When purchasing cutting tools, cheaper is generally not better. You want to invest in good quality scissors or shears to cut accurately, save time and frustration. Invest in a pair of all-steel, chrome-plated shears for heavy-duty cutting. The lighter shears with stainless steel blades and plastic handles are satisfactory for less-frequent sewing or light-weight fabrics. Fabrics scissors or shears should only be used to cut fabric, not paper or other household items.
Bent-handled dressmaker’s shears – are best for pattern cutting because the angle of the lower blade lets fabric lie flat on the cutting surface. Blade lengths of 7” ad 8” are most popular, but lengths up to 12” are available. Select a blade length appropriate to the size of your hand and one that fits comfortably.
Sewing scissors – have one pointed and one round tip for lightweight sewing tasks such as trimming and clipping seams and facings. The 6” blade is most practical.
Embroidery scissors – have 4” or 5” finely tapered blades. Both points are sharp for use in hand work and precision cutting.
Seam ripper – quickly rips seams, open buttonholes and removes stitches.
Thread clipper – useful for cutting stray threads. It has a with spring-action blade.
Pinking shears or scalloping shears – have a saw-tooth blade that cuts a zigzag or scalloped edge instead of a straight one. Used to finish seams and raw edges on many types of fabric to prevent unraveling. Use can also be used for a decorative finish.
Rotary cutter – is used for cutting precise fabric strips or cutting straight lines. When using the rotary cutter, make sure you have a special plastic mat to protect the cutting surface and the blade. A special locking mechanism retracts the blade for safety.