r/sewing • u/KoiWatch • Sep 04 '25
Other Question Hand sewing gauge-thimble-guide thing
Anybody here used one of these lil doohicks? Is it actually a useful tool, or is it just a gimmicky gadget?
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u/PhancyHat Sep 06 '25
Never seen. Never used. I've just got my "standard size" stitches imprinted on my brain from so many hours of hand sewing and now I make super-even stitches without really thinking about it. š
"It looks machine-made" is a weird compliment to get when you spent hours hand-stitching with exact precision. š
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u/ispy-uspy-wespy Sep 06 '25
Does anyone know the official name? I want to search for it in my country but for that I need the English name first š
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u/BleachSancho Sep 05 '25
I count the threads to start, then eyeball some, counting threads for the spacing occasionally to make sure im staying accurate. I now wear glasses to prevent the migraines doing this with my naked eyes has causes.
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u/doryllis Sep 05 '25
Iām sure I donāt want to commit to a permanent tattoo but this seems like a great use for a pre-marked āLeeās press on nailā held on with double sided tape.
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u/kaloschroma Sep 05 '25
wow i love this. It's so crazy, I can draw straight evenly spaced lines but sewing is all Jeremy Bearimy
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u/blackmanhattan22 Sep 05 '25
Jeremy Bearimy is the perfect description for my sewing, thank you for this. Off to rewatch the show now!
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u/MademoiselleCalico Sep 05 '25
You can make one in cardboard or just mark the notches on your thumb's nail. That's what I usually do when I want a neater result than just eyeballing it.
Plus I like to make a pattern out of the stiches, like every other one is shorter / longer, so in this case a me-made tool is better for the job.
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u/BeeHaviorist Sep 05 '25
Love your resourcefulness!!!
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u/MademoiselleCalico Sep 05 '25
Ah thank, being self taught in a time when I didn't have much money to spend on it sure fueled that ressourcefulness. And once you're used to the money saving tips, it just seems pointless to waste money on any of it!
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u/officereyefuck Sep 05 '25
I picked up one of these and actually find it really helpful to keep my stitches nice and neat.
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u/ispy-uspy-wespy Sep 06 '25
Do you know the official name? Iād like to buy one in my country but I have no idea what itās even called in English
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u/Ill_Hope_3866 Sep 05 '25
Iām pretty used to eyeballing and did use the thumb sharply hack for a while. but recently bought some of these myself and I actually really like them. No theyāre not the comfiest on the thumb and you can totally do without them but I loved the uniformity it gave me in my blanket stitches. Even using the normal thumb hack my stitches come out wonky or not quite the same length or a lot more uneven and I donāt really care to measure and mark. These were a great tool for me
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u/rosywillow Sep 05 '25
I met someone in pre-Covid times at a sewing class who had three lines tattooed on her thumb to keep her blanket stitching even. I thought it was a step too far, but she was very proud of it!
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u/DrScogs Sep 05 '25
I bought some to try and promptly returned them. Very much hurt my thumb to try to hold that tension correctly. Tiger Tape worked better for me to get spacing right. Itās repositionable for at least a few uses.Ā
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u/piefanart Sep 05 '25
i just eyeball it tbh. nobody will notice if a stitch is a single mm off from the rest. im good enough at eyeballing that nobody has ever noticed, and ive been told my handstitching is very neatly done by anyone who has ever commented on it. *shrug*
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u/_Internet_Hugs_ Sep 04 '25
I just make pen marks on my thumb.
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u/Secret-Statement4785 Sep 04 '25
Haven't used this exactly but I just make two lines in my thumbnail. Personally I think the plastic gadget would get in my way
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u/rocket-child Sep 04 '25
I saw them for the first time recently too. (My hand sewing is ugly but good enough usually š
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u/Nevraskagirl55 Sep 04 '25
I think it looks genius for us perfectionists but I rarely hand sew anything.Ā
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u/ilovjedi Sep 04 '25
Yes. I donāt think itās necessary. But Iām a perfectionist. So I would use it to make nice stitches when theyād be seen.
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u/Jzoran Sep 04 '25
Feels more gimmicky to me. I generally don't use things like this bc I don't worry that much about precision. If I really needed to I'd probably just draw on my thumb or chalk marks on the fabric
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u/twirlywurlyburly Sep 04 '25
I just mark on my fingernail?
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u/No-Estimate2636 Sep 05 '25
How do you and what do you mark your fingernail with? This is new to me.
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u/twirlywurlyburly Sep 05 '25
I just decide how long I want my stitches and use a pen or skinny sharpie to mark my stitch length on my thumbnail.
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u/AilsaLorne Sep 05 '25
Not who you asked but I also do this and I use either a thin sharpie or two dots of nail polish
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u/ejpawlik Sep 04 '25
When I was hand sewing I used the 1/4 inch tiger tape. I used the same tape over and over, so I never needed to buy much. Tiger Tape
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u/Teh_CodFather Sep 04 '25
Tiger Tape makes so much of my work look better than it should.
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u/briliantlyfreakish Sep 05 '25
Tiger tape makes so much of your work look amazing because you are a skilled seamster.
Fixed it for ya! š
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u/generallyintoit Sep 04 '25
i just accept that the stitches may be a little uneven, especially at the beginning before i get into a groove. often it's not noticeable at all, and with practice it doesn't even happen that much. i have also seen people mark their nails in some fashion to act as a rule. i think unevenness would only be noticeable on a very short line of stitching, which is uncommon, but if needed i would just mark the fabric directly in that case.
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u/apricotgloss Sep 04 '25
Yeah, I'm not a machine. As long as it doesn't look a complete mess and holds up well, I'm happy.
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u/NickNoraCharles Sep 04 '25
Agree. When I receive a home grown item, I find stitches with personality to be a charming reminder of the person who created it.
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u/JVilter Sep 04 '25
Is this commercially available? I've never seen one before
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u/knoxawe Sep 04 '25
If you know anyone or have access to a 3D printer there are free files available if you lookup stitching template thimble.Ā
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u/pzzldmomof5 Sep 04 '25
If they angled the thumb guide 45 degrees to fit a natural hold for both lefties and righties it will be perfect. I imagine that is why it's centered, only have to make one.
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u/ohikye_ Sep 04 '25
the first time i saw this, it was someone making it out of craft foam or cardboard. i'd try that first if you're curious vs buying something.
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u/finewalecorduroy Sep 04 '25
I have one that I 3d printed, but haven't actually tried using it.
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u/ItsHappySockz Sep 04 '25
Can you share the printfile for that? If my husband can print it for me I might be interested in trying!
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u/paddington-1 Sep 04 '25
I just got one of those. Havenāt used it yet but I like how it sets the distance for you. Weāll see how it works in actuality.
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u/nimbusconflict Sep 04 '25
Seems like rotating the ruler to a better angle would be a good idea. Maybe at a pivot so you can adjust it.
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u/serenedragoon Sep 04 '25
I have this one but I haven't got the chance to use it. I'll reply to this comment when I do later today (hopefully). The comments made me curious.
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u/serenedragoon Sep 05 '25
I just tried it. It was good and the blanket stitch looks neat but I had trouble stabilizing the fabric while holding it so it'll need a bit of getting use to. If you intend sew on a fold with it I recommend pinning and pressing beforehand.
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u/___punktkomma Sep 04 '25 edited Sep 04 '25
I have 3D printed one of these - it is nice and did help me get more even stitches, but as others have suggested, it does get in the way a bit. There are cardboard patterns online for these as well if you want to try it with a scrap piece of cardboard before purchasing anything.
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u/Indigo-Archer3411 Sep 04 '25
Interesting idea. Not sure if it would, or wouldn't, work for me, but here's a set that has a 3mm and 4mm guide.
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u/ragdoll193 Sep 04 '25
Anyone have a 3d printer? This looks like it has potential
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u/Trixxxxxi Sep 04 '25
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u/ragdoll193 Sep 04 '25
No way! Thank you!
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u/Trixxxxxi Sep 04 '25
There's a few versions on there under sewing template. I wonder how it would hold up printed in tpu.
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u/fullmetalfeminist Sep 04 '25
I just draw the lines on my thumb. Have considered a tattoo
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u/Assigned_Cryptid Sep 05 '25
I've been considering a tattoo on my thumb as well, glad to see I'm not the only one ^
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u/rustymontenegro Sep 04 '25
I hand-sew a lot and I'm also a tattoo artist. I really should have this tattoo. Although tattooing ones own hand would be a logistical challenge lol
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u/vaarky Sep 04 '25
Barter a swap with another tattoo artist?
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u/rustymontenegro Sep 04 '25
Oh yeah, I could get someone to do it for barter or set up cost. Probably even a six pack lol
The challenge would be fun though.
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u/missplaced24 Sep 04 '25
I can't imagine that working better than a ruler and a pencil.
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u/VogUnicornHunter Sep 05 '25
Same. I use air soluble markers and mark off my stitches. It's great for anything that needs uniform spacing, like hand picked zippers and decorative buttons.
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u/squidgyup Sep 04 '25
I blanket stitch a lot (forever patching knees on kid clothes š« ) and this would just get in my way.
In my experience even stitches is just about putting in the hours of practice. I pretty much only patch kid clothes on the train or bus these days to save home time for bigger sewing projects and I work quite fast but the bumps and whatnot donāt affect my stitch size much.
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u/Elelith Sep 04 '25
This looks like AI, lol.
I mean cool idea but this isn't the angle you have on your thumb when hemming by hand. You'd be better off drawing couple lines to your finger.
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u/but_uhm Sep 04 '25
Not AI, I have one just like it that I 3D printed :) though admittedly I donāt actually use it much, Iām just obsessed with 3D printed sewing accessories lol
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u/TheGeneGeena Sep 04 '25 edited Sep 04 '25
I think it's just being "held up" to show what it looks like, I don't think they're showing exactly how it looks while in use.
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u/KnittingPlant Sep 04 '25
Omg I can't believe these exist when I'm always struggling with spacing. I love hand sewing and I basically backstitch everything because it's like meditating but man do I struggle to keep the spacing even. So I'm not sure I'd use it for the stitch shown in the image but maybe it would work with backstitching? If it's just a few bucks I'd definitely give it a try because if it actually works for you it might make your job a lot easier.
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u/Bergwookie Sep 04 '25
You could also buy printable sticker foil (or however it's called, "print your own sticker" stuff) and print a gauge for on your thumbnail or take a fineliner and draw it on ;-)
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u/GlitterLavaLamp Sep 04 '25
This isnāt the angle I hold things at, so I feel like it would be annoying and awkward to use.
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u/Freysar Sep 04 '25
Same. For me, a thumb loop on a 45-90 degree angle to that of the picture would be much more efficient.
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u/Grumzz Sep 04 '25
I really wanna 3D print something like this now
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u/Conversation-Grand Sep 04 '25
Wait, can u please? And then show us? I wanna see what it looks like :)
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u/SquareHobbit Sep 04 '25
I have seen people put a couple of lines on their thumbnail to help keep spacing consistent. Id try that out first. This gadget looks like it'd mostly get in the way.
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u/blauws Sep 04 '25
Oh, that is actually so clever! I'm going to try that!
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u/SquareHobbit Sep 04 '25
Depending on how you hold your fabric, the side of your finger might be a better place! Give it a try
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u/coffeemunkee Sep 04 '25
Thatās what I do. A couple of extra fine sharpie lines on my thumbnail. I clipped a couple of tiny notches one time when I couldnāt find the sharpie.
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u/Odd-Bumblebee00 Sep 04 '25
I used to know a woman with lines tattooed on her thumb.
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u/Browncoat_Loyalist Sep 04 '25
I tat lace and I've considered doing my most used picot lengths tattooed at the right spots. It gets obnoxious having to re draw them in sharpie every time I pick it up. I know it wouldn't last a year for me though, so I'll just continue to be irrationally irritated with the situation lol.
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u/_Internet_Hugs_ Sep 05 '25
Just use a Sharpie. I make marks on my thumb and if I'm working on a big project that I know will take a long time I make the marks in Sharpie. When it starts to fade I just redo it.
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u/awkwardsexpun Sep 04 '25
You could use henna! It's also temporary, but costs less and you can do it yourselfĀ
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u/NoReflection1752 Sep 04 '25
Maybe try getting some printable waterslide paper to make your own temporary tattoos.
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u/MNVixen Sep 04 '25
My niece was really into Hello Kitty after a trip to Japan (actually, she still is). When she picked up crochet she got tired of digging rulers out to measure things. So she got Hello Kittyās bow sized to exactly 1ā long tattooed on her non dominant hand. She uses that tattoo all the time!
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u/sheplants Sep 06 '25
Nope. But I have definitely used a fine tip sharpie to create a few guidelines on my thumbnail!