A seam ripper includes a metal blade member, a handle and a slider. The blade member is supported by the handle and made of a shaft and a blade part at an end of the shaft. The slider causes the blade member to move between a retracted position and an advanced position. The shaft is housed in the handle at the retracted position. The blade part and at least a portion of the shaft are outside the handle at the advanced position. The blade part includes a cutting blade flanked by a needle portion and a ball-shaped portion. When the blade member is at the retracted position, the entirety of the needle portion is housed in the handle, and a portion of the cutting blade is exposed to the outside of the handle.

A dual blade retractable seam ripper is provided. The seam ripper has a generally cylindrical tube and a unitary injection molded slide block structure. The tube has a control slot and two capped ends with blade extension openings, one major and one minor. The unitary structure has a major seam ripping blade and a minor seam ripping blade, each carried by a support. Each blade projects through the corresponding cap opening. One support is attached to a leaf spring cantilevered at the other end. The spring carries a control button which projects through and moves within the slot and a locking pin which extends beyond the spring. Depressions in the tube engage and dis-engage with the locking pin as the button moves and is pressed.

A dual blade retractable seam ripper is provided. The seam ripper has a generally cylindrical tube and a unitary injection molded slide block structure. The tube has a control slot and two capped ends with blade extension openings, one major and one minor. The unitary structure has a major seam ripping blade and a minor seam ripping blade, each carried by a support. Each blade projects through the corresponding cap opening. One support is attached to a leaf spring cantilevered at the other end. The spring carries a control button which projects through and moves within the slot and a locking pin which extends beyond the spring. Depressions in the tube engage and dis-engage with the locking pin as the button moves and is pressed.

A method of altering clothing for a more aesthetic fit comprises the application of the Z-plasty surgical technique to clothing. The fabric is marked at the desired point of realignment with a Z pattern. The fabric is then cut along the marked Z creating two opposing triangular flaps. The flaps are pulled into their new position, with the angles from the center leg of the Z rotating to meet the angles of the upper and lower legs of the Z. The flaps are then stitched into place in the new position, completing the alteration and resulting in a more pleasing fit.

A method of altering clothing for a more aesthetic fit comprises the application of the Z-plasty surgical technique to clothing. The fabric is marked at the desired point of realignment with a Z pattern. The fabric is then cut along the marked Z creating two opposing triangular flaps. The flaps are pulled into their new position, with the angles from the center leg of the Z rotating to meet the angles of the upper and lower legs of the Z. The flaps are then stitched into place in the new position, completing the alteration and resulting in a more pleasing fit.

A compact, ergonomic, lighted, retractable seam ripper is provided, having a housing, a retractable seam ripping blade, an LED, a battery, and a switch. The housing has generally planar exterior sidewalls and lower peripheral surface, a generally arcuate upper peripheral surface, a blade opening in the upper surface, and a longitudinally extending first and second rail generally parallel to the lower peripheral surface. The retractable seam ripping blade is mounted on a blade holder translatable along the first rail. A spring integral with the holder has a locking projection that engages locking depressions in the second rail. An actuating member between the spring and housing dislodges the locking projection from each of the locking depressions. The switch connects the LED to the battery when actuated.

A method of creating custom garments at scale comprising utilization of a multitude of numerical customer measurement inputs and non-numerical customer fit style inputs to generate finished garment measurements. A multitude of fit block and sized versions of the garment are mass-manufactured, and then a matching and selecting process is applied to select a fit block and sized version of the garment after comparison of the finished garment measurements with the fit block and size measurements. Variances between the measurements are used to guide matching to a particular fit block and size as well as to generate alteration outputs and instructions for tailoring the fit block and sized garment into a custom garment altered to the individual customer's measurements and inputs.

A method of creating custom garments at scale comprising utilization of a multitude of numerical customer measurement inputs and non-numerical customer fit style inputs to generate finished garment measurements. A multitude of fit block and sized versions of the garment are mass-manufactured, and then a matching and selecting process is applied to select a fit block and sized version of the garment after comparison of the finished garment measurements with the fit block and size measurements. Variances between the measurements are used to guide matching to a particular fit block and size as well as to generate alteration outputs and instructions for tailoring the fit block and sized garment into a custom garment altered to the individual customer's measurements and inputs.

A sewing machine includes a first thread spool base having a first thread spool pin and a first guide member, and a second thread spool base having a second thread spool pin and a second guide member. The first thread spool pin is inserted into a through hole of a thread spool. The first guide member has a first thread guard portion that guides a needle thread delivered from a thread spool mounted on the first thread spool base to the sewing machine. The second thread spool base can be attached to and removed from the first thread spool base. The second thread spool pin is inserted into a through hole of the thread spool. The second guide member has a second thread guard portion that guides a needle thread delivered from the thread spool mounted on the second thread spool base to the sewing machine.

A pincushion includes an inner container, a cushioning material, a flexible sheet material, an elastic ring member and a cylindrical outer cover. The inner container has a bottom wall portion and a side wall portion standing upright from the bottom wall portion. The side wall portion has an opening at its upper part. The cushioning material is provided in the inner container. The sheet material covers part of the cushioning material that projects upward from the opening of the side wall portion. The ring member is fitted onto the side wall portion of the inner container with the hem of the sheet material interposed between the ring member and the side wall portion. The outer cover is fitted around the side wall portion of the inner container such that its inner face is in contact with the elastic ring member.