If you’ve never picked up anything but a 12 inch ruler in your life, seeing the kind of rulers there are for pattern making can be jarring. There’s a funny looking circular ruler, an L shaped ruler, and a see-through clear one too. But what are their uses? And how can this make you a better designer? Fear not, as we here at Mood have asked these questions ourselves (at least I sure have!) and have a handy guide to help demystify pattern rulers once and for all!
To start, The Curved Ruler looks almost like your everyday 12″inch ruler, but with a noticeable curve towards the end. It’s helpful to use for creating somewhat curved-straight lines for patterns like pants, skirts and even creating waistlines!
The next type of ruler is The French Curve Ruler. It’s pretty much a large comma, with a curved edge that’s useful for armholes! It has absolutely no straight edges, and is curved all around. It can also be used for necklines, when making a shirt, or for lapels when creating a cute coat.
The Transparent Ruler is pretty simple, as it resembles our ordinary 12″inch rulers we all know and love. The only difference is that this pattern ruler is see through, which is super helpful when drafting patterns, and you need to see where previous markings have been made. The grid lines within this ruler is also particularly helpful, because you’ll need to measure many different aspects in pattern making, so this is a must have!
And lastly, we have The L Ruler. The L ruler is marked on both sides, and is helpful for measuring out the hemlines and right angles in a pattern. Want your pant leg to have that 90 degree hem? Measure it with the L ruler!
As you can see, there can be a ton of different ways to use these pattern rulers! There are many ways you might find that some of these tools are multi-faceted, and can serve a different purpose than what you originally intended for them.
In short, Pattern Rulers RULE!
So what kind of patterns are you going to create with this newfound knowledge? Let me know in the comment section below!
Thank you so much for this! I’m really getting into pattern making and looking forward to more great content on the topic!
Thank you Christy! I’m glad this was helpful for you!
Dear Natala, I was a bit puzzled too when I started creating patterns for exclusive stuffed fur animals, especially about the transparent ruler. Now I know that I should definatly purchase one. Many thanks and blesses, Ilse
Where can I get a clear 18” ruler
We have one available here! 🙂
Where can I find a pack of these
Hi Elaina! You can find all of our rulers here. 🙂
I always thought there was some sort of geometric precision in the way a french curve was used. I’m kind of disappointed to learn that it just makes curves easier to draw or trace. I’m also relieved; I usually freehand my curves! Not too different .