GB2195668A - Sewing guide - Google Patents

Abstract

A sewing guide for use in the insertion of zips into garments and the like is in the form of a length of opaque adhesive tape which may be in roll form or attached to a suitable backing strip. On the front of the strip is a first line 4 substantially parallel to the edges of the tape and on the back of the tape is a zip demarcating second line 6 congruent with the first line. A stitching guide is on at least one side of the first line and may be the edge of the tape, viz edges 5 and 7. Such a guide may double for attaching button loops to a garment, Fig. 5 (not shown). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sewing guide This invention relates to a sewing guide for use in the insertion of zips and the like.

One of the sewing operations regarded by inexperienced sewers as being comparatively difficult is the insertion of zips. A substantially transparent tape sewing guide is known, however this has the disadvantage that it is difficult to see against the material being sewn.

This is particularly true when the edges of the tape must be followed.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved sewing guide.

According to the invention a sewing guide for use in the insertion of zips and the like comprises a length of substantially opaque adhesive tape having a first line on the front thereof substantially parallel to the edges of the tape; a second line congruent with the first line on the back of the tape with the lines being adapted to demarcate the position of a zip to be sewn, and a stitching guide on at least one side of the first line.

Further according to the invention the stitching guide may be an edge of the tape or a first further line on the front thereof.

Still further according to the invention the first and second lines are adapted to demarcate the centre line of a zip.

Still further according to the invention the adhesive tape may include a backing strip for removal prior to use.

Still further according to the invention the adhesive tape is a plastics tape.

Several embodiments of the invention described by way of example only follow with reference to the accompanying diagrams in which: Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a sewing guide in use.

Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of a sewing guide in use.

Figure 3 shows a third embodiment of a sewing guide in use.

Figure 4 shows a fourth embodiment of a sewing tape; and Figure 5 shows the reverse side of the embodiment of Fig. 4.

In the first embodiment of the invention as depicted in Fig. 1 a sewing guide (1) for the use in the insertion of a centre positioned zip comprises a length of plastics tape which is opaque and which may conveniently be coloured yellow for example.

The back side (2) of the tape is coated with an adhesive which will not mark any of the fabrics commonly used in sewing. This adhesive may be protected by means of a cover strip (not shown) which is remqved when the tape is used. Alternatively the tape may simply be on a roll as is well known in the art of manufacture of adhesive tapes.

On the front side (3) of the tape is a first centre line (4) which runs centrally down the length of the tape parallel to its two edges (5).

On the back (2) of the tape is a similar second centre line (6) which is congruent with the centre line (4) on the front (3) of the tape.

The edges (5) of the tape as well as the bottom end (7) thereof form sewing guides for use in sewing a zip into position.

The use of the sewing guide (1) is shown in Fig. 1 in which numerals 8 and 9 depict the left and right sides respectively of a garment into which a zip (10) is to be sewn. The centre line between the left and right hand sides of the garment (8) and (9) and thus of the zip (10) is depicted by numeral (11). Obviously the zip (10) is located behind the material of the garment and the edges thereof cannot be seen.

The sewing guide, once the backing has been removed, is applied to the front of the garment with the centre line (6) running along the seam line (11) between the left and right side of the garment. This centre line (6) on the back of the sewing guide enables the guide to be positioned correctly with ease and once in position the seam line of the garment will be indicated by the centre line (4) on the front of the sewing guide.

At this stage, the zip may be sewn in position by simply sewing along the edges (5) of the sewing guide which edges (5) and bottom end (7) act as stitching guides.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 2 and the sewing guide (21) of this embodiment is intended for use in the insertion of a lapped zip.

In this instance, the sewing guide differs from that of the first embodiment in that there are two sets of first lines on the front of the tape and two sets of second lines on the back thereof.

The tape from which the guide is made is standard 12 mm wide tape and 2 mm from the one edge (22) thereof is a seam indication line (23) on the front of the tape and a congruent seam indication line (24) on the back thereof.

Dividing the remaining portion of the tape in half, is a centre line (25) on the front of the tape, a congruent centre line (26) on the back thereof.

The bottom end (27) of the sewing guide is not at right angles to the length thereof but is at about 30 thereto to provide the correct stitching angle.

As shown in the Figure, the garment to be stitched once again has a left side (28) and a right side (29) with numeral (30) indicating the seam line of the garment.

With the zip in position, the adhesive sewing guide is stuck to the garment such that the seam line (23) of the sewing guide correspond with the seam line (30) of the garment.

The zip may then be stitched in position by simply sewing down the one edge (31) of the sewing guide as well as the end (27).

This tape may also be used in making pockets in tailored garments. The centre line (25) would be used to demarcate the cutting line for the pocket opening and the line (23) and the edge (31) would be used as sewing guides.

A third embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 3 and is identical to that of Fig.

2 except that the tape used is 10 mm instead of 12 mm tape and hence it is not necessary to have the lines (22) and (23) thereon, the function of these lines being provided by the edge (32) of the tape which is simply positioned to run along the seam line (30) of the garment. The other features of this third embodiment are indicated by the same numerals as used by the embodiment of Fig. 2.

A fourth embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 which indicate the obverse and reverse sides respectively of a sewing guide (41) for use in the insertion of trouser zips.

In this embodiment of the invention the adhesive tape from which the sewing guide is made, is 25 mm wide and has a first centre line (42) on the front (43) thereof, and a congruent line (44) on the back (45) thereof.

These lines are 10 mm from the left hand edge (46) of the tape.

To the bottom end section of the tape a cardboard template (47) which is suitably curved as is required in the insertion of a trouser zip is fixed. For example it may simply be glued using the adhesive of the tape to the back of the tape and the tape trimmed around the template.

The template is then used in exactly the same manner as described above using the edge (46) and the curved edge of the template (47) as stitching guides.

As shown in Fig. 5 the tape may double as a guide for the sewing of button loops. The back of the tape includes two further parallel lines (48) and (49) spaced 5 mm apart and a plurality of transverse lines (50) extending across the tape at 10 mm intervals. Short making lines (51) intersect lines (44) at points midway between each pair of transverse lines (50) extending across the tape at 10 mm intervals. Short marking lines (51) intersect lines (44) at points midway between each pair of transverse lines (50).

Button loops (52) may be positioned on the back of the tape using the adhesive thereof.

The size and spacing of the button loops may be measured using the transverse lines (50), the short markings (51) and the parallel lines (48). Where the button loops (52) have been so positioned the sewing guide may be located on a garment or the like and the button loops (50) sewn to the garment using the line (42).

Other embodiments are envisaged within the scope of the invention including other configurations and applications thereof.

Claims (9)

1. A sewing guide for use in the insertion of zips and the like comprising a length of substantially opaque adhesive tape having a first line on the front thereof substantially parallel to the edges of the tape; a second line congruent with the first line on the back of the tape with the lines being adapted to demarcate the position of a zip to be sewn, and a stitching guide on at least one side of the first line.

2. A sewing guide as claimed in claim 1 in which the stitching guide is an edge of the tape.

3. A sewing guide as claimed in claim 1 in which the stitching guide is a first further line on the front of the tape.

4. A sewing guide as claimed in claim 3 which includes a second further line on the back thereof and congruent with the first.

5. A sewing guide as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the first and second lines are adapted to demarcate the centre line of a zip.

6. A sewing guide as claimed in any of the preceding claims which includes a button loop sewing guide on the back thereof.

7. A sewing guide as claimed in any of the preceding claims and including a backing strip for removal prior to use.

8. A sewing guide as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the adhesive tape is a plastics tape.

9. A sewing guide substantially as herein described with reference to Fig. 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 and 5.