[Dom]

Hi!

I’m french and I’m not really good at “yards”, “feet”, just because I use european stuff.

Anyway, I found an converter on the web, but still, there are things I dont’ understand…

When it”s written 1 5/8 yard, what does that mean? It is one yeard and 5/8? Whats does mean this 5/8 or 3/4?

And 17”, 28 1/2” and so on… –> this is the dark side of your lovely pattern for me ;o)

I would be grateful if you could explain a little bit, and then I could use my converter…

Thanx

Dom

[Liesl Gibson]

Hi Dom,

I’m sorry our system of measurement is so complicated. When I was young we were told that everyone would be switching to metric before we were adults. It never happened, unfortunately. So let’s see if I can clarify a bit:

June posted a conversion chart on the forums a little while ago. Here is a link you can paste to your browser window to view, or you can search on “metric” in the “search forums” box below:

http://www.oliverands.com/forums/topic.php?id=99#post-433

You’ll see that 1 yard is 91.44 cm, and 1 5/8 yards is 149 cm.

To convert inches to cm, multiply the inches by 2.54: 17″ is 43 cm. 28.5″ is 72 cm.

Does this help? Perhaps we could include a conversion chart somewhere on the patterns, going forward.

Cheers,

Liesl

[littlebirdy]

C’est difficile!!!

I convert the fraction into a decimal – so 5/8 would be approx 63%. So 1 yard and 5/8 would be 1.63 yards. I type that into my converter. Not sure I get it right though!

Bon chance!

[littlebirdy]

Oh – and since I’ve been doing this I’ve started thinking in inches, having NEVER used them in my life.

[Liesl Gibson]

I’d love to hear your suggestions for making our patterns metric-friendly, if anyone has any thoughts on this. I hope you’re able to make the conversion, but if there’s anything we can do to help going forward please let me know and I’ll get to work on it.

[Toyota888]

I have started thinking in inches too – I never knew what one was before now. I just bought a wooden ruler and drew the inch, half inch, quarter and eighth on it.

[littlebirdy]

I guess it would be a case of putting metric measurements in brackets afterwards, although this could make your beautifully precise instructions a little longer. I bought a simplicity pattern a while ago and it had two charts on the back for yardage – obviously one metric.

Sewing machines seem to have inches marked on them, even though they are bought in the uk. When you say a !/2 inch seam I can do this easily on my machine. Not sure if this is always the case but I’ve never seen a metric machine. Is that the same for you T888?

I tend to only convert for buying the correct amount of fabric and then I use inches when actually sewing.

[littlebirdy]

I’ve been mulling it over . . . and I had a look at the conversion charts too. I would say that for now I’d make these more visible – some link to them on the blog? Or maybe with the patterns?

It would be interesting to find out how many metric people sew using inches!

[Toyota888]

Ha – you are right I had never thought of that – I just checked my Janome and it has inches marked and not cm – but I have never been completely comfy relying on it because I think it measures from a funny needle position like “1” as opposed to “0” – I think I got the one made on Friday afternoon. I think I do sew in inches. I made a tooth shaped pillow the other day with 1cm seam allowances and I was all thrown and did them all a bit big I think. I only use metric when figuring out how much fabric I need (and with the great Aussie/greenback exchange rate at the moment I am buying in yards a lot too). It was more of a problem at the beginning having no instinctive sense of what half an inch should look like, now I just think “a fat centimetre” while I’m going along!

[littlebirdy]

Yes . . . i think in fat centimetres too. Maybe Liesl should put that in instead of a conversion chart. A yard is a skinny metre.

I’ve never checked the needle position thing. I’m going to get obsessed now and start measuring!

p.s. Stop mentioning the exchange rate. I’m getting bitter and jealous. Oh, and what’s a tooth shaped pillow?

[Toyota888]

oh a tooth shaped pillow is kinda daggy but also pretty cute – it is pretty much a simple molar shaped stuffed softie with a little pocket on the front that kids can put lost teeth in to claim cash from the tooth fairy. The pattern is free online somewhere (with some pretty scary lace around it if I recall). I am now an expert having made 3 (yes it’s a bit early for the 3 year old and the baby but I’m going back to work 3 days a week next year and may never craft again!). I used that example so Liesl knew I hadn’t been unfaithful by sewing childrens clothes from another company 🙂

[littlebirdy]

I’m pretty sure that if you mention you’ve been sewing from other children’s companies the next pattern you order will have three sleeves.

[littlebirdy]

By the way, you CAN”T go back to work!

[Toyota888]

I know – it is a bit devastating now that I’ve found something fun to do while on mat leave. I didn’t have nearly this much fun the last two times (might have had something to do with trying to do a masters degree at the same time during nap times). I feel like I only really “got” the whole thing this time around!! At least your day job is really creative (I love your line drawings btw) – mine REALLY isn’t!

[littlebirdy]

Well, hopefully you’ll find a way to fit in some sewing too. At least you’ll be able to be a proper grown up again!

Thanks for the compliment – you must have done a bit of googling. That all seems a long way off at the moment but I’m sure time will fly.