As a metric user, one of my pet peeve when using certain sewing patterns are the seam allowance conversion. I couldn’t seem to remember what are the equivalent of 5/8″, 1/3″, 3/4″, 1/4″ and so on in centimetres. Sure I can use Google to find out that 5/8″ is 1.5875 cm, and then I would round this number to 1.5 cm.
It is not so easy the other way around though. When someone asked me what 1 cm seam allowance is in imperial, Google told me that it is 0.393701 inch. And how was I supposed to know that this number is close to 3/8″? I’m not good at mathematics, you know.
One day I told my husband about this and he said, “How about using an app for that?” That’s a great idea, except that I couldn’t find an app designed specifically for this purpose. In my simple sewing world, 5/8″ is 1.5 cm and vice versa, I don’t want all those little numbers. I wished that such app existed.
Luckily, the great thing about having a programmer for a husband is that he can make you an app for your needs. So my husband spent several weekends and came up with this Seam Allowance app!
This is a very simple app designed specifically with this one purpose, and that is how I want it. To convert a measurement, you just drag the slider and the app will show the rounding numbers. The numbers are based on the guidelines on sewing machine throat plate. You can set the metric on top or imperial on top and set the schemes to dark or light.
If you’re an iPhone/iPod user, you can download the Seam Allowance app for free here!
oooh! how fun! I told myself I wouldn’t date any more computer programmers but maybe I need to reconsider….
Thank you so much. This is genius!
Your husband is amazing and you are as well for thinking of this app and producing it, Love it.
What a REALLY great idea. I’m going to wait very patiently for your husband to develop an Android App (pretty please)!
So do I 😉
Wonderful, thank you!
Wow. Great. How impressive. My son is studying computer science at the University of Illinois. I’m hopeful that he could do something like that someday soon. Tell your husband thank you.
You’re welcome, Kathy!
Very cool! Thanks!!
Genius!!
This is the answer I have been searching for! I am in process of including metric measurements for my patterns and have quickly realized that all of the conversion charts out there are very wacky. I am glad to have a definitive guide! Seriously this is the highlight of my day.
Aww thank you so much! Glad that it is useful, I use it all the time!
that is so cool that he made you an app for sewing conversions!
Awesome, but I wish it was available in Android.
My husband will work on it! Hope it can be released soon!
Great idea!
This is awesome! Thanks to you both!
so wonderful, thanks! I have an android phone though – any possibility of offering it in the play store?
My husband will work on it soon!
Wow! That’s so awesome! Thanks Novita!
GENIUS! Just downloaded it. THANKS!!!
This is wonderful! Going to download it now
Fantastic!
How nice of your DH to make that for you! That will come in very handy I am sure! My phone is old as dirt LOL doesn’t do apps but if it did I would download that! :O)
I have just downloaded this and it is fantastic. So useful! I have also read quotes of your blog post to my own programmer husband and demanded to know why he has never made me an app!! Thanks so much for this.
Glad that it is useful! There should be more sewing-related apps!
This is great! What a good idea.
Wow! That’s very very cool!
what a great idea! and how great that your hubby could create that for you! nice work mr purple person!
Fantastic idea. I hope you will consider making an Android version as well – I think people would pay!
I will tell him!
+1!
I could not agree with you more! I am always confused when it comes to inches. The app looks very smart! Too bad it’s only for Apple users
Unfortunately, I use Android and won’t be able to try your husband’s app. But there are a few applications out there which help convert units, although not specifically sewing-related and not so cool as your husband’s. Just go to your app store and type “Unit Converter”.
I have tried several unit converter apps (I looove trying out apps) but the problem was when I converted the metric to imperial, they always gave me decimals instead of fractions. So they gave me like 0.590551 instead of more commonly used (in sewing world) 1/2″, 3/4″, 5/8″ etc. I don’t get these lol 😀
I like the app & had the same headaches – I use inches and cm, even alternating in a sentence, but converting them = headache!!
Do imperial users use 1.2/1.4/1.6inches? I’m only asking as I was playing with the app (I love apps too) & wondering if it was meant to be that way? – and I adore the dusk mode!
Now that you mentioned it, I just did a quick search and found out that people (maybe) use 1 1/4″, 1 3/8″, and 1 1/2″. Will do more research on it. Thank you so much for the feedback!