Skip to main content

Banner Sponsors

Teddy Bear Academy - Online teddy bear making classes
Johnna's Mohair Store - Specializing in hand dyed mohair and alpaca

student bearmaker Northern Ireland
Posts: 283

I usually use a small Perspex ruler and painstakingly move around each pattern piece outline and mark the width of seam allowance with a gel pen because I wouldn't be accurate by just eyeballing it.
I wonder is there a better,quick way to get an accurate seam allowance or does anyone know of any gadget that would help please?

dangerbears Dangerbears
Wisconsin
Posts: 6,021
Website

Renee, are you hand sewing? (I think most of us who use sewing machines use the presser foot edge to judge the seam allowance.)

Becky

student bearmaker Northern Ireland
Posts: 283
dangerbears wrote:

Renee, are you hand sewing? (I think most of us who use sewing machines use the presser foot edge to judge the seam allowance.)

Becky

Yes Becky I do handsew my bears,never bigger than 10ins/25cms and the odd mini.For my limited experience and competence I think hand sewing is easier to control around curves,especially tricky footpads :wacko:.

Logibears Posts: 12

Hey Renee,

Have you tried using your gel pen with a blunt pencil held together side by side with an elastic band? It may sound a bit strange but as long as the pencil is blunt it should just follow the edge of the pattern whilst the pen will draw out the enlarged version giving you that seam allowance.

Maryanne, x

student bearmaker Northern Ireland
Posts: 283

Thanks Maryanne,I'll give that a try  bear_thumb .

jenny Three O'clock Bears
warwickshire uk
Posts: 4,413
Website

Just make two patterns. One with a seam allowance and one  without...then draw your pattern on to the fabric with the one with the seam allowance...and then draw round the one without seam allowance on each piece. Hey presto..seam allowance ...

student bearmaker Northern Ireland
Posts: 283
jenny wrote:

Just make two patterns. One with a seam allowance and one  without...then draw your pattern on to the fabric with the one with the seam allowance...and then draw round the one without seam allowance on each piece. Hey presto..seam allowance ...

What a clever idea? Many thanks Jenny.
I'm an avid admirer of your gorgeous creations  bear_wub

jenny Three O'clock Bears
warwickshire uk
Posts: 4,413
Website

You are very welcome. That said the only time I do this now is for the head gusset and the paw pads....I just wing it with the rest!!!!
By the way I didn't think of this myself...someone...and I can't remember who to credit them....suggested it to me years ago. I did it for a while then when I felt confident to whizz round on the machine I stopped.

student bearmaker Northern Ireland
Posts: 283

OK Jenny,Thanks.
I don't have symmetrical eye in my head bear_wacko ,so I'm years off ever 'winging' it. This aid will help me practice getting an accurate sewing line.

student bearmaker Northern Ireland
Posts: 283

bear_thumb many thanks for the tips,I used the double pens on most pattern pieces and then for the gusset and footpads I used two pattern pieces,one with seam allowance and an inner one without.Both methods worked well and I added extra insurance with the double pattern pieces by measuring and marking the centre point on each so that my unsymmetrical eye would line them up evenly before I marked the sewing line inside the cutting line.
Really appreciate the expert help on this lovely friendly forum bear_wub .

jenny Three O'clock Bears
warwickshire uk
Posts: 4,413
Website

Glad it worked!

WildeThings Wilde Things
Kingston, Ontario
Posts: 1

Lee Valley carries these wonderful little marking tools but I forget what they're called bear_ermm They're a set of 5 little metal disks with a pencil hole in the middle, you just choose the diameter you'd like and trace around the pattern through the hole bear_original

jenny Three O'clock Bears
warwickshire uk
Posts: 4,413
Website

Or you could use a washer..

student bearmaker Northern Ireland
Posts: 283

bear_thumb more great tips -thanks.

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB

Banner Sponsors


Past Time Bears - Artist bears designed and handcrafted by Sue Ann Holcomb
Shelli Makes - Teddy bears & other cheerful things by Shelli Quinn