@timorl

It seems to me that a "reverse plotter" that measures its distance to fixed points (via string length) as well as orientation (not sure which approach would be easiest here) and displays the appropriate part of a drawing would be helpful for drawing patterns on cloth, and would be a very compact device (e.g. in comparison to a drafting table, or even just the parallelogram angle transfer thingy from a drafting table). Do people make them?