You’ve probably noticed that your local embroidery or sewing store has a ton of different types of scissors. These aren’t just decorative; they are used for specific purposes.
If you are struggling with cutting fabric, applique, batting, or threads, chances are, you are using the wrong type of scissors!
So, what are the types of sewing scissors? There are many different kinds of scissors with different features and uses, such as thread, embroidery, or dressmaker’s scissors. Using the right type can make the job so much easier and create nice, clean cuts.
This article will help you understand the different types of sewing scissors so that you can choose the right pair for you.
1. Standard Scissors
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Standard scissors are commonly used in households and offices. They’re simple to use and have straight blades and usually universal handles (unless they’re made for children or left-handed individuals).
These tools can be used to cut various materials such as paper, cloth, and strings. Because they’re usually used on lightweight materials, the blades can stay sharp for quite a while, which means the same pair of scissors can stay useful for a long time.
In sewing, standard scissors are most usually used to cut pattern paper if you love working with patterns. These scissors are usually way too big to cut the thread and not sharp enough to cut fabric.
However, for cutting your patterns, they are just functional and convenient enough to keep them around your sewing corner for when you need them.
2. Curved Embroidery Scissors
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Curved embroidery scissors have a very specific type of appearance that is hard to miss.
They usually have super sharp, pointy blades that are designed to help you get in between the stitches and threads and make very precise snips when needed.
In addition, the blades are curved at an angle that allows you to get around hard-to-reach places to cut, which is highly convenient when you are embroidering with a machine.
These tools are also very helpful when used for sewing and when you need to make quick snips. Since they are very lightweight and uniquely designed, you can get into all the small areas in your sewing project to cut your threads.
3. Embroidery Scissors
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Regular embroidery scissors look like regular scissors, except that they have smaller blades and very pointed tips.
They are usually made from stainless steel or nickel-plated steel.
This kind of scissors is designed to make it easy to get into tight places to cut the thread or clip small stitches when you are embroidering.
They are highly convenient for frequent cutting if you need to cut threads frequently, especially with machine embroidery.
4. Thread Cutters
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Thread cutters are very small, spring-loaded scissors that are designed to fit in the palm of your hand, which makes them highly accessible when you need to make small, quick, repetitive cuts.
When sewing or embroidering, you’ll need to cut small threads very frequently. In these instances, picking up big scissors is both time-consuming and unnecessary.
It’s like using a hammer to squash a bug; you may get the job done, but why waste all that effort?
That’s where these thread cutters can come in. They are small and lightweight enough to make the frequent snipping of threads highly convenient, not to mention more accessible for those who have arthritis or wrist pain.
5. Dressmaker’s Shears
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When it comes to cutting fabrics, it’s very important that you use a pair of scissors with long and sharp blades. Dressmaker’s shears are designed with fabric cutting in mind, so the tip is smooth and round to prevent damaging your fabric.
A pair of dressmaker’s shears are also commonly used to clip and notch around curves. They feature blades that allow you to turn sharp corners and cut curves quite effortlessly.
When cutting with dressmaker’s shears, it’s also important that the bottom blade is flush on the surface to make following the pattern easier. Having a smooth handle also makes these tools easy to use and following the pattern more effortless.
Because of this particular design, it’s important to get the right type of shears if you are left-handed. Otherwise, it might be difficult for you to see your cut and make nice and effective cuts with your dressmaker’s shears.
The length of the blades is around 7-10 inches, depending on how many layers you want to cut at a time.
Dressmaker’s shears are designed to only cut fabric and nothing else, so you should never use them to cut patterns, threads, or other things. You’ll want to keep the blades super sharp to make the cutting of fabric more efficient.
If you use your dressmaker’s shears to cut other things besides fabric, the blades can become dull, which will make the cutting fabric more difficult, and you will no longer be able to cut clean lines with them.
6. Pinking Shears
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Pinking shears are scissors with a zigzag edge. They are used to cut fabric in a zigzag pattern so that the edge will not fray as easily. They may also be called pinking scissors or pinkers for short.
The most obvious use of pinking shears is to prevent woven fabrics from fraying. When you cut a piece of fabric along a straight line, the fibers in it will fray and leave loose ends behind.
This issue can usually be fixed with a zigzag stitch around the cut line or with a serger. However, if you don’t have access to a sewing machine or a serger, using pinking shears is a quick, temporary fix.
By cutting the pieces using pinking shears instead, you will find that there is less fraying and no loose threads left behind on the edge of the fabric piece.
Pinking shears can also be used for non-woven fabrics such as felt or vinyl to create decorative edges. Since non-woven fabrics won’t fray, these decorative edges will stay in your final project and help you create beautiful decorative touches for your project.
The best pinking shears are made from stainless steel and have sharp blades. The most common problem with pinking shears is dulling of the blades, which makes it difficult to cut through fabrics smoothly. If you find that the shears are no longer working well, you can sharpen them to achieve clean, precise cuts.
7. Buttonhole Scissors
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When you’re sewing buttonholes, buttonhole scissors are the perfect tool to use.
Like embroidery scissors, buttonhole scissors have a sharp, pointed blade to get into small buttonholes and create precise cuts. However, since buttonhole scissors are designed to cut fabric, not just thread, they need to be a bit sturdier to support the cut.
Buttonhole scissors look like scissors, but they also have an adjustable screw, which allows all of the buttonholes to be cut at an even length. There is a slot in the handle used to adjust the screw, and the adjustment determines how long each buttonhole will be.
This makes cutting buttonholes after creating them with your sewing machine much easier, and you can achieve a neat and even result every time.
There’s another type of buttonhole cutter that’s in the form of a chisel. While these are not adjustable in size, they can be highly effective when cutting buttonholes in thick fabrics such as jeans or felt.
However, for most types of fabric, using regular buttonhole scissors are enough to help you make quick and effective cuts for your design.
8. Appliqué Scissors
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Applique scissors are excellent for cutting the rounded edges of applique fabrics.
These scissors have unique blades that are in the shape of a paddle, which is designed to push away the bottom fabric when you work on applique. They’re made to cut and trim without causing any damage to the rest of the fabric.
Applique scissors are very useful for many sewing and quilting projects, especially if you’re cutting intricate patterns or tiny pieces.
They are also great for fussy cutting and help prevent accidentally snipping into other fabrics, which is especially important with delicate pieces such as lace or tulle.
9. Batting Scissors
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Batting scissors are perfect for cutting through thick layers of batting.
Many quilters have found that if you use ordinary fabric scissors to cut through your batting, it can be difficult to get a straight cut because the batting is so thick.
The blades of the scissors can also become dull after a few cuts, which makes it challenging to maintain its quality for later projects.
With batting scissors, you don’t have this problem.
The blades of batting scissors are able to stay flat on the surface of the batting, so you can make perfectly straight cuts every time.
Batting scissors feature angled blades, which makes them much more ergonomic than regular fabric scissors, especially when you have to cut through a big layer. They require less effort and pressure from your hand and arm because they are designed to cut through thicker materials.
If you are a quilter who regularly works with batting, then getting a good pair of batting scissors can be the answer to your problems!
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