I’m sold! Hollie sent me one of her Seam Allowance Guides to review, and for someone who operates on minimal equipment and has very few sewing gadgets to their name, I have to say I love this clever little tool!
For those of us who trace Burda patterns or any other pattern system that omits seam allowances, it is perfect – this tool automatically measures the seam allowances for you while you cut. It simply attaches to your scissor blades by a magnet, and you cut using the small black ring as a distance guide.
For those of us who find cutting the least appealing part of the sewing process – this is going to minimise your time at the cutting table and get you to the sewing machine sooner!
Hollie is an accomplished seamstress herself, and in designing this tool she has thought about all the important details. I was impressed with the power of the magnet – it certainly won’t fall off or shift when you are cutting around curves or anything! The black ring can be moved incrementally along the guide, so you can cut anything from 6mm seam allowances to 3cm hem allowances:
There are spare rings enclosed and I placed two on the guide at once, partly to avoid losing one (!), but also because I cut my garments with varying seam allowances. And if you have shears with a sloping blade Hollie hasn’t forgotten you – there’s an extra guide in yellow with a slanted edge – it fits perfectly on the right side of my shears:
It is even great for picking up pins! In these pictures I am demonstrating it being used on a pattern from an Australian Home Journal which has no seam allowances – normally I would trace this onto pattern paper, add seam allowances, cut out the pattern, then lay up and cut the fabric – I can see Hollie’s invention is going to save me a lot of time!
Thank you Hollie for your generous offer. And have a great sewing week all – I’m off to cut something out and play with guess what!
pattern scissors cloth 
So cool! I'm becoming addicted to pattern magazines, and this little gadget would save so much time! I've followed you on Google Reader for quite a while, but just added myself to the official follower list. Count me in!
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Thanks for this super giveaway! I'd love to win because I can already imagine myself being unintimidated by my Patrones and Burda magazines.
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I would love one of these! Mostly because I loathe cutting out fabric, and also because I have put off lots of lovely bursa patterns because of the lack of seam allowances… I follow you on an iPad reader app, so not sure you can check…
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I would love one of these. Do I need to give any other reason than “Burda”? I am so lazy about tracing that half the time I eyeball the seam allowance.
Would you please give the purchasing details on your blog? I am a follower.
If I am lucky, and win one, I can be contacted through my blog.
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What a great gadget. If I don't win one, I definitely think I'll be tracking one down.
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I'd love to win one too:)
Already a follower:)
Thanks!
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I should mention that you can purchase seam allowance guides direct from Hollie's website – there is a link in line 1 of this post!
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I want this because :
a) I'm addicted to gadgets. Got that from my Dad who loved kitchen utensiles like nobody else. I grew up with 3 fine herbes mills and 4 different garlic crushers;
b) I sew a lot of Burda and EU pattern magazines which have no seam allowances, as we all know;
c) It's cute?
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I would love to win this gadget. I have been a subsriber to Burda World of Fashion and Burdastyle for more thwn 25 years ( all issues in order on my bookshelves!) and use these patterns almost exclusively. What a godsend this guide would be.
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That is a great little gadget and would love to have one in my sewing room for all those Burda Magazine patterns I have. I am a follower.
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oh yes please I would love this as I draft a lot of my own patterns.
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I'd love to win this – I was one of your early followers.
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This would make using burda magazine patterns so much quicker and easier. I shall cross my fingers!
Betty
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I would love this for my burdas and patrones. However i also like to alter the seam allowances on the big 4 patterns, so i could easily snip off the 1.5cm from the tissue and then add what i need back on when i cut the fabric. Vanessa
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Thats such a usefull gadget. Will make life a lot easier!
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I'm a follower now. I'd likw to win it, because adding SAs is my less favourite thing in sewing, and very often the reason of my procastinating.
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Thank you for the scissor seam allowance guide giveaway. I would be very happy to win this. I have made the mistake of forgetting about adding seam allowance before. It is frustrating and heartbreaking (LOL!)when it is a special fabric. The invention is a great idea, from someone who knows what it means to make one's own garments. I am trying to add myself to your list of followers and having trouble with a pop-up window. I visit your blog almost daily. Thanks for entering me in the drawing.
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This looks like a great time saving gadget that won't take up a lot of space. Thanks for the giveaway!
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I would love this tool! I have been avoiding Burda patterns because I hate tracing off the patterns then adding SAs. I do that enough in school!!! Thanks for the chance to win this great little gadget!
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Just became a follower. Would love to win this tool — may actually make something from my Burda magazines. Thanks for the giveaway.
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That is truly awesome. Great for those times when you don't like the skimpy seam allowances that come on many new patterns and need a bigger seam so you can do a wonderful finish like a french seam or hong kong finish.
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After following your advice on adding seam allowances to patterns, I tried to figure out how to do this myself. I saw this online and thought that it was a great invention. I would love one!
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I would love to win this gadget. I think it will take a looong time before we in Europe can buy this. And WE need this the most… think Burda Patrones etc 🙂
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Ooooh, what a nifty wee gadget! Love it! I can see that making life a lot easier when cutting out patterns. 🙂 Would love to have one in my kit!
macska at gmail dot com
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I could use this tool because my hips need more seam allowance. I can see this as being useful when cutting out dresses, skirts and pants. Adding that bit of fabric makes it a wearable garment verses one that is too tight. Sign me up!
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If I don't win this could you post where the rest of us could purchase one or more, please???
I run an alterations business and custom clothing and this would speed up my cutting time and pattern adjusting.
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Already a follower, love your blog, and would LOVE to try one of these wonderful-sounding gadgets.
Plus I think it's about time I won something lol!
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I've never done a pattern without seam allowances, but it's just a matter of time. What a great little addition to the sewing box. Thanks for the giveaway.
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This is such a genius idea. I think the cutting part is the most annoying work and I would so love something like this to get it over more quickly.
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I would love to win one of these to use with Burda mag patterns… so annoying (and hard to do accurately) having to add on the seam allowance myself
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What a wonderful tool! I draft most of my own patterns and not having to add seam allowances would make alterations so much easier.
(eileen 'dot' denz 'at' gmail 'dot' com
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Cutting out is the biggest hurdle for me starting a new project. So tedious. This simple but well thought out invention will make my Marfy and Japanese sewing patterns a breeze to get started. Good to see Hollie has patented her original idea. Congratulations! Lyn.
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Oh my goodness. This is a wonderful invention. I love to sew clothing and make quilts. This would save hours, days!! I can't believe no one thought of this sooner. I would love to win this, but just in case, thank you for putting a link to Hollie's web site up!!!
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I follow you on Google Reader, does that count?
I would love to win this for two reasons: 1) I am one of those people who sews from Burda patterns that you have to trace out and 2) cutting is my least favorite part of sewing clothes, so anything I can do to get it over with and move on to my machine is great!
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Why would I want this? No, the question is: why would I NOT want this! What a great little invention, hooray!
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I just made my first pattern w/o seam allowances and I had to use my tiny ruler and mark my fabric 'cause I was too lazy to trace the pattern out again. This gadget looks awesome. It's so much easier to adjust patterns w/o seam allowances, but adding them back is a bitch.
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I'm already a follower of your great blog, and I would love a seam allowance guide! I make a lot of my own patterns, and it would be nice to be able to cut without adding SA first.
Lobolita at juno dot com
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The clarity in your post is simply cool and I could assume you’re an expert on this subject. As a first time visitor to your blog I am very impressed. Say thanks a lot for your efforts to have decided to put these things together on this blog. Continue with the great work on the site. Thank you.
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I am a follower as of today. I would love this win this seam allowance guide because it would work better than many other methods I have tried.
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