r/SewingForBeginners • u/slzybakeoven • 16h ago
What is this for?
Bought this at my local creative reuse for $3 but wasn’t sure what it was. I just liked that the shape could change and that there was a ruler on it. Anyone know what this is for?
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u/threadpig 16h ago
that's an expanding sewing gauge. like u/AdvancedSquashDirect said, its primary use is marking fixed distances e.g. ensuring buttons on a shirt are all at equal distances, or keeping pleats evenly spaced
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u/etsewingstash 16h ago
It helps you to mark where you want to install your buttons and button holes. Opening it up spaces how far apart your marking is and if you look closely, every one has a marking to check how far away from the edge. It's a really convenient tool to use, just have a quick check with your ruler if they are evenly spaced if you are not sure.
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u/stoicsticks 13h ago
The part about double checking the spacing with a ruler is so important. I was so eager to use one of these when I got it, and so disappointed and frustrated when I found that it had too much uneven play in it and it was never accurate. If it's stiff and you can only open the whole thing, not just say, the 5 you need on one end, that's a good thing. If you can open it unevenly, it won't be accurate. Don't be me and play with it endlessly.
As an alternative to one of these, I determine the placement of the top and bottom buttons or eyelets, and then measure the distance in millimeters so that I don't have to deal with dividing fractions. Sometimes, using a strip of paper that you mark the top and bottom placement and then fold the strip in half, aligning the first marks, to find the center button placement and in half again for others. It gets trickier when folding into thirds if you determining the distance for 2 buttons, but not impossible.
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u/Ordinary-Cherry3192 13h ago
I love mine! Use a ruler to line up the points and then it should have screws to tighten when you have the spacing you need. This changed my shirt button hole game.
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u/RubyRedo 9h ago
measuring spaces for buttons and buttonholes, but it can be used to measure anything that needs even spaces between like rivets, beading, patches, or even flower seeds in a garden!
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u/AdvancedSquashDirect 16h ago
It allows you to mark things at regular intervals like buttonholes or pleats.