to their parent or parents one morning. There are some basic skills that need to be learned that surpass time while some added due to technology that are necessary. to be safe and function in the life we live. I had an electric outlet in my living room begin to spark. (Mouse had chewed a wire). I know to throw the breaker (shop taught us about the fuse box) and stopped my house from burning. Thank you, God, for these life lessons that my school chose to offer as an electives! I have probably used these life skills that I learned in Jr High School from these teachers more often than what I learned in math. how many parents can dedicate an hour a day, 5 days a week, 9 months a year for 3 years ANY subject to one child, let alone 4 or 5 this day in age? When I was in school most women were stay at home moms with time to spend one on one with each child -and most families had large families. And parents were INVOLVED in their children’s education! My sister is a teacher and calls and asks parents to work with their child who is struggling in second grade spelling or reading. The answer she gets is “That’s your job”. Today everyone works. Kids today cannot SPEAK or WRTE grammatically correct English in the US!. A good percentage can’t even read. Life Skills need to be reintroduced. Parents need to get involved. Everybody eats, and everybody wears clothing. Man uses tools, be they a hammer, drill, electric saw, sewing machine, mixer or stove and has for much further back than 1880, and will until humans go the way of the Dinosaur. I take offense to your idea that these skills are obsolete. Some Life skills may change as our world does, but they still need to be taught by someone. Parents are too busy and schools have stopped teaching many subjects. These children NEED to learn the skills for everyday life somewhere! EXACTLY who should teach them and where would YOU suggest they be taught?
I learned to sew in the 70s and this is what I was taught: The notches are for spacing snaps, buttons and button holes evenly. The small hole in the plastic allows you to put your needle through and set the perfect spot for sewing on the button based on the sewing line of the button hole. Also, yes, to the compass but make certain the slider is a tight one. I prefer an old metal slider one.
I came on here to say the same. We were taught this in Home Ec.
My mother used to teach for Singer in "the before times". Also with a Bachler in Home Ec. (back when they actually taught it as a trade). Just asked her, she confirms the same thing.
@@meacadwell Yes. Home Economics. 1963. Forest Oaks Junior High School. I had that ruler (sewing gauge). It looks like "home" to me. And, yes, I think the plastic piece was metal back then. I was 13 years old.
Oh how interesting! I've been using mine for decades to space buttons but I had no idea about the needle hole for the buttons. That's going to be very useful as I have two shirts ready to sew buttons on this coming weekend. Thank you!
@@vintage6346 That plastic was metal back then. I have one I found at a garage sale, but can't really use it because the metal slider is too loose. So I use a more modern one.
I was a professional seamstress for many years. How nice to see someone discovering my old friend.
Seriously amazing tool
I'm 60 and I still use my grandma's and mother's! Everything old is new again :)
That's where I've seen these! In the sewing stuff!
Ive used this ruler for many decades. Back in the days of home-ec, we were taught to make binding and bias tape by pinning the ruler to the ironing board and running the fabric under the ruler between the pins (one in the end hole, another either in the slider hole or across the ruler), with the iron. You can iron right on top of the ruler. You can also turn up hems and iron those with the ruler in between the two layers.
I’m going to have to try this with quilt binding!
I agree. They used to be all metal to withstand the heat of an iron.
Wow! I have several of these and have also bought a bias tape maker I didn't even need! 😂 Amazing what we learn with time! I just learned about the little red ball on the seem ripper too! 😂
I forgot about that! It's been awhile...
I came on here to say that! Padded ironing board is where I always use mine!!
I first bought that kind of ruler in 1968. It was sold as a sewing necessity and my mom said GET ONE. I still use it today.
Me too!!! Ha, ha, ha!😊
Me too. Mine has a red slider. 😂
Yep. Bought as part of sewing kit.
Me too, but the blue slider on mine was metal, and it finally fell out. I kept the ruler anyway. Ha!
Exactly. Home economics in high school. I still sewing and quilting.
'I know why,' shouted this proud seamstress! a) the pins can be fixed into a cork or dense styrofoam manikin, a corked drafting table or an ironing board or ironing cushion. b) the fixed position gives a good range for multiple rows or grids, such as with hems, decorative cuffs or smocking, or spacing buttonholes! c) Also helpful for fixing a centre position for when you want to work from the centre outwards. d) My favourite - one pin allows for swivelling if you want to mark a crescent or circle! Hugs.
Well aren't I happy you shared you knowledge! Thank you, this is very helpful.
The button one is a good addition. Thanks!
Also… the compass allows for making a scalloped edge on the sleeves or the hem. Perfect small scallops
Wow been sewing my whole life - never knew all of this !!! Now I use my gauge for knitting
Thank you, @millville, for bringing sanity forward. I am not by any means a seamstress (just turned 80 and 10th grade Home Ec was long ago) but still could not fathom our leader's use of many layers of loose folded fabric to attempt to trace and cut circles and semicircles without the use of a firm soft surface cutting board into which to pin down the fabrics and the gauge. Yet perhaps he did know the proper technique but set us up to get one of us to explain it. Aha! Clever teacher!
I used one of these when I was in the Army for aligning medals, ribbons, etc.
It might have also been useful with a map. Like for instance if you wanted to know how far out to setup a parimeter around a town. If an inch equals a mile then put a pin on the blue part at the center of the town and use the larger hole at the end for your pencil point to draw your circle around the town. Yes, I realize a compass or transit does have a measurement but that little ruler could fit a pocket as well and be easy to use in the field.
Yup! I finally bought my hubby one just for that! It was an inexpensive one. We constantly were fighting over the old fully metal one!
I was always taught that the hole in the blue part is for making scallops along with the larger hole in the metal at the end. Make a line. Stick a pin in the blue hole. Put a pencil in the metal hole and make the scallop the size you want and run the ruler around to make the scallops. I did this a lot for my kids clothes 50 years ago.
I just wrote curves, I should have checked the comments first.😊 Not just scallops but any curve, like rounding of corners.
I am glad you put in this comment I am 77 and have always wondered what I didn't know about the possibilities.
@@stilllookingfortreasure I use it for some drawling also. I do a multitude of things and use those little wonders alot.
Amazing!!!
THANK YOU! Age 71 and never taught these tricks.
Came for the ruler, stayed for the hat. Thanks for the info!
🤠🙏🏻
So true
I too came for the ruler. I liked the video because at the end he waved it around like sword. 😂
When I found a couple of older seam gauges, with the metal slider, I snapped them up immediately. I use one at the ironing board for pressing curved edges evenly. When you set the slider to the desired fold depth, you can fold up the edge of the fabric to meet the slider, and then press right on top of the seam gauge.
Oh interesting!
Would help a lot in measuring drag on the hem on a bias cut dress after letting it rest. Thanks!
Old dress maniquins were padded and accepted pins. Dress makers used the rigid pinning ruler, marked in calibrated inches and a flexible tape measure to make a bodice sloper with around 20 measurments for a "Perfect Fit" for their patrons. That sloper was reusable to make many garments and could be adjusted if need be for maturation, or weight loss or gain.
That's good to know. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks for comment as it dusted off the memory of my mom having a dark blue sewing mannequin - she may have gotten it from her mom who was a fantastic seamstress. I recall it having spaces between parts so was it adjustable? I wonder if it is in the attic of my mom's house? TFS.
This is timely! Inherited mine from my mom who was a fantastic at sewing. As I used the straight edge this morning, I wondered about all the extras that she likely knew about this tool that I did not. Being more of a crafter than sewer, I’ve used it to gauge knitting or crochet as others mentioned. Used the slider to consistently mark something but your video and these comments are a goldmine of knowledge. Setting buttons and drawing curves?! Taking a closer look, I noticed the body of the ruler is a scant 5/8” so using a pencil with the straightedge would be exactly 5/8; hence that little indentation. As you pointed out the end measures 5/8” exactly. Same is true of the straight edge and inner opening which is a scant 1/4” and the notched side is exactly 1/4”. A great discovery for me as I begin hand piecing patchwork since quilters use 1/4” seams.
Hello Cornelius. Your updated note is correct and I’ll add one bit of clarification. Putting the pen in the hole in the blue bit that is on the same side as the pencil hole gives you the exact measurement you’ve set. Putting the pin in the hole at the side opposite of the pencil hole adds an extra width for seaming. My cheap version only gives an extra 1/8” which is scarcely enough for a seam, but I believe my old sewing gauge provided an extra 1/4” when using the opposing pin hole. Also, this tool is handy for those curves when marking fabric that is on my dress form. I push the pin all the way into my dress form until the ball of the pin is flush with the gauge. That gives me a secure connection for rotating the gauge and getting a dependable marking. Thank you for your great videos! 🌷
Thank you for adding your knowledge here as well as sharing your way of using it.
The 5/8th inch seam allowance began when patterns were first sold. The manufacturers got together and decided on this width of allowance in the US so their customers wouldn't become confused, as they would with each company using a different seam allowance. Who knows, perhaps they took into consideration that lightweight linen or cotton would be sewn with French seams which would be ideal with 5.8th inch allowance. Remembering that there were no overlockers and many people had to hand sew the seams - much quicker with a French seam. While woollen fabrics would need a normal flat seam with the raw edges hand sewn to stop fraying - as I once did because we didn't have zig zag or overlock - just hand stitch oversew.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with myself and others in the comments here. 🙏🏻
But wool does not ravel that's why it was used a lot in Minnesota during the 50s & 60s (for those lovely, plaid slacks!) But linen, yes that's another story. Ravels like crazy.
Well I have a gauge that is pretty old. It was my mother's. And the little sliding thing on mine is metal and it actually falls out. So I have learned so much from your video. I'm going to come up with something to put inside like yours has in the plastic gauge to keep it from falling off. And the little pointy thing on the end for turning Corners are you kidding me! I have struggled so long to find the right thing to make my Corners sharp and I had it all the time and didn't know it . Great video
Is the centre space on yours a bit wider than it originally was? That may cause your slider to drop out. All the best.
If it falls out again you may be able to spread it slightly to add tension then carefully bend it enough to slip it back in.
It has lost it's "spring." Maybe spread it a bit before putting it back into the ruler.
try taking it to a jeweler. if they don’t know the part that was original, they will be able to understand it needs a touch of tension and be able to make/buy something that will bring it back to useful!
How did I never know these are 5/8" wide? This is about to make life a lot easier this afternoon when I'm making dresses for my daughter's munchkin.
If you have a measuring tape, it is probably 5/8 inches wide also! So handy!
I'm 60 and have my grandmother's ruler. I'm thrilled to learn so much from the video and comments after all these years. ❤
Same here!
I'm so jealous of you two! 😻
I bet yours doesn’t have the cheap blue plastic slider. Mine gets so loose after just a few uses! Going on eBay today to get a metal slider one!
my mom and grandmother were expert seamstresses. They used this all the time but I guarantee we didn't know all the functions of this handy tool
Maybe the holes in slider are to pin it on your ironing board if pressing under a hem?
Owned one of these for forever, mostly used for hemming, didn't know it had all these uses, thank you so much!
Remember that this is a small portable and inexpensive tool you'd take with to someone's house when fixing pleats on a dress or adjusting the size of clothing, The reason for the notches is to keep pins in alignment. The way you'd keep the sliding T in place is a short tapered dowel. The holes can be used to drape a thread around a contour to measure off of on people or to "mount" the ruler onto a dummy or on a patternboard but they also keep the plastic T from shrinking out of form as it ages - they become loose because over time they continue to dry out and shrink.
This is a lovely bit of information, but the comments are absolutely STELLAR! Thank you one and all.
You should have asked me. our sewing surface was like cork board and the reason the pleat notches were smaller before was because of the intricacies of 1900 fashion (pleated blouses)
Please can they bring some of those fashion details back? I made a blouse once with small pleats but not like the 1900’s.
I have been sewing for decades but I learned a lot from this video.
Oh wonderful, I'm glad to hear it.
The small hole is to place a pin into then swing the gage around in a circle. It is used to create a circle in a piece of work. You set the blue slider at the correct measurement, then placing your marking instrument at the end of the gauge (in the precut hole on the notched edge), you make the circle in the preset size.
Pinning it down through the blue holes and using the sliding feature lets you mark out even spacing marks for shirring or pintucks more easily, in that you know you're on a straight line for your initial spacing. :) My grandma taught me that your marking surface under your fabric should always be a large slab of wood, something that will accept a pin stabbed in it so that you can do this.
That part about the end measuring 5/8" 🤯 I can't sew without this tool. ❤ your videos because I always learn something new. Thanks for sharing.
Oh nice, I'm glad to hear it gets used.
Couldn’t click on this video fast enough. This ruler has been a mystery for me for too long. Can’t thank you enough.
Same reason I hit play! I'm not a sewer just a repairer of my lost buttons and such. I've kept every seeing notion found in my aunt and mom's baskets though. I crochet so now the 'slidy ruler' will go to live with that basket
That standard seam allowance also works well for French seams. Note it also says knitting, so some of those extra features might be more useful for that. Mine is from the same company but doesn't have notches or holes and the slide is all metal. It also has only inches. It would be interesting to know how many models there are available. Maybe, like cars, they make new models every year. 🙂 I didn't realize the one end is the standard seam width and just checked other dimensions. The narrower portion is exactly half and the length of the wider end is exactly three quarters, of an inch. More built in handy measurements.
Oh nice, thank you for sharing the extra knowledge! And yes many quilting and knitting folks mention using this tool.
My uncle was a Taylor. In his shop, he had a steel table and a table with a thick cork surface. He had a suit pattern pinned down to it.
There was a tailor on TV decades ago who taught professional sewing tips. He was awesome. From him I learned we can often sew without needles holding seams together. Been trying to remember his name.
I have this ruler and bought it for paper crafting. Who knew it could do so much more. I am so happy to be educated. Thanks to you and to all the people who made elucidating comments.
I'm primarily a paper crafter and never ever thought to keep tool in my craft tool basket! TY TY!
I think I figured out the holes in the slider. At first I thought these were sewing needle gauges but needles aren't standardized so no. This is from Dritz: Measure and mark fabrics at the same time with the Dritz Sewing Gauge with Sliding Marker. This 6-inch sewing gauge comes with a sliding marker that stays in place allowing you to make multiple markings. It is designed with holes on top. Use this sewing gauge to mark and measure hems, pleats, tucks, buttonholes and more. You can also use the slider to draw circles and scallops on your fabrics. Now couple that with this description of mechanical pencils from Pen Heaven: The narrow barrel and thin writing point make this an ideal pencil for professional drafting as they enable an uninterrupted view of the drawing. The sizes range starting at 0.3mm and go to 5.6mm on their site. So someone using this to draft patterns could thumbtack or use another pencil to hold the hole at the hook and then use a pencil in the slider hole to draw circles, as you did, or draw scallops. I suppose a skilled user could also draw the slider at an even pace to mark an A-line increase up to 5" in length.
Yes to mechanical pencils!
When my grandmother taught me to hem my garments, she used this wonderful little tool two ways... The first was on the side of a soft stepping stool (poof, ottoman) that had a hard top. The person stood on the top, the gauge was pinned through the little holes at the right level and the model simply turned while the seamstress marked - she didn't have to hold the ruler. The second was to pin it to the ironing board at the right length and slide the fabric under the ruler while ironing. Hers was all metal which was good since one with the plastic gauge would have melted. She used the "compass function" to make curves for full circle skirts and round collars as well.
I was told the reason standard seam allowance was 5/8th is because patterns were drafted in metric, and pattern makers didn't want to redraw all of their patterns with 1/8th less seam allowance to make it a less awkward fraction in imperial. (It was 1.5cm). Prior to mass produced sewing patterns seam allowances weren't as consistent -- crotch curves, armscyes, and necklines tended to have a much smaller seam allowance. Now many patterns will have 5/8ths and have instructions to trim and/or clip the seam allowance instead. I think this makes a bit more sense than giving room to let out a garment by 2" because I don't think you could let out a 5/8ths seam allowance by 4/8th and have a sturdy seam in the end.
My grandma used it to measure a hem when the dress was being worn. It is especially important for full-length dress/skirt
That’s how I always do it 👍🏼
I've always used the 1 inch cutouts on the side to help me count stitches in a guage swatch of knitted fabric. I may need to count 28 stitches over 4 or more inches, and the 1-inch increments make that job a little easier. I was told the holes in the slider are for correctly installing a tailor's tack. Threaded needle goes into the hole, remove the guage, pull the thread through, complete the tack, snip threads, and now all layers of fabric are marked.
Oh nice! Thank you for sharing your uses but also for the other uses it has!
Useful onformation. If you are marking a long hem you can use the holes to pin the ruler to your ironing board then pull the fabric under it to mark every few inches. No idea if that is the intended use. Thanks for the video.
Great Idea!
I like this use case! Thanks for sharing.
I inherited my grandmother's 55 years ago, and I knew what it was and used it often. I learned something new today. Thank you
The hole at the end can be used for marking seam allowance. Place the slider at the desired measurement then align the slider with your pattern line, put the pen in the hole and slide the ruler along the edge of the pattern with the slider following the edge of the pattern
Good thinking. Thank you for sharing.
I've had mine since 60s. I only used it for hemming. Thanks for the info.
Got one when I was taking Home Economics in high school in the mid 1970's...very useful!
We had these in secondary school for sewing lessons! This was in the UK in the early 1970s. I knew exactly what it was for before playing the video.
On the gauge holes in the blue plastic. Drop your sewing machine needle into the hole and slide for different seam allowance.
That's interesting use case!
I think the hole at the end of the seam gauge (protractor reference) is to hold a sewing machine needle to replace/insert into the machine. Thanks for a very interesting and informative video.
It does work as a protractor. Could have used it the other day. Lol
Random viewer here. I like your incospicuous insertions of ads and references, and your style overall. Interesting info and presentation.
yes! his style is def unique! I was drawn to his presentation & his caricature-like look with the cowboy hat, mustache, facial expressions, his animation-like eyes, the way he talks and I liked how a "cowboy" was into sewing... LOL
I never thought of using the pointy end for pushing out a corner. Thanks.
So that is what it is for. Never knew that. I have one sitting around in my garage thinking it was a woodworking tool, ha ha ha! Many thanks for this video gem, and thanks to the viewers who have enriched content with insightful comments!
It can definitely be a wood working tool. It can be a drafting tool, it is so multi-purpose that I'm surprised it isn't part of the students school kit.
The 2 little holes. While trying to iron spaghetti strings could pin down gauge on ironing board and use it to keep the string form falling off the ironing board and pull it under gauge as you iron.
Ribbon too
Wow! I love this content! Have used these rulers for approximately 45 years… thank you for answering things I have often wondered regarding these rulers… great job! I had no idea this ruler had been around so long…
Oh nice, I was able to share some new tidbits.
Had mine since high school sewing class in 1962. A required course material. Very helpful.
Sewing videos aren’t my bag, but inventions and innovations are so an algorithm wisely brought me to this video. I found it informative and interesting from that point of view, so great job!
I have been sewing and using seam gauges for over 50 years and you taught me several things in this video! 😊
One of the original multi-purpose tools. Back in the day, my Mom used it for a knitting guage. I love these and always grab one of the high quality oldies if I see one thrifting The new made in China are junk. Good too see your channel success.
Oh nice! It's good to see you in the comments again. I hope you're well and thanks for watching.
Thank you Cornelius I have had this ruler for 50years and never closely looked at it, now it makes sense what all the holes are for, I have only ever used it for marking hems.
Oh nice, I am glad to hear that my video was of use to you.
Oh, wow, thank you for this very clever video. I have used this ruler for years but never realized I could make a circle of any size with it! Awesome!
You can use the blue holes and pins to make sure straight of grain.
If you angle pins in opposite directions on the blue plastic holes, it should anchor the ruler. Insert pins like you would for a hem
Before rotary ctters, cutting boards were thick cardboard like a box and you used a tack not a pin for the circle curve feature.
I have used one of these for 60 years and never knew about the 5/8” portion for marking seam allowance!! Thank you 🙏🏻
I'm glad to hear it.
I’m a curious type of person, and I love logic. Thanks so much for sharing this information with us! My mom has been sewing for at least 65 years, and she told me that she never knew what that little ruler was for. She found the information interesting, but probably won’t remember it since she’s 87 years old. 😂
I'm surprised by the total of "likes" on this post..there really are a lot of seamstresses out there! This ruler was a needed item in the 60s & 70s for young people starting sewing baskets. Been sewing for 60 plus years & never knew what this ruler can do.
I am the singer version of the same allowance ruler. I am 77 years old and the one I use belong to my grandmother. It is in perfectly good condition and does exactly everything you showed it to do. This was really fun, thank you.
I inherited my gauge from my Stepmom so it's slider is metal. It has served me well. I didn't know about the 5/8 measure and look forward to using it in future.
You can use a cardboard cutting board, the kind that folds, to pin the gauge to rather than folded fabric. I do that quite often. Thanks for the other tips!
Great idea!
As a professional dressmaker, I have heard 5/8” seam allowances are a carry over from hand sewing. It is the approximate width of one’s thumb or the distance from tip to nail bed, providing a consistent measure for a running stitch, by aligning the raw edge to the nail bed and the needle with the tip.
Very interesting.
If I bend my index finger, I can measure about 1 inch between the two bends. I think most measurements where someone using part of there hand. If you spread your Index finger away from your thumb, you can use that for a measurement, whatever that space it is for you. May be 5 1/2 to 6 inches or so?
5/8" is only standard in the US. In Europe (at least according to _Burda_ and _Neue Mode_ magazines), the standard seam allowance is 1 cm.
Yes, 5/8" is what I found I was able to hold comfortably and securely while sewing a seam by hand. Would be hard to pinch a narrower allowance with your thumb and finger.
It's also for Quilting. You can use the little slighty bit to make sure you are getting your lines.Even generally, you have a little bag of chalk that you dab on it and it will make a light line or dat.So you know where your next stitches are to go.
The holes in the slider allow you to pin into a tailor’s ham or any other thick and stable press aid while using the measure.
Inquiring minds want to know...I have actually wondering this myself for years but never thought to research it...thank you very much!
I got mine in the 60s and I still have it and yes I still use it
My grandmother had some in her sewing box and explained everything to me when I was about 6 years old. Unfortunately, this is now 55 years later, and I've forgotten so I have to watch this video. Ain't that deep? Nice hat.
G’day from NZ Cornelius! I just came across your channel. I have to congratulate you on your style, wit, honesty, production, inventiveness and presentation skills. I love the quirkiness too. Keep it up: you deserve to be successful with it! Rgds!
You are kind, thank you.
Fabulous. I learned a couple of new things - but I’m old and have been sewing 55 years. You’re doing great!
Mine has written on it, "sewing and knitting Guage". Have used mine for many years. Such a handy tool. I always thot the hole at the end was for putting in the presser foot plate hole off to the right to measure for hem..
The sewing gauge was something that I always saw people using and thought it was unnecessary, since I could just use a ruler. But I got one on sale and I use it so often! It’s really handy to have a ruler that temporarily remembers the measurement
Happened to find a vintage seam gauge still in its packaging, the back had pictures of what to do with the holes on the plastic portion. Package from company (Traum Sewing and Knitting Guage) states “Any Size Scallops- Determine the width of scallops desired. Set slider half that width (for example for 3” scallops set at 1 1/2”). Place pin at hole of slider (A), insert pencil point at hole at end of gauge (B). Keeping pin in place, pivot pencil around this marking outline of scallop. A is the hole on the gauge where across from the point turner and B is the small hole on the plastic slider piece.
Wow!!! A compass. Been sewing 53 years and have this seam gauge. How nice to find out I can use it as a compass to make the perfect circle 😀😃. Thank you!!! Will be back to your channel.
Sewing gauges are useful in flat pattern design. Pattern making requires many curves easily made with the gauge.
Places I’ve worked used corked cutting tables so you could pin into them. Never saw anyone pin a seam gauge to the table but I suppose you could. Thanks for the surprisingly interesting video!
A cork table would be nice!
Love the hat on you! Also love getting sewing tips from a guy in a cowboy hat!
Oh yeah me too. Cute
Anyone know where to get one of these?
I worked as a stitcher at a well known theatre costume shop and our 8’ by 8’ cutting table was padded which enabled us to pin fabrics and patterns directly into the table. This was great for cutting slinky fabrics like silk and polyester linings. Our pressing table was also padded with wool. So I can see how pinning the slide into the table then marking or pressing pleats by moving the ruler would be efficient. Thanks for the great video. Your production quality as always is perfection!
Wow! Used these gauges for many years and never realized all of the possible functions! Thank you!!!
The hole you’re using as a pivot point for a compass is to hang it from a nail or hook to keep it out of the way and not lose it
I happened on this video by chance and i gotta say that these were very helpful tips for uses. I never knew about the compass but it is very handy when quilting which is what i like to do. Thanks.
BTW to make things easier to pin I built a custom cutting table, that has a base of blocking mats so I can pin into it. The blocking mat is just thick EVA foam, so you can pin right into it. Then I covered it in berber carpet squares so fabrics won't slide on it when I'm working with them. This way I can pin large sections of fabric and mark them for cutting and not have them move around while I'm working with them. I'm glad I watched your video I'm frequently needing to mark different size circles and now I'll use my sewing gauge for it!
Awesome!
Been sewing 55 years here….I'm thinking the two holes on the blue plastic are for: 1. Holding the marker still with pins. 2. Buttonhole marking. 3. Keeping the blue plastic from warping. Mattel does this on their HotWheel tracks by putting slits into the plastic. After awhile, the tracks started warping. The holes keep it laying flat. 4. They are exactly 5/8ths inch apart. Another option for marking seam allowances. But, you need a very sharp pencil! 5. Less resistance while stirring your coffee 😂
I do believe you have found the true purpose - less resistance to stirring of coffee. All those other ideas are just convenient side effects.
Thanks for making us think about things we use
I've been taking this little tool for granted all these years. Thank you for the useful info!
That is what ma did to make a circle on fabric but she reversed the pin and pen! Pin in little hole of the colored piece and pen in big hole! She also slanted her pins. I don't every remember them going straight up and down. Also she had table cover that allowed pins to puncture it. It had lines and a grid of square and circle dots.
This is one of my favourite sewing tools. I taught my mum how awesome it is and now she owns multiple.
What a fun and informative video! Another use for the modern version is that you can mark either a 1/4" line or 0.5 cm/5mm line when using edge of ruler and mark on the inside line that the slider uses. I figured that out when I learned that the "traditional" measuring tape is 5/8" wide. Looking forward to watching more of your videos!
That's good to know!
It never occurred to me to question the history of that gadget. Mine tend to get misplaced, so last time I couldn’t find one, I ordered a six pack from Amazon. I have one by each sewing machine, in my cutting area, and even at the ironing board.
You're thinking ahead getting multiples.
I loved your video! I've used sewing gauges since I learned how to sew some 60 years ago. It's one of those things I can never find, so I ended up having several of them.
THANK YOU!! I have my great grandmothers sewing gauge. I've always wondered about those points. Mine has no notches but rather pinholes at the half inch/inch marks. What a brilliant tool.
I have never seen a ruler like this but now I absolutely need one. I don't even sew... I can think of a million uses.
Or maybe now I can learn to sew, so I have an excuse to use it. (I can sew a button... I'm just not really a manipulator of fabric)
Well they're fairly cheap so I day get one!
The pin (with a ham) allows you to mark button placement easier. For perfect spacing. And as a compass use a thick pad push pin up from the bottom then place little hole over pin push on. Better hold less play.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with myself and others in the comments here. 🙏🏻
If your slidey bit is loose and the metal clip is still in there or you have a new one with a metal pointer just take your small screw driver, stick it in the slot and give it a wee twist, will tighten it right up. I have several of these, one for each of my 80 sewing machines so it is always handy.
We have one of these rulers in with our sewing stuff all my life. I've never known why it was so weird and now that I'm learning how to sew, I learn all the super usefulness of it! I'm definitely going to be using it from now on! Thanks for the amazingly useful information 😊
Oh, this one's a keeper :). Thanks for sharing the research. I love using mine. Like you, I mostly use it the blue thingy and measurements as a hem or seam gauge. But I'll pay closer attention now and maybe use it more often - button placement and and pleat markings are two great ideas.
Oh nice, I'm glad the video helped illuminate some new information.
Thank you for sharing the history and the many features of this wonderful tool.
Thanks for watching!
I had one in my sewing class for home ec. We use them to measure hems & keep them a consistent length. Very helpful.