Craft Product Review: Clover Seams Right and Clover 5-in-1 Sliding Gauge (Stocking Stuffers!)

If you have a sewing enthusiast or fabric crafter on your holiday gift list, you’ll definitely want to stick around! For this review, I tested the Clover 5-in-1 Sliding Gauge and the Clover Seams Right, which are both products from their partnership with Nancy Zieman. I loved trying out both of these tools, and think that they would make wonderful additions to any craft room and great stocking stuffers for the holidays!

Clover 5-in1 Sliding Gauge

Clover 5-in-1 Sliding Gauge

According to the package:

A multifunctional sliding gauge for easy marking!

Can be set in 1/8” increments

Five Uses
• Spacing and marking buttonholes
• Seam Allowance Gauge
• Hem Gauge
• Circle Compass
• “T” Gauge

Note from Nancy:
The 5-in-1 Sliding Gauge is my go-to sewing notion! Whether quilting or sewing, I find it a versatile and accurate tool to measure, mark and create. In the past I used five different tools to do the job of this one gauge—now that’s a streamline notion!

What I loved:

1. The two edge measuring system makes it easy and fast to add seam allowances to patterns or mark lines on fabric.

2. The compass stays put with pressure from one finger, so it’s easy to get a consistent circle, even when using it by yourself.

3. The ruler is shown in both directions, so you can get numbers at a glance whether you’re using the measurement tool or compass function (see the photo in #5 for close-up shot).

4. The one finger adjustment is easy to move, but locks firmly into place so the edge won’t move while you’re drawing.

5. The wide edges make it very easy to check hem widths.

6. The t-square function keeps angles consistent for quick cuts for appliqués or quilting, and allows you to check your angles before sewing.

7. The 5-in-1 Sliding gauge is perfect for button hole spacing and button placement. The center hole and the markings on the edges also make it a snap to keep everything centered.

What I didn’t love:

Measuring Instructions

Compass Instructions

1. It took a little while to get used to reading the gauge measurement as the number that lined up with the top of the green edge. My first instinct was to read the number that lined up with the adjustment button.

2. The blade is wide, so adding seam allowances or measuring hems in curved areas can be less accurate.

Clover Seams Right

Clover Seams Right

According to the package:

Multipurpose tool
For Sewing, Quilting, Knitting, Crochet, and Embroidery. Used for measuring and checking! For Fabric and yarns!

Features:
1. A handy tool for marking and checking seam allowances.
2. A slot for marking buttonholes.
3. Ideal for ironing creases and perfect pocket corners.

Note from Nancy
I don’t have a lot of time to sew or quilt, yet when I do, I like to have convenient and yes, clever notions close at hand. The Seams Right gauge is just that type of notion! It’s a compact unit that is my frequent reference. I know you’ll enjoy it too!

What I loved:

1. Slightly larger than the size of a credit card, the Seams Right is small enough to be tossed into a project bag, so you can have a measuring tool on hand no matter where you’re crafting.

2. The Seams Right is easily positioned with one hand, so it’s great for marking seam allowances on curved areas and corners.

3. The built-in measurements ( 1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″, 3/4″, 5/8″, 7/8″, 1″, 1 1/8″, and 1 1/2″) cover most standard seam, hem, and craft measurements, and the buttonhole tool makes it easy to get consistent lengths, even when you’re working fast.

4. The Seams Right is made out of sturdy aluminum, so it resists bending, and you can use it with an iron to create sharp creases, points, and folds in fabric. (Make sure you let it cool before touching it!)

5. The Seams Right can also be used in knitting or crochet projects to count stitches and check gauge.

6. Before you sew, you can use the Seams Right to make sure your hem widths are consistent. You can also use it while you’re pinning to check the hems as you go.

7. You can use the corners to check your right angles, which is especially useful for quilt blocks and appliqués.

8. You can add custom seam allowances to patterns (or mark them right on the fabric) to fit the needs of your specific project.

What I didn’t love:
1. The Seams Right is so small and thin that it can easily be misplaced. (I regularly tuck mine into a book, then tear my bookshelf apart looking for it later.)

In a nod to the stocking stuffer theme, I’ve been using the 5-in-1 Gauge on my own stocking project to make sure that I leave enough room for some decorative whip stitching between my appliqués and the edge. Not only are these tools great to put inside a stocking—they can also help you make one of your own! I can’t recommend them highly enough for anyone looking to add some precision to their projects.

Disclosure: Samples provided for review, but my opinions are honest and my own!