My practical introduction to the rule occurred as advice in my youth. Mother taught me to sew. Lots of steps involved in creating a wearable garment from a piece of cloth. Measuring was basic. You needed to measure to have the clothing fit. And to have the pattern piece cut on the straight grain of the fabric. (Or on the bias if the pattern called for it.)
Get it right. Double check. Pin in place. Only then did you pick up the scissors.
I later came to discover that this is a slight variation on the “carpenter’s rule”. Measure twice. Cut once.
As you can tell from my opening — it’s not limited to woodworking. I was pleased to see the rule in action as they began work on a new storm sewer.
Measure twice. Dig once.
