Hello, my sewing and craftsy people.
Scissors, scissors; why do we need so many of them? Because each of one does a specific job and we need the right tool for the right job, one of the biggest areas that we overlook is having the right pair of scissors for the job. There are lots of scissors on the market for dressmakers, tailors, and crafts, so how do you choose what you need?
There are many places to buy them, like Amazon, eBay and sewing supplier shops.
I don’t recommend you a particular scissors brand; I’ll try to guide you through the scissors variety and help you with the purchasing process of different categories of tools in the sewing and craft industry.
First of all, think about what type of job you will do.
Sewing or craft?
If you going to sew, what type of your sewing is?
Dressmaking or tailoring?
What type of fabric are you going to work with?
If you going to craft, what type of craft do you want to do?
Patchwork or embroidery? ets…
What type of fabric or material are you going to work with?
Understand Your Needs
As I said earlier, think about what type of fabric or material you are going to work with.
Different projects may require different types of scissors. For instance, dressmaking scissors are ideal for cutting fabric, while embroidery scissors are better suited for delicate and intricate work. Assess your projects and choose scissors that align with your specific needs.
Choose the Right Type
When you buy one, don’t forget to try how comfortable they are for your hand, even if they feet to your purpose, most like you are not going to use them too often.
There are various types of scissors available, each designed for specific tasks. Here are some common types you may encounter
Dressmaking and Tailoring scissors or shears
some people say it is pretty much the same thing.
The most popular scissors for dressmaking are fabric scissors; these are going to be the most essential part of your arsenal; you need a high-quality one because you going cutting through your fabric.
They have different sizes of cutting blades from 6 inches to 12 inches ( 15-30 cm)
If you are going to cut a light sheer fabric like cotton silk chiffon, I can recommend buying one with sharp point ends.
Pinking shears
have a serrated edge, and when going through the fabric, they will do a zigzag cut that nothing frays if you want to leave it as a raw hem. Used for neatening seams and decorative edges.
Also, they are available in different zigzag cuts like weaves and triangles.
Clippers Thread snips
these are for cutting through the thread, trimming up projects getting off all stray thread a handy tool. Not suitable for fabric.
Paper cutting pattern cutting craft scissors
These are for cutting different types of paper, like craft paper cards. Use these to cut around pattern pieces.
Rotary cutter
Craft tool, available with different sizes of retractable blades most of the time used for patchwork craft.
Embroidery scissors
The are many of them on the market for craft and embroidery work
The most common ones are called stalk scissors. They come in lots of different designs and colours, they got an excellent sharp long blade so you can be accurate with your cutting.
Curved embroidery scissors
Nice sharp scissors with curved ends. They are suitable for very accurate or delicate cutting close to the fabric.
Applique Duckbill scissors
They are good if you have applied a motif on your project and trimmed the fabric around the edge. I also use them for grading seams, especially good for grading denim fabric.
Also, remember
Try not to use your fabric scissors for cutting any paper or card. Continuously cutting through paper can evenly blunt them.
Don’t store your scissors in a drawer, as rummaging round a crowded drawer can scratch and nick the blades.
Avoid moisture. Never cut through wet fabric.
Don’t drop your scissors. The blades can be knocked out of alignment.
If your scissors need sharpening, I would like to recommend taking them to a professional to avoid damaging the blades. Try to find a skilled sharpener because an unskilled sharpener can do more harm than good.
To help your scissors live longer, rub a little drop of oil in the screw area to lubricate, wiping it all before using it again. Make a few cuts on scrap fabric before using it again.
Hairdressing suppliers can provide scissor oil.
A good pair of scissors can last you a lifetime, so don’t skimp on price, and make sure take care of them.
I hope you enjoy reading my posts. Follow me on social media. If you have any more questions, feel free to contact me.
