My Newest Tool......

First off, you'll have to excuse my poor pictures. I waited until way too late in the day to snap a couple of photos.....therefore....there was flash. Sorry!!!

But anyway.....here is my newest tool. My high school sewing teacher, Mrs. Wallace, had something similar to this and I always wanted one. Only recently did I find this one in a sewing magazine. All folded up it doesn't look like much.

But if you gently pull on it....it stretches.

It is such a huge help with measuring for buttonholes. I mark with a blue water-soluble pen where I want the first buttonhole and the last buttonhole and then stretch this little gizmo to create equally spaced measurements in between. On this little dress that I am working on, I only put five buttonholes/buttons on it......so I only used the first five (counting from the left which is the top of the dress) measurements. On little baby dresses I usually put the last button about 2 inches or so up from the bottom edge. I can obviously figure the same measurements out with a ruler....but this little gadget makes it so much quicker and easier. Not to mention....fun!