A sewing gauge is a ruler, typically 6 inches long, used for measuring short spaces. It is typically a metal scale, marked in both inches and centimeters with a sliding pointer, similar in use to a caliper. It is used to mark hems for alterations as well as intervals between pleats and buttonholes and buttonhole lengths. It can be also used as a compass to draw arcs and circles by anchoring the slider with a pin and placing the tip of a marking pencil in the hole located at the end of the scale.
