4 min read
Tailoring Tools Every Tailor Needs: Tapes, Scales and Curves
Measuring tape, hip curve scale, French curve scale set and pattern maker scale explained. The essential tailoring tools for accurate measuring and drafting.
A good fit starts long before the needle. It starts with an accurate measurement and a clean pattern, and that takes the right tools. A tailor can manage with a tape and a steady hand, but a small set of measuring and drafting tools turns guesswork into a repeatable system.
None of these tailoring tools are expensive, and a single set lasts years. Here are the ones worth keeping on the cutting table.
The measuring tape, the one tool you cannot skip
A flexible measuring tape is the foundation. A 60 inch (150 cm) tape with both metric and imperial markings covers every body and pattern measurement you will take. Fibreglass tapes are better than cheap plastic ones because they do not stretch, and a tape that has stretched over the years quietly throws off every measurement you take with it.
Keep two on the table, because the measuring tape is always the tool that goes missing. We stock fibreglass measuring tapes and tailoring scales in the standard 60 inch length and in shop varieties for cutting layouts.
Hip curve and French curve scales
Straight lines are easy. The skill is in the curves, and that is where curved scales earn their place. A hip curve scale draws the long, gentle curves of side seams, hips and hemlines, so trousers and skirts fall cleanly instead of bagging. A French curve scale set handles the tighter curves of armholes, necklines and sleeve caps.
Together these two cover nearly every curve in a basic block. Trace along the edge instead of drawing freehand and the same neckline comes out identical every time, which matters when a boutique is grading one design across sizes.
Set squares and the pattern maker scale
A graded pattern maker scale (a grading or L-scale) speeds up drafting because seam allowances and standard divisions are already marked, so you are not doing arithmetic on every line. A set square keeps corners true at 90 degrees, which keeps waistbands and plackets square.
These are the tools that take a draft from rough to professional. A typical starter kit is short:
- 60 inch fibreglass measuring tape
- Hip curve scale
- French curve scale set
- Graded pattern maker (L) scale
- Set square
Cutting and handling tools that go with them
Measuring and drafting tools work hand in hand with the cutting table. A sharp pair of tailoring scissors or a rotary cutter follows your traced lines without dragging the fabric, and a set of pattern weights and grips holds slippery cloth and patterns still while you mark and cut. Dull scissors fight your careful lines, so keep them sharp and for cloth only.
Buying tailoring tools in Chennai
Our shop in Rattan Bazaar, Sowcarpet stocks measuring tapes, hip curve scales, French curve scale sets, pattern maker scales, set squares, scissors and grips, retail and wholesale. We have outfitted Chennai tailors and tailoring institutes for over sixty years. Message your list on WhatsApp at +91 98402 69851 and we will put a kit together for pickup or dispatch.