Abstract:
An apparatus for preparing material pieces to be sewn together includes a planer structure including a top surface, a bottom surface, a first end and a first and second edge. The first edge includes a first lip extending a first distance below the bottom surface where an edge of the material aligns with and touches the first lip and the material can be marked along the second edge. The second edge further includes a second lip extending the first distance below the bottom surface for holding the material to a flat surface. The first end is broadened and includes a third edge at an acute angle to the second edge. The third edge includes a third lip extending the first distance below the bottom surface where the material having the acute angle aligns with and touches the third lip and the dog ear of the material can be trimmed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   The present Utility patent application claims priority benefit of the U.S. provisional application for patent Ser. No. 60/913,877 filed on Apr. 25, 2007 under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) and entitled “Tool for preparing quilt pieces to be sewn together”. The contents of this related provisional application are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. 

   FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not applicable. 
   REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER LISTING APPENDIX 
   Not applicable. 
   COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
   A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office, patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to crafting tools. More particularly, the invention relates to a tool that enables a user to measure, mark and trim pieces of material for use in crafting. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates in general to a tool that aids in forming and marking pieces of material that are used in crafts such as, but not limited to, quilting or scrap booking so that the pieces of material can be easily shaped and accurately joined together. 
   Common problems quilters experience include sewing consistently accurate seam allowances and trimming points when the material is formed to include acute angles such as, but not limited to, forty-five degree angles. It can also be difficult to accurately align two pieces of material to be sewn together when the pieces of material include different angles. Another problem quilters experience is that they must start and stop sewing exactly where the seam lines cross when joining one piece with two others that form an acute angle, commonly referred to as a set-in-seam. 
   The most common seam allowance recommended by those skilled in the art of quilting is one to two thread widths less than one-quarter inch, commonly known as a scant quarter inch. To measure and mark accurate scant quarter inch seam allowances quilters generally use the lines on a ruler. There are many problems that can lead to inaccurate and/or inconsistent measuring or marking of scant quarter inch seam allowances. For example, without limitation, since rulers are designed for measuring, they have multiple lines, none of which mark the scant quarter inch that quilters need. Also, the quilter must repeatedly find the right line on the ruler and then determine where to line the edge of the fabric up relative to the line for a scant quarter inch and do that consistently for every piece. Another problem with rulers is that a line does not give a definite point with which to line up the mark. Users can line up to the inside, outside or right in the middle of a line, all of which can seem correct. 
   Common tools for point trimming include individual point trimmers with lines printed on them to act as guides for accurately lining up material to trim points. There are also individual templates, one each for trimming the points off half and quarter square triangles. There are also tools for the set-in-seam problem. One tool uses lines as guides, and another tool is formed with several angles. Both include holes to mark where the seam lines should intersect. Having multiple lines or angles on one tool or needing multiple tools for the same job is confusing and adds to the number of tools the user must manage. Current tools are also limited to the number of lines printed on them or the angles into which they are formed. 
   In view of the foregoing, there is a substantial need for an easily handled tool that combines all of the aforementioned features and that assist in marking and trimming pieces of material so the pieces of material can be easily and accurately joined together. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which: 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate an exemplary tool for preparing pieces of material to be sewn together, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 1A  is a top view, and  FIG. 1B  is a cross sectional view; 
       FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of an exemplary tool for preparing pieces of material to be sewn together, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate an exemplary tool for preparing pieces of material to be sewn together in use, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 3A  is a top view, and  FIG. 3B  is a cross sectional view; 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of an exemplary tool for preparing pieces of material to be sewn together being used to trim a point from a piece of material, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 5  is a top view of an exemplary measuring tool being used to align a seam guide on a sewing machine, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   To achieve the forgoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, an apparatus for preparing material pieces to be sewn is presented. 
   In one embodiment, an apparatus for preparing material pieces to be sewn together is presented. The apparatus includes a planer structure including a top surface, a bottom surface, a first end, a first edge perpendicular to the first end, a second edge perpendicular to the first end and a first width extending from the first edge to the second edge having a dimension of a width for a desired seam allowance. The first edge includes a first extension extending a first distance below and perpendicular to the bottom surface to form a first lip below the bottom surface where, when the apparatus is placed on a flat surface, the material can be placed between the bottom surface and the flat surface such that an edge of the material aligns with and touches the first lip providing a tactile feedback that the material is aligned. The desired seam allowance can be marked on the material along the second edge. The first end extends away from and perpendicular to the second edge and including a third edge at an acute angle to the second edge. The third edge includes a third extension extending the first distance below and perpendicular to the bottom surface to form a third lip below the bottom surface where, when the apparatus is placed on a flat surface, the material can be placed between the bottom surface and the flat surface such that an angled edge of the material aligns with and touches the third lip and a portion of the material extending beyond the first end can trimmed. In another embodiment, the second edge further includes a second extension extending the first distance below and perpendicular to the bottom surface to form a second lip below the bottom surface where, when the apparatus is placed on a flat surface, the material can be placed between the bottom surface and the flat surface and the second lip holds the material to the flat surface. In other embodiments the first and second extensions extend a second distance above the top surface and the first and second distances are equal. In another embodiment the first extension is intermittently spaced along the first edge thereby creating a plurality of extensions and spaces in between where the material can be viewed aligning with and touching the extensions. In various other embodiments the first extension has a width greater than the second extension, the desired seam allowance is a common width of seam allowance used in quilting, the planer structure further includes a hole in a second end and the planer structure includes a transparent material to facilitate viewing the material. 
   In another embodiment, an apparatus for preparing material pieces to be sewn together is presented. The apparatus includes a planer structure including a top surface, a bottom surface, a first end and a first and second edge. The first edge includes a first lip extending a first distance below the bottom surface where an edge of the material aligns with and touches the first lip and the material can be marked along the second edge. The first end is broadened and includes a third edge at an acute angle to the second edge. The third edge includes a third lip extending the first distance below the bottom surface where the material having the acute angle aligns with and touches the third lip and the dog ear of the material can be trimmed. In other embodiments the second edge further includes a second lip extending the first distance below the bottom surface for holding the material to a flat surface, the first and second lips extend a second distance above the top surface and the first and second distances are equal. In yet another embodiment the first lip is intermittently spaced along the first edge thereby creating a plurality of lips and spaces in between where the material can be viewed aligning with and touching the extensions. In other embodiments the planar structure further includes a width extending from the first edge to the second edge having a dimension of a width for a desired seam allowance and the desired seam allowance is a common width of seam allowance used in quilting. In still other embodiments, the first lip has a width greater than the second lip and the planer structure further includes a hole in a second end. 
   In another embodiment, an apparatus for preparing material pieces to be sewn together is presented. The apparatus includes a planer structure including a top surface, a bottom surface, a first edge including means for providing a first lip, a second edge, a broadened end including means for providing a third edge and a third lip. In still another embodiment the second edge further includes means for providing a second lip. 
   Other features, advantages, and object of the present invention will become more apparent and be more readily understood from the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The present invention is best understood by reference to the detailed figures and description set forth herein. 
   Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to the Figures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments. For example, it should be appreciated that those skilled in the art will, in light of the teachings of the present invention, recognize a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches, depending upon the needs of the particular application, to implement the functionality of any given detail described herein, beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments described and shown. That is, there are numerous modifications and variations of the invention that are too numerous to be listed but that all fit within the scope of the invention. Also, singular words should be read as plural and vice versa and masculine as feminine and vice versa, where appropriate, and alternative embodiments do not necessarily imply that the two are mutually exclusive. 
   The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
   The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a tool that may be used as a seam allowance measurer and marker and a point-trimmer. The preferred embodiment is sized to enable users to measure an accurate scant quarter inch for seam allowances. Alternate embodiments may be sized to enable users to measure various other distances for seam allowances such as, but not limited to, a full quarter inch, a scant eighth of an inch, a full eighth of an inch, five eighth of an inch etc. The preferred embodiment enables a user to simply, clearly and precisely line the edge of a piece of material up to the tool for accurate seam measurements and marking without making the user pick one set of markings out from others or having to align the edge of the material with a mark at all. The preferred embodiment also enables a user to easily mark seam intersections at any angle rather than being limited to those marked or formed on the tool as in conventional measuring/marking tools. 
     FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate an exemplary tool  10  for preparing pieces of material to be sewn together, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 1A  is a top view, and  FIG. 1B  is a cross sectional view. In the present embodiment tool  10  is preferably formed of transparent material such as, but not limited to, plastic or acrylic. However, in some embodiments the tool may also be formed of opaque material such as, but not limited to, metal or wood. In the present embodiment, tool  10  comprises a planar structure  11  with two surfaces, a straight edge  12 , a guide edge  13 , a broadened end  17 , and a rounded end  19 . Guide edge  13  includes at least one guide  14  that is formed into or attached to guide edge  13  so that guides  14  extend beyond guide edge  13  of planar structure  11 . Guides  14  are thicker than the thickness of planar structure  11 . Referring to  FIG. 1B , in the present embodiment, guide  14  is centered on guide edge  13  of planar structure  11  thereby forming lips  14   a  that are even with and parallel to guide edge  13  of planar structure  11  and that extend beyond both surfaces of planar structure  11 . In alternate embodiments guides may be formed so that the guides are even with one surface of the planar structure thereby extending beyond the other surface of the planar structure forming a single lip that is even with and parallel to the guide edge of the planar structure, for example, without limitation, in the embodiment shown by way of example in  FIG. 2 . Referring to  FIG. 1A , guides  14  can be formed or attached to planar structure  11  so that guides  14  are intermittent along guide edge  13  leaving space in between guides  14  thereby giving the user a better view of material that is lined up to lips  14   a  of extensions  14  and therefore aligned with guide edge  13 . 
   In the preferred embodiment, planar structure  11  is a scant quarter-inch wide, which is 10 to 20 thousandths of an inch less than a quarter-inch, from straight edge  12  to guide edge  13  and approximately one-eighth inch thick, and guides  14  are approximately one-half inch in length, approximately one-eighth inch wide, approximately three-sixteenths of an inch thick and separated by approximately one half inch from each other. It will be appreciated that planar structure  11  and guides  14  may be of different measurements in alternate embodiments than those given in the preferred embodiment without exceeding the scope or spirit of the present invention. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1A , straight edge  12  of planar structure  11  is substantially straight. In the present embodiment, tool  10  comprises a narrow raised strip  15  along most or all of straight edge  12  that extends from one or both surfaces of planar structure  11  and is even with, parallel to and not extending beyond straight edge  12 . Referring to  FIG. 1B  and  FIG. 2 , narrow raised strip  15  extends the same distance beyond one or both surfaces of planar structure  11  as guides  14 . This enables the lower surface of planar structure  11  to be slightly above and parallel to a flat surface when tool  10  is used with guides  14  and narrow raised strip  15  down on the flat surface. It is contemplated that this space between the lower surface of planar structure  11  and the flat work surface will make it possible to line a piece of material up to lips  14   a  on guides  14  and narrow raised strip  15  will hold the material in place when the user holds the present embodiment down on the flat work surface after lining tool  10  up to the material. Alternate embodiments may not comprise a narrow raised strip along the straight edge. These embodiments may be particularly useful when working with thicker materials since it is contemplated that the bottom surface of the planar structure will be able to lay flat on the material when the guides are in contact with the work surface. 
   In the present embodiment, broadened end  17  of planar structure  11  enables a user to trim points from pieces of material. Those skilled in the art of quilting will recognize that it is often necessary to cut off the excess material, or points, created when the material is cut so that two adjacent edges form an acute angle. Broadened end  17  of planar structure  11  is broadened to match the width of a piece of material, from edge to edge, at the distance and angle from the vertex of an acute angle where the material should be trimmed to remove the correct amount of excess material, or point. In the preferred embodiment shown by way of example in  FIG. 1A , the width of broadened end  17  of planar structure  11  is three-eighths of one inch. This is the width of the material, from edge to edge, at the correct distance and angle from the vertex of a forty-five degree acute angle where the material should be trimmed to remove the correct amount of excess material, or point. However, alternate embodiments may comprise broadened ends of various widths, depending on the size and angle of the material being trimmed. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1A , the present embodiment also comprises an extension  31  from straight edge  12  at broadened end  17  of planar structure  11 . Extension  31  is the same thickness as planar structure  11  and is formed to include a straight edge  32  that extends outward and back from a point  20  on broadened end  17  of planar structure  11  farthest from guide edge  13  of planar structure  11 . Straight edge  32  forms an angle with straight edge  13 . More specifically, in the present embodiment straight edge  32  forms an acute angle with both edge  12  and  13 ; however, the material is aligned with edge  13  of planar structure  11 , which matches the acute angle of the material from which a user wishes to trim a point. Extension  31  includes a guide  18  that extends from straight edge  32  of extension  31  that matches the thickness and placement, relative to the surfaces of the planar structure  11 , of guides  14  thereby creating a lip that extends beyond one or both surfaces of extension  31  that is even with and parallel to straight edge  32  of extension  31 . In the preferred embodiment shown by way of example in  FIG. 1A , the angle that straight edge  32  forms with guide edge  13  of planar structure  11  is forty-five degrees, the acute angles of right isosceles triangles commonly used in quilting. It will be appreciated that in alternate embodiments the tool may be formed to trim the points of various other angles such as, but not limited to, sixty or thirty degrees by making the broadened end of the planar structure the correct width and the straight edge of the extension the correct angle to accurately trim points from acute angles other than those given in the preferred embodiment without exceeding the scope or spirit of the present invention. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1A , rounded end  19  of planar structure  11  comprises a hole  16 . Hole  16  may have other purposes in other embodiments of the invention; however in the present embodiment hole  16  is principally a hang-hole or used to attach a lanyard] 
     FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of an exemplary tool for preparing pieces of material to be sewn together, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The tool is similar in structure to the embodiment shown by way of example in  FIG. 1A  and comprises a planar structure  11 , a guide  14  and a narrow raised strip  15 . In the present embodiment, guide  14  and narrow raised strip  15  extend from a bottom surface of planar structure  11  and are even with a top surface of planar structure  11 . 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate an exemplary tool  10  for preparing pieces of material to be sewn together in use, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 3A  is a top view, and  FIG. 3B  is a cross sectional view. In typical use of the present embodiment, a user places a piece of material  30  on a flat work surface. The user then angles tool  10  so a narrow raised strip  15  of a straight edge  12  of a planar structure  11  is pointed away from the user. The user then slides tool  10  towards the edge of material  30  to be marked so straight edge  12  is above the upper surface of material  30  and slides guide edge  13  on the flat surface towards the edge of material  30 . When lips  14   a  on guides  14  are aligned with and touching the edge of material  30 , the user lowers straight edge  12  of planar structure  11  with narrow raised strip  15  down onto the surface of material  30 . 
   Since lips  14   a  on guides  14  are aligned with guide edge  13  and narrow raised strip  15  is aligned with straight edge  12 , the distance from the edge of the material to straight edge  12  is the width of planar structure  11 , which, if the user is using a tool of the correct size, should be the desired seam allowance. Lips  14   a  enable the user to feel the contact of the edge of material  30  with tool  10  rather than relying on lines or edges of the tool that must be lined up by sight alone as in conventional measuring tools. Tool  10  can be aligned with a straight edge of a single piece of material or two or more pieces of material to be sewn together. Once tool  10  is properly aligned with the edge of material  30 , the user may use a marking device such as, but not limited to, a fabric marker to draw a line on material  30  along straight edge  12  of planar structure  11 , marking exactly where the user should sew. The combination of lips  14   a  creating a precise edge on which to align the edge of material  30  and the width of planar structure  11 , being the exact measurement required for the seam allowance enables a user to easily measure or mark accurate and consistent seam allowances. 
   In an alternate application, the user can measure to see if an accurate seam allowance has been sewn on pieces of material after the pieces of material have been joined. To do this the user positions tool  10  on the material in the same manner described for marking the material. When tool  10  is in place, the user compares the stitching on the material to straight edge  12 . If the material has been sewn correctly, the user will see the stitching along straight edge  12 . 
   Another contemplated use of embodiments of the present invention is trimming off the excess points of material formed near the vertex of acute angles known to those skilled in the art as dog-ears. Many of the shapes of material that quilters cut to make a quilt, such as, but not limited to, triangles and parallelograms, include acute angles. Near the vertex of acute angles there is typically extra material that should be trimmed away before or after the piece of material is sewn to another piece of material. This excess material also makes it difficult to see how to align these pieces of fabric to be sewn together. The points, or dog-ears, often make it so the edges of two pieces of fabric do not line up exactly with each other even when the pieces are accurately aligned to be sewn together. Using an embodiment of the present invention to trim off the excess material enables the edges to line up precisely when the pieces of material are accurately aligned for sewing. 
     FIG. 4  is a top view of an exemplary tool  10  for preparing pieces of material to be sewn together being used to trim a point  43  from a piece of material  40 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. To measure point  43  to be trimmed from material  40 , a broadened end  17  of a planar structure  11  of tool  10  is sized so that broadened end  17  is the same width as the width of material  40  where material  40  should be trimmed to remove point  43 . Broadened end  17  of planar structure  11  is perpendicular to the elongate sides of planar structure  11 , which are a straight edge  12  and a guide edge  13 . In the preferred embodiment broadened end  17  is three-eighths of an inch wide, which is the width of a piece of material at the correct distance and angle from the vertex of a forty-five degree angle to remove the dog-ears. In typical use of the present embodiment, the user aligns lips formed by guides  14  on guide edge  13  of planar structure  11  with an edge of material  40  that forms the forty-five degree angle. Broadened end  17  of planar structure  11  is located near the forty-five degree angle of material  40 . Keeping one edge of material  40  aligned to the lips of guides  14 , the user then adjusts tool  10  until broadened end  17  of planar structure  11  overlaps a width material  40  that is exactly the same width as broadened end  17  from edge to edge. The user may then mark or trim the fabric along broadened end  17  of planar structure  11 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , broadened end  17  of planar structure  11  comprises an edge  32  that extends inward towards the middle of planar structure  11  at a forty-five degree angle away from broadened edge  17 . Edge  32  starts at the end of broadened end  17  opposite guide edge  13  of planar structure  11  with guides  14  that form lips. There is a similar guide  18  that forms a lip from edge  32 . The lip of guide  18  matches the angle and position of the adjacent edge of material  40  that forms the forty-five degree angle when the lips of guides  14  are aligned with the other edge of material  40  creating the forty-five degree angle as previously described. It is contemplated that aligning material  40  with the edges of the lips of guides  14  along guide edge  13  of planar structure  11  and the lip of guide  18  along edge  32  is easier than using lines or template edges to align material  40  and accurately trim point  43 . It will be appreciated that in alternate embodiments the width at the broadened end of the planar structure and the angle of the angled extension can be formed to match the width and angle needed to trim the dog-ears off of acute angles other than forty-five degrees such as, but not limited to, sixty and thirty degree angles. 
     FIG. 5  is a top view of an exemplary measuring tool  10  being used to align a seam guide on a sewing machine, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. To accurately align a seam guide on a sewing machine using the present embodiment, a user raises a presser foot  50  and lowers a needle  53  on the sewing machine. The user then slides tool  10  under presser foot  50  so that a guide edge  13  rests against needle  53 . The user can position tool  10  so that the needle  53  is in one corner formed by guide edge  13  and one edge of a guide  14  to give it additional stability. Once tool  10  is aligned straight, the user may then set the seam guide on the sewing machine if available or place a marker  55  such as, but not limited to, a piece of tape on the sewing machine along a straight edge  12  of tool  10 . The user may now sew the correct seam allowance using the machine by aligning the edge of a piece of material along marker  55  while sewing. 
   Being able to accurately mark seam allowances and points where they intersect also enables embodiments of the present invention to be useful for marking seam lines before sewing when you need to avoid crossing one seam line with another. This is common in quilting such as for binding corners and mitered corners where you need to stop one seam width from the edge of the quilt you are binding. Another is when one piece of material must be joined to two adjacent edges of two other pieces of material that form an acute angle. This is commonly known as a set-in-seam. 
   It is generally very difficult to align pieces of material to be sewn together when these pieces of material include different angles. The edges of these pieces of material often are not the same length and do not line up in an obvious way, such as, but not limited to, end-to-end along an edge. Using an embodiment of the present invention to mark the seam lines and the points where the seam lines intersect on both pieces of material enables the accurate alignment of pieces of material before sewing these pieces of material together. If a user uses an embodiment of the present invention to mark the seam line on two adjacent edges of a piece of material that have been cut into a desired shape, the lines should intersect at a point where the seam lines should cross each other. By marking lines on three adjacent sides of a piece of material, a user will be able to create one point near each corner of the middle marked edge where the lines intersect. If the edges of two pieces of material that are to be sewn together are marked this way, it is contemplated that the two intersecting points on the edge of one piece of material will line up with the two intersecting points of the other piece of material when the pieces of material are accurately aligned to be sewn together. The user can then simply align the seam lines and the points where the seam lines cross to generally ensure accurate alignment. 
   Once the pieces of material are accurately aligned, these pieces of material may still come out of alignment when being sewn together. Since a sewing machine has feed dogs that grab the material below and a presser foot that applies pressure above, it is common for the upper layer of material to come out of alignment with the lower layer of material. By marking the seam lines on the material with an embodiment of the present invention, it is contemplated that a user will be able to see if the pieces of material are still in alignment while sewing. 
   Having fully described at least one embodiment of the present invention, other equivalent or alternative methods of providing a tool for preparing pieces of material to be sewn together according to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The invention has been described above by way of illustration, and the specific embodiments disclosed are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. For example, the particular implementation of the guides may vary depending upon the particular type of guides used. The guides described in the foregoing were directed to implementations where multiple guides are located intermittently along an edge of the tool; however, similar techniques are to provide tools with various numbers of guides in various locations along the edges of the tools. For example, without limitation, one embodiment may comprise a single guide along the entire length of the edge of the tool. Another embodiment may comprise a single small guide in the center of the edge of the tool. Yet another alternate embodiment comprises two guides located near the ends of the edge of the tool. Implementations of the present invention with varying guide configurations are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention. The invention is thus to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims.