Housewife invents Express Sewing Ruler
KUCHING: Little is known in Sarawak about a local woman who invented a sewing ruler known as Express Sewing Ruler or Magic Ruler which won an award at Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia last year.
For this reason, she wants to reach out and share her award with the people of Sarawak.
“I should share my success with all Sarawakians as I am from Sarawak,” said Nur Athirah from Kampung Pulo Ulu, Petra Jaya, Kuching,
With this in mind, she hopes to do a roadshow, covering the major towns in Sarawak, in 2018.
Athirah is married to Mohd Zaffidin from Penang and the couple has five children.
She attended primary school at SRB St Andrew at Sungei Apong, Kuching, and studied up to Form Three at SMK Pending.
Subsequently, she took up vocational skills training in fashion design at SM Teknik Matang, Kuching.
Athirah moved to Kuala Lumpur with her husband and became a full-time housewife. But that did not prevent her pursuing her interest in sewing. She brushed up her seaming skills during her free time, fine-tuning her sewing techniques as she went along.
Initially, she worked in the baking industry but due to time constraint, gave it up to concentrate on sewing a handwork close to her heart.
Soon she started giving lessons. And while teaching the art of sewing, she invented, through trial and error, a measuring ruler marked with scales and calculations that make it easier to use even for slow students.
According to Athirah, taking accurate body measurements is one of the keys to a great fit. Because the body is made of soft tissues, it can be a bit difficult to know exactly how tight to pull the tape around it.
“The tape should be a bit snug, not tight. It should not dig in or make an indentation in the body. It should not be loose, either,” she pointed out.
On basic tailoring requirements, Athirah said there are guidelines to follow such as measuring the bust at the fullest part, the waist where the body bends, the hips at the fullest part and high hips around the fullest part about 3 to 4 inches below the waist.
For front waist length, she added, the start point is at the shoulder (right next to the base of the neck), measuring to the waist over the fullest part of the bust.
“Measure the back waist length from the base of the neck (in the centre, not the side), to the centre of the waistline, and the arm length from the top of the arm. Find the bone at the shoulder or top of arm to the wrist, and at the side of the wrist with the elbow bent.
“As and for fitting patterns, use your body measurements or take the plunge and draft a block from your own measurements. Then stitch it up, and start fitting,” she explained.
She advised making clothes that fit perfectly by using fitting patterns and a starting guide to draft a dress block.
The other essentials are fitting the bodice pattern, full bust adjustment, fitting the sleeve pattern; fitting the skirt pattern, making your personal pattern block and a women¡¦s blouse block and fitting the pants - initial and final.
She also stressed the importance of sewing darts and pattern grading.
“The above are methods for measuring, doing calculations and drafting a block pattern.
The work involved can be tedious,” she said.
Athirah picked up sewing ideas while teaching and encouraging her students to come up with a ruler that could simplify the scales for measurement.
“With the Magic Ruler now, it’s easier to draft block patterns with the calculated settings. The students find the Magic Ruler so much easier to use, even if they had zero knowledge on sewing,¡¨ she added.
At first, it was difficult getting her students to remember the calculations. Then she got the idea to invent a special ruler ¡V a shortcut to produce a pattern quite easily, as she puts it.
She invented the first version of the Magic Ruler in 2016 and used it for her sewing class. It proved quite successful, inspiring her to come up with a better version for her trade.
Athirah was depressed when she lost one of her children (a son) and it was her husband who encouraged her to move forward with her idea of the Magic Ruler.
She submitted her project paper for Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia (Central-South Zone) under the public category, comprising inventors from Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, WP Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan and Malacca.
Winning the award in November, 2016, caught her by surprise but it lifted her spirit to innovate.
The name Magic Ruler was suggested by one of her students ¡§because it enhances the art of garment making.
The instrument became popular through Facebook and Athirah’s invention went as far as Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia and the major towns in Kuala Lumpur.
CEOs from SME Corporation Malaysia and Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia, and officials from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and world banks were interested in her product after her demo at their invitation.
Popular recording artist Ezlynn who designs and tailors her own costumes, finds the Magic Ruler a bonus.
“It’s very practical and easy to use,” said the pop rock singer, actress and model who has a hit song called Hi Hi Bye Bye.
Recently, Jamila Bibi, a retired teacher of home science with 38 years teaching experience, and the owner of Tini’s Closet, Miri, invited Athirah to Miri to conduct a two-day course with her Magic Ruler for the Single Mothers’ Association, (Persatuan Ibu Tunggal Sarawak Cawangan Miri) under president Hurriah Horry.
Athirah donated her Magic Rulers to the 10 single mothers attending the course. Certificates of attendance were issued by Tini’s Closet.
Jamila hopes to organise another course in November. Those interested can contact her at 019-8157946.
In life, there is always a choice, a reason for doing things you want to do. Words without deeds do not produce results. Motivation, encouragement and perseverance are the key attributes and they are what make Nur Athirah, a humble housewife with a very supportive husband, an excellent role model for women.
“Be an inventor and share your inventions,” she said.