KUCHING: Making a perfect wearable garment needs fine sewing skills and creativity. To the uninitiated, selecting a design and fabric, measuring to patterning then cutting and sewing may seem very simple.
The fact is that the process involves specific phases — from laying out the pattern, then pinning, tacking, cutting, and fitting. Pattern measurements need to be done in the most precise manner before sewing can be done.
Indeed, it is tedious and a time-consuming process. There is no shortcut (pun intended).
Pattern-making process
Owner of D’Athirah Magic Sewing Academy, Nur’Atirah Razali, explained that making sense of a pattern and transferring the measurements (the shoulder width and waist length, etc.) onto a brown paper template was tedious because the process needed precision.
She said pattern scaling was necessary before the final pattern could be made.
“Crafting a pattern is the process of making a design template on brown paper. It is measured and drawn with the help of a set of a special ruler – a magic ruler, if you like.
“People thought that drawing a pattern is the easiest part but actually it is the part where many beginners are likely to spend most of their time because some patterns must be measured according to geometric rules.
“Before we can finalise a pattern, we have to determine the width of the seam allowance. It must be specific and accurate because this measurement will be transformed to the fabric,” she said, adding that the preparatory step was fundamental in order to understand the construction of the garment.
Here, tools like basic rulers, serrated roller or tracing wheel and tracing paper, as well as chalks and pins, are essentials to ensure that the sketch of the garment is rendered beautifully.
“In other words, patterns are the souls of garments,” she said.
The magic ruler can be magical in pattern making process
Pattern making has evolved over centuries. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, the art was highly revered. Tailors meticulously worked with personal measurements for customise patterns.
This crafting technical skill today has been complemented with advanced and innovative tools so that repetitive and time-consuming tasks can be performed quickly and efficiently resulting in well-tailored garments.
The conventional sewing ruler (also called tailor’s ruler) has also evolved and been made more advanced.
Nur’Athirah noted that drawing patterns using the conventional ruler was tedious because the measurements need to be calculated according to certain formulas.
“It involves formula calculations since the measurements need to be transferred onto paper. Using the conventional long ruler to draw a pattern is very inefficient because you need to do the calculations one-by-one. The formulas must be memorised too,” she said.
To perform this repetitive task quickly, she said her magic ruler could save time up to 50 percent.
“Using the magic ruler hastens the drawing process as it comes with the formulas which don’t need to be calculated one-by-one,” she said.
Housewives Nesi Norey, 45, and Salinah Sapong, 25, who are now trainee seamstresses at the D’Athirah Magic Sewing Academy said the magic ruler was their saviour.
Comparing the magic ruler to the conventional one, they said it had helped them to complete their drawings within 45 minutes.
“Previously, when I used the long conventional ruler, I had to spend way more time to do the job. I even had to spend one whole day to complete a simple ‘baju kurung’ drawing,” Nesi said.
Salinah explained that once a pattern is completed and prepared, the fabric can then be cut and sewn.
“Now, a ‘baju kurung’ can be completed in just one day,” she said.
For Widyana Melisa Julaihi, who is an instructor at the academy, tailoring is tedious and highly challenging, but worth all the efforts, which explains why she used the trade to earn her living.
“Tight deadlines especially when it comes to festivals like Hari Raya Puasa are the most challenging,” she said.
Sewing skill is high in demand in the fashion industry today. 
Widyana gives instructions on how to use the magic ruler in her sewing class. Widyana gives instructions on how to use the magic ruler in her sewing class.
For Athirah, she believes that her magic ruler could help Sarawakian women in the low-income group to strive for a better living.
“Certain aspects of tailoring such as sewing can be done by robots or machines, but there is still a need for skilled pattern makers to turn sketches into reality. They understand how garment making needs soul, hardwork and appreciation for creativity.
“The magic ruler has a special meaning for low-income women who are determined to get themselves out of poverty. It’s like a key for them to earn a better living,” she said.
