The other day I had a "learned something new today" moment because I wasn't aware a sewing gauge can be used like a compass to mark circles and scallops. But, yes, it most certainly can!
All you need to do is anchor it with a pin through the hole in the slider, insert the tip of a fabric pen in the hole at the end of the gauge, and then rotate the gauge to trace the circle or scallop.
The two things to pay attention to are:
- If you need an exact diameter for a circle or specific height for a scallop, the hole at the end isn't actually at the very end and you'll need to accommodate for the one or two millimeter difference.
- Make sure nothing is in the way of the gauge rotating around! It's easy to knock stuff around or onto the floor and end up with a wobbly looking circle if there is something in the path of the gauge while it's rotating.
A sewing gauge is one of those sewing tools that is just super useful and while you can sew without one, they are inexpensive and so very useful that it makes sense to have at least one in your sewing tool kit. Mine gets used almost daily for something (often a Grocery Bag or Basket Bag) and I have several of them since they are easy to bury under fabric or misplace in other ways.
