Sewing Shears

Dressmaking shears are long-bladed scissors kept for cutting fabric and nothing else. The defining feature is the bent handle: the handles are angled up from the blades, so the lower blade can rest flat on the table while you cut. The fabric stays flat and in place instead of being lifted, and that is what makes the cutting line accurate. Ordinary straight scissors lift the fabric as they close, which distorts it, especially on soft or slippery cloth.

Strictly, "shears" have handles of different sizes (a small loop for the thumb, a larger one for several fingers) and blades longer than about 6" (15 cm). "Scissors" have matching handles. In practice the names are used interchangeably.

Choosing shears

• Blade length: 8" (20 cm) to 10" (25 cm) is typical for dressmaking. Longer blades make long, smooth cuts with fewer closures, which means fewer jagged steps along the edge. If your hands are small or the shears feel heavy, 8" is plenty.
• Weight and material: forged steel shears are heavy, durable, and can be resharpened many times. Lighter stainless shears with plastic handles are comfortable for long cutting sessions. Both work. Comfort matters more than brand.
• Handedness: right-handed shears used in the left hand push the blades apart instead of together, and they hide the cutting line. Left-handed sewists should buy true left-handed shears, with the blades reversed, not just mirrored handles.
• Spring-assisted shears open automatically after each cut, which helps with hand fatigue or arthritis.
• Micro-serrated blades grip slippery fabrics such as silk and chiffon so they don't slide away from the blades.

The rest of a cutting kit

• Small sharp scissors (4-6", 10-15 cm) for trimming, clipping curves, grading seams and cutting notches, where long shears are clumsy.
• Thread snips, spring-loaded clippers that sit by the machine.
• Embroidery scissors with fine points, for cutting buttonholes open and precise trimming.
• Pinking shears, with zigzag blades, cut an edge that resists fraying on firm, closely woven fabrics. They're a quick seam finish, but not a substitute for overlocking on fabrics that fray badly.
• Rotary cutter and self-healing mat, a round blade like a pizza cutter. It's fast and very accurate on straight lines, great for slippery fabrics because nothing lifts the fabric, and ideal for cutting bias binding strips with a ruler. A 45 mm blade is the most versatile size.
• Paper scissors, a separate cheap pair, so there's never a reason to use the good shears on paper.

Cutting accurately

1. Keep the lower blade on the table and the fabric flat. Don't lift the fabric to cut it.
2. Cut with long, smooth strokes, closing the blades almost but not quite to the tips, then opening and sliding forward. Snapping the tips shut on every cut leaves a jagged edge.
3. Walk around the table rather than twisting the fabric to reach awkward angles. Moving the fabric moves the pattern off grain.
4. Cut on the outside edge of the cutting line, or exactly through the middle of it, and do the same on every piece. Being consistent matters more than which you choose.
5. Cut notches with the tips of small scissors, or cut around them outward (see Notch).
6. For slippery fabric, use a rotary cutter, or cut over a layer of paper (see Silk Chiffon).

Keeping them sharp

Never cut paper with fabric shears. Paper fibres, and the fillers and coatings in paper, dull the edges quickly. Pins, plastic, tape and wire are worse. The same goes for cutting over pins: if a blade hits a pin, it can nick the edge.

Signs your shears need sharpening: they chew or fold the fabric instead of slicing it, they cut only near the pivot, or they leave threads at the edge. Sharpening interval depends on use: anything from every few months to every couple of years. Use a professional sharpener who handles fabric shears. Many fabric shops and markets offer it. Home sharpeners can work, but it's easy to change the blade angle and make things worse.

Between sharpenings:

• Wipe the blades after cutting fusible interfacing, which can leave adhesive on them, and after cutting fleece or synthetics.
• Oil the pivot occasionally with a drop of sewing machine oil, open and close the blades a few times, and wipe off the excess.
• Check the tension screw. Blades that are too loose fold fabric between them; too tight and they're tiring to use. Some shears let you adjust it.
• Store them closed, in a sheath or drawer, and never drop them. A drop can knock the blades out of alignment or nick the tips.