For this week’s blog post I wanted to talk about one of the essential tools that you need in your kit if you are planning any kind of sewing or dressmaking – scissors! Whether you are working on patchwork, making a bag or creating a new dress, you will always need something to cut your fabric and threads with. There are lots of different types and brands of scissors for sewing and dressmaking out there and I’m not suggesting that you need them all but here are eight different versions for you to consider!
1. General purpose scissors – One of the golden rules in sewing and dressmaking is that you need to keep your fabric scissors purely for cutting fabric! If you start using them to cut out your paper patterns then they will become blunt which makes it harder to achieve nice crisp, clean cuts in your fabric. So….the first type of scissors on the list is just a nice pair of general purpose scissors for cutting out your paper pattern pieces.
2. Fabric shears – in line with number one above, a good quality pair of fabric scissors / shears is essential!
3. Ergonomic scissors – if you struggle with strength in your hands for any reason, then you might want to consider this type of scissors – these have a more comfortable grip and a small spring mechanism to open the blades of the scissors gently and prevent your hand getting tired.
4. Pinking shears – these have a serrated or crimped blades and can be used for decorative purposes to create a pretty zig zag, like on the edge of bunting pieces or for finishing the edges of your fabric if you don’t have, or don’t want to use, an overlocker.
5. Rotary cutter – ok, so technically this isn’t a pair of scissors but it is a good option for cutting fabric really accurately. It has a circular, extremely sharp blade which you roll over the fabric to create a lovely precise cut. It works really well with more lightweight slippery materials or when you are cutting multiple layers of fabric at the same time.
6. Embriodery scissors – these are small scissors with a sharp, fine point. Ideal for cutting your threads after sewing a seam.
7. Snips – these are small little ‘scissors’ which you use by squeezing them to bring the blades together to cut off stray threads or small sections of fabric. They are easy to use regardless of whether you are right or left-handed and have a very sharp blade for accurate cutting.
8. Duck billed scissors – these have a large rounded blade on one side and are mainly used for applique projects or for trimming and grading seam allowances. The rounded blade helps to separate out the layers of fabric and ensure you only cut one at once.
So in summary, if you are just starting out with your sewing, number one and number two will be fine and gradually over time you can add to your scissor collection with any or all of the above!
Comments