For people who are very fond of creating garments, pinking shears are a great tool to include in your sewing kit. While they may not be the most basic ones needed for starters, it is definitely a must-have for those who have already acquired more advanced skills and have completed some sewing projects.
We've listed here the 5 top tips for using your pinking shears:
1. Be cautious in choosing the perfect pair of pinking shears.
Make sure that you get pinking shears that are of the best quality. You can check its quality through its ball joints and if they have handles that are not hard to grip on. Their sizes are about eight to nine inches long. Once you choose quality pinking shears, you can be guaranteed of their durability.
2. Use pinking shears to finish the raw edges of your sewn fabric.
The most convenient and time-saving way to finally smoothen the rough edges when trying to complete a sewing task is to use pinking shears. This is very helpful, especially if there is no serger available. Pinking shears have ‘teeth' in a triangular shape, which produces a zigzag cut to your fabric. Not only to prevent fraying in fabrics, but they also work well to cut the curves for they have the same effect as clipping the seam allowance to make it lie flat.
3. The proper way to cut fabric with pinking shears is to make sure that they are being held straight.
Cutting any fabric with your pinking shears in this manner will produce your desired output. Once you have made your initial cut, you can try to make a small entry through the shears and make sure that the teeth are straightened precisely along when you do the final notch then slowly put back the pair of blades again. Maintain this manner of cutting to achieve a neat finished edge. Do not forget to have the seam stitched before cutting the edges so you can have enough extra seam that gives you a cleaner result.
4. Be patient enough to cut one layer at a time to achieve a more precise and clean edge on your fabric.
You may try to put a weighted object on top of the fabric while cutting to make it more stable.
5. Never use your pinking shears on other types of materials aside from fabric, as it will cause the blades to turn dull.
We don't recommend storing your pinking shears with other items made of metal in one container as it loses its sharpness. But in the case when they eventually become dull, it would help a lot if you bring them to a professional who can sharpen their blades.
Here's some more information on how to care for your sewing scissors and about whether you can cut paper with your sewing scissors.
If you have other ways on how to best use your pinking shears, we would be glad to hear from you!
If you're looking for a new pair of pinking shears, here are a couple of good options from Amazon.com.
My first sewing machine, a Jolson straight stitch, lacked stitches which are considered fundamental today. Because I used mostly cotton fabrics. I found basic pinking shears invaluable. when I began using the french seam (more work), I used pinking shears for small projects. I never thought of using them for clipping curves, although it makes sense. Thank you. And NO I would never use them for anything but fabric, unless I want to put out precious cash to have them sharpened. Thanks for the article.
keep up the good work. Your advice is always clear and useful.
They are excellent for clipping around curves, like neck lines, sleeve facings
Hi, wondering how you sharpen pinking shears?
Pinking shears must be professionally sharpened and I have a feeling that would be pricey. If you see the same ads as I do above (after the article–and I see my shears there), it’s probably more cost effective to replace them unless they have particular significance to you.