Tool School: Nancy Zieman’s 5-IN-1 Sliding Gauge

It is finally here. We want to welcome you to Clover Tool School. Our teachers have been working all summer to prepare an interesting and productive year for you. We’ve selected our top sewing, knitting and crafts tools and prepared individual classes just for you. Each class will describe one quality Clover manufactured tool, tell you what it does and give you some ideas of how to present it to your friends. Classes will convene every two weeks for a review of something different. Our curriculum will center around major categories of sewing/quilting, knitting/needle arts and crafts. Todays Tool: Nancy Zieman’s 5-in1 Sliding Gauge  Tool School 5-in-1 Sliding Gauge What is it? – I’ve cut it twice and it’s still too short. Been there? Ever heard the old saying, “Measure it twice and cut it once”? Quaint. How about just measure it once and cut it once? Measuring is vitally important to everything we do in sewing. Quilting, fashion, home decor, heirloom, it really doesn’t matter what. Being able to precisely measure and place our hems, seems, pin tucks, button holes, appliqué, circles or whatever else fits into your creative fancy can make all the difference between making something you’re proud of or something you just quietly put away out of sight. Is there a super tool that can help us do all of this and do it accurately every time? Yes there is and it comes from the collaborative efforts of Clover and Nancy Zieman. It’s called the 5-in-1 Sliding Gauge and it is the Swiss Army Knife® of sewing tools. Application after application, the list is almost endless. This is a true multifunction sewing tool that belongs close at hand in every sewing room. What does it do? – There are the advertised uses and then there are the ones you will discover on your own. We’ll be interested to hear from you to add to our list.

• Flawlessly measure hem lines. The moving curser locks into place at 1/8 inch intervals up to 6 inches. Measure from the top of the “T” to the top of the locking curser for perfect hems every time.
• Mark seam allowances. The 5-in-1 has convenient markings for standard seam allowances or your set your own.
• Create perfect circles or arcs. The right side of the gauge is marked in inches from 0 at the pivot point up to 6 inches at the top. Hold the pivot point with Clover’s awl and insert a marking pin into the locking curser set at the desired radius and swing for a perfect arc or circle.

• The “T-Square” feature of the 5-in-1 Sliding Gauge allows you to measure both length and width at the same time. You can also use it to set perfect right angles in any sewing project requiring square placement.
• Space, place and size button holes. Use the space between the top of the gauge to the top of the curser to measure the length of your button holes. The same feature can be used to transfer the distances between button holes from a pattern to your garment or you can make custom settings as suits your design.

How do I promote it? – The 5-in-1 Sliding Gauge has so many uses that it should be an integral part of every class that is taught in your shop. Meet with your teachers, go over a demonstration of the gauge and ask them to implement its use in all of their classes. Everyone who sews probably uses something different for measuring; maybe even using the old wooden rulers we had in grade school. That might be good enough if we’re looking for “close”, but we aren’t. The 5-in-1 Sliding Gauge is a precision tool that ensures the accurate placement of every sewing application. It is a tool you’ll never want to be caught without once you’ve experienced it.

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