Tag: hand-tool

• Sewing Shears

  Choosing, using and caring for dressmaking shears - blade length, bent handles, left-handed shears, pinking shears, rotary cutters and small scissors, cutting accurately, and keeping them sharp.

• Pins

  Choosing the right pin for the fabric - silk, glass-head, ballpoint, quilting and appliqué pins, plus clips and pattern weights - how to pin a seam so you don't sew over pins, and storing them safely.

• Tracing Wheel

  Transferring pattern markings with a tracing wheel and dressmaker's carbon - serrated, needle-point and smooth wheels, which carbon to use, the right way to set up the layers, and alternatives for delicate fabrics.

• Awl

  A pointed hand tool for marking dart points and buttonholes through pattern and fabric, making eyelet holes, coaxing out collar corners and guiding fabric under the needle - how to use it and which kind to buy.

• Measuring Tools

  The tape measures, rulers and curves used for taking body measurements, laying out patterns and drafting - what each one is for, which to buy first, and how to measure accurately.