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Inside Our Toolbox + Giveaway
Do you have a sewing tool you can’t live without? Sewists are notoriously picky about their set of tools. I love sharing these life-changing tools with friends.
This new feature is inspired by that same spirit of sharing. Every month one of our Colette staffers will share a favorite sewing tool or notion here on the blog. We will then give away this very item to one lucky commenter.
These post are unsponsored and only feature tools that we use regularly.
ETA: THis giveaway has ended and comments are now closed. Congrats to our winner!
-Haley
Who: Wallis
Role: Patternmaker
Tool: Fiskars Easy-Action Scissors
What is the tool/product?
I do a ton of sewing. These shears help to take a lot of the hassle out of cutting. Here are my favorite things about these scissors…
- These shears spring open with every snip, taking half the work out of cutting.
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These shears feature an offset handle (perfect for cutting fabric) and a special ergonomic design that make long hours of cutting way more comfortable.
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The handle design also makes them interchangeable for right-handed and left-handed sewists.
How do you use it?
These are my go-to fabric shears. I cut everything from silk to knit with these workhorse shears.
Why do you love it?
When I was a production assistant right out of college at a small company, we didn’t have an automated hand-held rotary cutter. This meant cutting markers by hand with a pair of regular fabric shears. One of my coworkers discovered these scissors, and it drastically changed our production process. No more callouses or sore hands from cutting 8 hours a day!
(An added bonus, these scissors can be sharpened, just like most shears.)
What is your favorite cutting trick? Share below to win these life-changing shears. The winner will be announced on Friday at 8 am PST.
Comments
Judith Martinez
January 20, 2016 #
I don’t have any brilliant cutting tricks but I think I may try pattern weights instead of pins next time.
Jessica
January 20, 2016 #
Hello Wallis!! (we met at the holiday party, pardon the excitement, ha). I purposefully looked for a drop leaf table for my apartment that would be wide enough tofully spread apparel fabric on, yet still fold down to a reasonable size. I hate getting a sore back from cutting on the floor! Pattern weights typically are … keys… spare scissors… pin cushion… etc. And finally in my list of non tips, I don’t own a serger and find that pinking shears get me 90% of the way there. The rest is covered by seam binding, French seams, and flat felled seams.
Wallis
January 21, 2016 #
Hi Jessica (yes I remember meeting you)! Hopefully you’ll be able to get a serger one day, it will save you a lot of time and hassle.
Heather
January 20, 2016 #
I use beanbags I sewed up for a birthday party as pattern weights while I cut. That and I take my time and enjoy the process!
Heather
January 20, 2016 #
My mom had a pair like this and loved them!! I always wanted a pair. One tip I can swear but is write”fabric”on the handle of your scissors. Since in our house there are fabric, paper, hair, and utility/general use scissors, this can be a huge help.
Valeria
January 20, 2016 #
I use rotary cutters – 2 different blade sizes to be more precise around curves – with a table-size cutting mat, which I have found to be one of the best investments ever (before I was moving my cutting mat for every pattern piece… guess how precise that was). And I use food cans as pattern weights :-)
Deborah
January 20, 2016 #
I use a rotary cutter when possible and shears at other times, sometimes Micro-serrated for thin, slippery fabrics. I try to make smooth cuts by keeping at least the tip of the scissors on the table as I cut, using most of the blade without cutting all the way through at the tip. It is best to cut from right to left if right handed or left to right if left handed. Also is easiest to make the cut in the area between your body & the pattern…. don’t reach way over the pattern to cut because it is more difficult to keep the cuts exactly where you want them. You want your cutting to be as accurate as possible..Keep those seam allowances the size intended. I would love to add the Fiskars Easy-Action Scissors to my bag of trick tips!
Barbara Cohn
January 21, 2016 #
I started using a rotary cutter for many jobs as regular dressmaker scissors were becoming harder to use — though these may be just the ticket – have never tried spring loaded ones!
The other scissors I use for cutting out.. are the larger 9-10″ KAI scissors – love those!
Joanne Roberts
January 21, 2016 #
I finally gave in and bought a rotary cutter. I was hanging on to old school sewing tools & skills.
Lynn F.
January 21, 2016 #
My cannot live without tool is my fabric shears. I love them and take good care of them. I love the shears you described and will be looking for them to try. Thanks for sharing, my fingers are not as young as they would like to be, so the shears may help me quite a bit! :)
Eleanor
January 21, 2016 #
Maybe not much of a tip, but hold down your pattern and fabric with one hand to prevent it from moving, and then take your time to cut precisely and carefully. I take a lot of time cutting out because if you already start being messy at that step, the rest of the project will suffer. So my tip: TAKE YOUR TIME!
Jan
January 21, 2016 #
Been needing new scissors, will look at the Fiskars. I loved the tip about measure twice, cut once. Reminds me of my mother.
Patricia
January 21, 2016 #
I’ve had several pairs of Gingher Dressmaker Shears for years, still sharp. Never cut paper or pins with them!!
Sonia
January 21, 2016 #
Keep the scissors resting on the desk while cutting. Let the table hold some of that weight for your wrists.
Also, pin, pin, and more pinning of the fabrics when cutting to prevent slippage.
Julie
January 21, 2016 #
When I learned to sew back in the 1960s as a young girl, my mom beat into my brain that ‘sewing scissors must NEVER touch anything but fabric’ (& my mom was scary!) so I still have very good, sharp gingher shears. Old habits die hard. Cutting is my least favorite part of the process but I imagine these spring acting shears would help when my hands are stiff and swollen from lupus.
Pamela
January 21, 2016 #
I’m a huge fan of my Gingham scissors and pattern weights. I usually use tracing paper so I can do any blending of sizes that may need to be done.
Pam Campbell
January 21, 2016 #
For years, I’ve laid out my fabric on a folding cardboard mat. They used to be cheap to buy, and larger than those available these days. Recently my sister and I were cutting princess dresses at her place. She doesn’t sew. We purchased three folding cardboard display boards for doing presentations. Much cheaper than the sewing boards, and they did a good job of protecting her beautiful dining table.
As others have said, food cans as pattern weights, pin in the selvages to keep the fabric aligned, single layer for matching plaids and designs, mark the right side of each piece with a baste stitch if it’s hard to see, don’t forget to flip sleeve pattern piece over so you don’t cut two left sleeves (ask me how I know this!). Make sure you mark all your dots and symbols. I always cut notches outward, rather than snipping in the seam allowance, though my grandma snipped. I’d love to try a pair of these scissors, as my arthritis is worsening.
Laura
January 21, 2016 #
These Shears look really SHARP: both in the olde timey “that’s cool” slang and in reference to their cutting capabilities! I’m also a super new sewist whose making my way through the Colette sewing handbook, one page at a time! The only real cutting trick I can share is that I store my sewing shears at the bottom of my sewing bag so there’s no way anyone in the apartment will “accidentally” picked them up to get anything but fabric!
Zainab
January 21, 2016 #
My favorite trick – I cut with the fabric in front of me as I cut along or away from me towards the end of the fabric. This helps me to have clean sharp edges and I can see with precision how I angle my scissors as I am cutting along the sides. I alternative between table and flooring/carpet but I find it easier on the carpet with less movement to the fabric and I can get a better accuracy with my cutting. I do owned a pair of Gingher with the serrated edge and another pair I alternative with – it is an old pair by Wiss inlaid 37 both work well but the Fiskars intriqued me.
Piper
January 21, 2016 #
Since I cut one project at a time, I find that the old school tools work best: a sharp pair of fabric shears and pins. I do use different types of pins for different types of fabrics. I have tried most of the other tools out there, but always go back to the basics. There is something so satisfying about the sound and feel of good fabric shears cutting through fabric! A great time saving tip I learned from working with already cut vintage patterns; cut your pattern pieces out inexactly, then cut the exact lines of the pattern and the fabric at the same time. This especially works great if you are using pinked edges as your seam finish.
Michele
January 21, 2016 #
My Gingher scissors (both dressmaker shears and thread cutting scissors) are my most coveted sewing notions.
Shannon
January 21, 2016 #
I used to be lazy about my cutting, but it’s really self-defeating. Now I’m really careful to pin everything together and make a chalk outline before I cut to make sure everything’s accurate. Otherwise, it’s really easy to get 1/8″ or more off on the pieces.
Tailor’s tacks are my other secret. They’re the only way I mark anymore. Wax paper and tracing wheels never do the job right. So I use different color tailor’s tacks for darts, circles, etc.
Shelley
January 21, 2016 #
My favorite cutting tool has always been scissors. I’ve never used a rotary cutter, but I found one recently in a box of old sewing things. It sounds like these scissors would save a lot of wear & tear on the hands, while being simpler to use than a rotary cutter for more precise cuts!
Dani
January 21, 2016 #
I don’t have any pattern weights, but all the coasters I have lying around seem to do the trick! It helps to have circular and square shapes depending on the pattern. I don’t have a cutting table, but it sounds cutting on carpet (which is what I’m forced to do because of space constraints) is actually helpful so the fabric doesn’t shift around. If only my back didn’t hate me so much when I did it! :-o
Ashley
January 21, 2016 #
My tip is more about where to cut than how to cut. I cut most of my patterns out at the local craft store where they have big tables, but if that’s not possible I put my table at home up on blocks when I cut. It saves me from so much back pain!
Melody Lema
January 21, 2016 #
One of my favorite tools is my third hand with clamp. This tool clamps on to whatever you wish. I use it to hold the right side of my fabric while I hold the left, and my free hand will then start to do my reverse sewing,! The one I have now is from Amazon and here is the link, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0042WW06Y?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00 . I have a second one, but I just display it. It was my great grandmother s.h
D
January 21, 2016 #
My favorite cutting tip is to use a rotary cutter for pattern pieces but keep a pair of small, very sharp scissors next to the sewing machine to take care of everything else. Good dressmaker shears would be a bonus for this arthritic hands!
Lodi
January 21, 2016 #
My cutting trick is to keep the !@# damn cutting shears away from the !@# damn other peeps! Works like a charm. However, I’d love to try the spring action hand muscle-saving shears! (Which I would also hide away from the other peeps. (The ones who fear me!)
Amelia
January 21, 2016 #
Frankly, I could use some cutting tricks. It’s my least favorite part of sewing by far – I’m slow & not nearly as precise as I’d like to be. Maybe it’s my (admittedly dull) shears? Thanks for a lovely giveaway!
Rebecca Pelletier
January 21, 2016 #
For slippery fabrics I use lots of pins. Otherwise I use weights.
Kirsten
January 21, 2016 #
My best tip is a mind game. I used to hate cutting and resented the time it took from ” sewing”. Reading the Colette Handbook inspired me to more intentionally approach the whole process of garment construction. Consequently, I renamed my hobby “garment creation” and now cutting is a part of the process, rather than something I have to get through as fast as possible so I can get to the fun part. It is still not my favorite part, but changing my thinking made a huge difference – which also meant less cutting mistakes!
Marie Purnell
January 21, 2016 #
I sometimes use a rotary cutter but I enjoy the repetition of using scissors. I couldn’t live without my left-handed scissors. And I use a cutting mat every time I cut….I feel that the fabric clings to it a bit, so it doesn’t slide around very much.
Lara
January 21, 2016 #
My favorite cutting trick is to keep my scissors in a sheath when not in use, I never would have thought it made a difference until my husband bought me a lovely pair of dressmaker shears in a sheath for my birthday. I keep them with my other scissors planted in a large glass vase full of miscellaneous buttons I’ve collected from yard sales over the years, the buttons are heavy enough to keep the scissors upright and in easy reach while looking fun and decorative. The sheath keeps my blade sharper and ensures no family member dares to pretend they are for cutting anything besides material.
Ruth D
January 22, 2016 #
I’m not coordinated enough to use a rotary cutter. I almost cut my hand off the first time I tried and I was under supervision. Never again. Although I love my scissors and keep them hidden from everyone in the house, honestly, the most important tool I have is my seam ripper. I use it all the time for so many things.
Edie
January 22, 2016 #
Since sewing is quite a new one to me, i didn’t invest (yet) in more expensive tools. Thicker fabrics: the regulair shears, all others with the pinking ones from my grandma-not a very fast job but does the trick for now. It requires taping my fingers at times ;-)
Slip-a-way fabrics: tape the paper pattern (very gentle!) with that paint-tape, the one used in the medical fields, too, to the fabric, using all kinds of household items to keep all in one place (hammer, soupcans, cellphone) using pinking shears while sitting on the wooden floor: tada.
Your shears on the other hand, are science fiction in my book. For now :-)
Stitchwiz
January 22, 2016 #
My arthritic hands would love these Fiskcar Easy-Action scissors!
I have a pair of Italian tailoring shears that cut like a dream. I love them! The weight of the shears makes the cutting stroke feel like a hot knife through butter. But that weight also makes them hard to open when your hands are tired or sore. Time to review my scissors…
Lots of great ideas here! Here are my suggestions:
1st tip: Like most of you, my sewing scissors are off limits to everyone. When my favourite pair were destroyed by a guest trying to cut twist ties, I decided to lock them up, literally. Drastic but foolproof!
Buy yourself a padlock for every pair of scissors and put the hook throughout the handles of your precious scissors and close the lock. No one can open them to cut with them. Problem solved. I have doubled up smaller pairs with one lock, when needed.
I purchased combination locks with the same combination for each lock so that I only have one to remember. I stuck the combination sticker from the packaging on the bottom of my main sewing machine – just in case. And I also recorded it in my computer. All my children are grown and gone but now I have grandchildren and their friends coming to learn to sew. Having my scissors locked up made a HUGE impression on them. And, my scissors are safe. Theirs will be safe, also.
2nd tip: I LOVE to use rotary cutters and mats, also. Years ago I purchased large 2nd hand mats from an office printing company that was going out of business. I have 3 sewing machines set up at all times & I now have the top of my U- (almost J-) shaped sewing station covered permanently with cutting mats – I can make small cuts very easily without leaving my machine.
When I have a large project, I take all my other cutting mats to the theatre or to the church. I railroad the tables and my cutting mats on the tables so that I have 6 long tables covered with mats. This is great when cutting out long gowns, etc. NOTE: Just make sure that any cuts that cross a crack between mats have been cut. Sometimes a single thread will fall between the mats and if you miss it, you will have a pull in the fabric when you start picking up the pieces. We still need scissors. :) Those little thread snips are great for this job.
3rd tip: For weights, I have a collection of old glass electrical insulators that were used on the hydro poles years ago. I collected a bushel basket full when Hydro was replacing the poles about 30 years ago. Cost? – Just my time! Value? Priceless! I have been offered $5 each for them – but I will never part with them.
They are about the size of a coffee mug. They are heavy enough that they don’t move easily if bumped by accident. They are very smooth, so no snagging on even the most finicky of fabrics. The shape makes them very easy to pick up and put down.
And, bonus, they look beautiful sitting on a shelf or on a windowsill with the sun shining through them!
Katharine Hover
January 25, 2016 #
My go to scissors are a pair of Wiss inlaid blades that I’ve used for almost thirty years. As I sew quite a lot, I get the blades sharpened annually. To maintain the Wiss blades, I use a set of cheaper scissors to cut out pattern pieces exactly on the seam lines, removing excess tissue. This is an extra step, but assures that the Wiss blades do not cut through paper, and makes for more accurate pattern placement on the fabric, as well as more accurate cutting. I almost always cut with the fabric out flat, and use small bean bags as weights. On the rare occasions when I have to use the floor to cut a large pattern, I prefer the firm surface of vinyl. If you cut on a carpeted surface, your cut lines may be slightly off due to the varied elevation of the carpet pile. Precise pattern cutting makes for the best garments. Lastly, when you’ve done a great deal of cutting, don’t forget to place a tiny drop of oil in the joint between the scissors and tighten the screw if needed.