Sewing Supplies: Scissors

I was that kid--the one who was excited to go back to school. Part of the excitement was new school supplies. It's an excitement that carried over into my University years, and even when I didn't have a lot of cash, I would have something new for the first day of school (often it was handmade notebooks).

Nowadays, sewing supplies have taken over where school supplies left off. I'm always excited for new sewing supplies and notions--even thread! Besides my actual machine, my scissors are the most used supplies in my studio. I have 3 pair that I use regularly for sewing, plus a rotary cutter, and pinking shears. Oh, and I always keep a pair of paper scissors nearby, so that I'm not tempted to dull my sewing scissors on paper-crafts.

1. Gingher 10 Inch Trimmers 

These are for the heavy-duty jobs--I use these for cutting canvas and for multiple layers of fabric. They're great for my slippers, because there is a step in the making where I have to trim though two layers of interfaced fabric, a layer of 14 oz canvas, and a layer of fleece batting. I can do it with a well-sharpened standard 8" shear, but it takes a lot of elbow grease. My little brother got me these for Christmas one year, and they have saved me a lot of hand-aches through the years.

2. Fiskars 8" Forged Scissors

If I could only have one pair, I'd choose the 8" Fiskars, because they're the most versatile. Some folks swear by the spring action type, but I find that they don't corner as well, and they're a little bit clumsy. That's just me though! The other scissors make my life easier, but the 8" ones are absolutely necessary.

3. Thread Snippers from Fabricland:

These guys are always at my right hand. Thread snipping is a constant reality in my life, and these guys are spring loaded, a feature that I appreciate in a thread snipper, even if I avoid it in a standard pair of shears.

Pinking Shears from Fabricland:

Pinking shears can be used for trimming anything that you don't want to fray or unravel. I mostly use them for when I need to cut close to a seam that I'm not going to finish, like around a corner that I'm going to turn inside-out.

Fiskars Rotary Cutter:

It's like a pizza cutter for fabric. It cuts straight lines quickly and perfectly (if you use a ruler to guide you). I use them a lot for crafting and quilting.

Whatever scissors I'm using, they have to be sharp. A dull pair of scissors can really mangle your fabric and give you hand cramps! If you're using inexpensive scissors, replace them once cutting starts to become labored. If you've got fancy scissors, have them sharpened regularly. I get mine sharpened by a pro for $5 a pair.

What kind of scissors do you have in your sewing room? Any favorite brands out there?