I never really thought about how many pairs of scissors I had… until I was cleaning in my room and gathered them all up and put them in one place… (they tend to move around the room a lot!) I decided this might make a fun post while I’m gathering up all my pictures and putting them in order to showcase my new kitchen…
I have no idea is this is more or less than most ladies have in their sewing rooms, but I’m guessing it’s more than average…
I counted 21 pair in my sewing room, but I’m going to void 3 of them because they are decorative paper scissors… I DO use them for edging papers when I write notes and a few other things, but they aren’t what I call “sewing” room scissors… so I’m only going to say I have 18 pairs of scissors…
Here they all are…
I have 2 pair of pinking shears and use them when cutting close to the edges of fabric that might fray or fabric that is too bulky if I serge the edges. The Fiskars are used the most, but the stainless steel Wiss pair have really sharp edges and cut like a dream!
These gray handled scissors are my paper scissors… paper, pattern pieces, cardboard, etc… if it’s not fabric, these get used…
These 2 pair of Fiskars are my regular fabric scissors. They have Titanium blades and cut very well… no paper is used for them…
This is a pair of applique scissors used when you need to trim off one layer of fabric as close as you can to the edge… used lots in heirloom sewing and even when trimming areas that are bulky to “layer” the pieces of fabric sewn together…
These Wescott scissors are used when you have something adhesive backed or glued… they cut right through the adhesives without gumming up… I’ve used them several times and they really do work…
This red handled pair of scissors are used for cutting leather… so I’ve been using them in my cobbler making efforts. The Wescott ones above are also very good at cutting the leather pieces too.
Both of these scissors have a very skinny and very sharp tip and I use them when I need to pick something out. I also use them on very delicate things because they get close to the fabric and are very precise.
It seems silly to change scissors to clip curves, but I’ve found these to be the best for that.. they have a great grip on the fabric and they don’t slide… They cut the clips perfectly every time…
These are the scissors most often used as I’m sewing… they are a micro-tip scissor and great for trimming threads and trimming off little slivers of fabric that might be just a bit uneven… I use these every single day… they are VERY sharp too…
These tiny little orange handled scissors have curved blades and are used for trimming the threads when I do embroidery sewing… you can place the scissors down on the fabric and since the blades are curved, they rest on the fabric and easily trim the threads as they come right out of the fabric… Very handy to have…
These are my Featherweight Gingher scissors and I usually take them with me if I have to go to someone’s house for alterations… they are a lightweight scissor but work very well… I take them because I don’t want to take and lose my Fiskars that I use more often… I have had these for years and years…
This is another pair of Gingher shears that are very heavy and work well with slippery fabrics. A doctor friend gave them to me and I love the way they cut… Whenever Rebecca needs to cut something out she always asks where my Gingher’s are…
…and this last pair of scissors is a pair my hubby found at a yard sale… he brought them home to me and said he told the lady, “I’m sure my wife can use these…” and I do… they have a long skinny blade and I use them to cut paper very precisely…
So that’s my scissors haul… Anyone have that many? Or maybe more??
I don’t think 18 pair of scissors in one room is anything to brag about, but I just thought I’d share! :o)
See you tomorrow
Blessings, Jeanne
Well, Jeanne, I don’t think I’ve got Quite 18 pairs of scissors/shears, but I’m probably pretty close! And, while I don’t own any Fiskars brand scissors/shears, I do own at least 7 pairs of Ginghers (and, for those who’ve never heard of them, it’s two hard “g” sounds, like in the word “gingham”–“gingh-ers”). No, make that 8 pairs–my kitchen shears are also Ginghers! (My duckbill/applique’ scissors are Ginghers, plus 2 sizes of shears, my 6″ tailor’s points, pinking shears, and two different thread clippers.)
I also have 2 or 3 fancy paper scissors like you have. And I have a very small (about 5-6″ total length) but very real pair of Wiss pinking shears, still in their original box, that daddy found for me in a thrift store years ago. He thought I’d like them!! He was right.
The last pair of scissors you show are actually barbering scissors! My mother used to cut my brother’s hair when we were growing up and she had them, and my late father-in-law was a barber, and he, of course, had them, too! (And to a barber, professional or amateur, those scissors are as precious to them as our fabric shears are to us sewers, and heaven help anyone who uses them on paper! LOL)
I see Stella’s outfit is up to TEN bids now! Wheeee!!
Had to laugh at your scissors collection! I only have eight pair in my sewing room , but I have at least one pair of scissors in every drawer in every room in my house. I often think that scissors are my most essential tool!
No buttonhole scissors?
Oh, *I* have buttonhole scissors, Kathy! Mine were originally mom’s, and when we were breaking up the house after daddy died, I took them home with me. I actually have used them a few times, but I prefer the little “chisel” with a wooden block beneath, for cutting buttonholes.
Here I am, after a disastrous weekend and a day of NO internet, tv or phone service! What a mess! Our neighbor was having trouble with their tv picture, the tech came out and fixed theirs, but cut us off the face of the earth! I felt like I joined Kirsten’s world!
You certainly do have more than the average amount of scissors Jeanne, but that’s what you need for sewing, and sew is what you do! No wonder! I have 2 pair of pinking shears, an old Weiss, and a newer Fiskar pair. I also have 3 pair of various Fiskars, plus a couple of tiny embroidery scissors, and about 6 pair of decorative scissors for scrapbooking. My scissor collection is isn’t as varied as yours is, though Jeanne. Although I am left handed, I cut with my right hand, so no left handed scissors for me. I also iron with my right hand! Go figure!
Hi Linda,
Sorry for your tough few days. We had a week like that once and then a few days like that over the years. I’m fine without internet, tv, or phone (barring emergency). As long as I can cook, keep food cold, and not swelter from heat I’m good. The only tough time was the year the underground power line was accidentally cut and knock out power in June to three streets. We made the best of things by sitting outside visiting and having a huge neighborhood cookout to save the spoiling food. Actually, neighbors commented on how fun it was, after it was over. 🙂
I am still at Dad’s so I’m not sure how many I have but probably not 21 or 19. My mom took extra scissors with her to loan at various work shops. She had maybe a dozen small Fiskars with her name on the handle in sharpie.
Gingham has 2 hard g sounds? I have never heard it pronounced that way. I would say ging like ring. Ging-um. I checked one online dictionary. https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/gingham
Gingher I do pronounce with 2 hard g sounds.
Yes, two hard “g” sounds…although the second one is a more cut-off sounding one, just like your link sounds. And that is as opposed to the “soft” g sound in a word like “ginger” (which, of course, is pronounced “JIN-jer”).
In my years of working at a fabric store, I often heard people pronounce “Gingher” the same way we say “ginger”….I find that often brand names aren’t pronounced quite exactly the same as something similar in a “regular” word!
Loved your scissors post. Of course, now I will have to take a look at my collection. I have the scissors that belonged to my mother, grandmothers, and aunts. There are several plastic boxes of scissors around here, but those I use most for sewing are my Fiskars, bought in junior high school for a sewing class. I use them for everything except paper, of course. I also have several pair of pinking shears that get a lot of use. No serger here. I occasionally use my mother’s button hole scissors too. As a child, she would not let me use them, and I was intrigued because they had my name on them. I had to wait a long time for those scissors, but now they are in residence in my by the machine drawer. 🙂 I guess I will have to count the scissors if I get a moment, as I have no idea how many may be lurking. 🙂
I don’t have that many pairs of scissors, but I do have a couple of different ones. A pair for cutting baby fingernails has blunted points. One pair is foldable with a cord on it to wear around your neck. A pair of huge Marks pinking shears and the clippers that came with my sewing machine. The most unusual-looking ones are buttonhole cutting scissors. It’s hard to explain, so I’ll send a picture to Jeanne if she’d like to share it. The blade has a cutout for the fabric at the edge before you get to the actual buttonhole. There’s a screw that’s set after measuring the length of the cut that’s needed. No cutting too far and ruining the whole thing. I checked and found that my fabric scissors are Ginghers. I didn’t know that.
Oh you hit my weak spot. I won’t even count but I have scissors EVERYWHERE. Every kitchen drawer, I think cutting open every box and inside plastic bags( when will they put cereal in a zip top bag?) By the phone, at my desk, in my end table drawer, in the bathroom drawers, and in my purse, in the door of the car, in my garden carrier. Years ago My hubby bought me a set of Kaicut scissors , a large and small scissors with a pinking shears and a thread nippers. Through the years my very fav was the large fabric scissors. One day I couldn’t find them and after a reasonable time I tried a search on EBay. That company makes other items so just when I was tired of seeing pocket knife auction the set of scissors came up! Oh happy day! They are from Japan and so sharp and fit my hand so well. If you ever see some grab them🤗 Did I mention the other zillion pair of sewing scissors?… never mind😍
I count 11 pairs right beside my sewing table (I’m surprised!) That doesn’t include the snips I use to cut threads when using the machine.
The most interesting thing to me is how many pairs of Fiskars you have. I got tired of worrying about my fabric scissors at home and when taking classes. My primary cutting scissors and most of the others are Fiskars. Readily available and often on sale. If someone uses them to cut paper, I can easily replace them.
Interesting post!
Good heavens! I’m staggering to know there are so many types of scissors for so many purposes. This was fascinating and I loved it.
Now this is what “non-sewing Sal” has in the house. There is, of course, no sewing room. In my sewing BOX, an old Walkers Shortbread huge tin, I have stork scissors and only use them when mending, darning, hemming. Those are Sal’s three sewing tasks that don’t get her knickers in a knot. We don’t want that to ever happen again.
Then there are two different kitchen scissors, miraculously kept in the kitchen, of all places. And a pair of pinking scissors in that sewing box, plus a couple dull scissors, but I will say, every room in this small house, 5 rooms, all have a set of scissors for convenience. AKA too lazy to go hunting for them around this enormous space!
NOT impressive, right? Haha. I’m quite happy leaving the sewing and scissors to all you wonderful gals. 🥰
Thanks for such an interesting post from all of you. What a bunch of cut-ups you all are! 😂
I too have stork scissors. I also have cheap scissors all over the house because with my numb but very slowly improving fingers, I use them for prying things open, especially food containers. My most admirable scissors are 100 year old embroidery scissors that are still excellent. They belonged to the mother of a friend. I also have her diamond mourning watch — the family was wealthy but unlucky — Nina was a widow at 25.
I do have a lovely pair of Ginghers — I remembered the scissor-buying advice from high school home ec.
Nineteen in the sewing room, two pair in the kitchen and a few small pairs in the bathroom. The sewing room scissors includes two pair of pinking shears, several pairs for cutting fabric one with a raised handle that I love, a pair for cutting anything but fabric, three pair of spring action clippers that I use for clipping threads because they are lightweight and I also use them for cutting jump stitches on embroidery designs. I have a pair of duckbill applique scissors I love for trimming stabilizer on the back of embroidery projects. I also have a pair of strange looking scissors that you use under embroidery hoops to clip threads if you get a build up. I also have several pairs of small scissors and snips One pair has a cover for the blade it is so pointed. I use these for clipping curves, etc., when sewing doll clothes because they are so easy to control and the tips cut cleanly. I also have a pair for cutting plastic canvas and a pair I keep with my hemp jewelry making supplies. I probably have missed some because I usually have a pair with crochet projects that are still works-in-progress. I have a lot of Fiskars and I’m not sure what else. I forgot to notice when I was counting. I love “pretty” scissors and I just noticed that Fiskars makes a lot of pretty sets. I saw them on JoAnn’s website and wish I hadn’t. Another addiction to try to control.
Just as a first comment, Jeanne. the last pair of scissors you have are hair cutting scissors, just as Charlotte mentioned. I have one just like with that extra half loop to rest your middle finger for steadiness.
Okay, I think we’re just supposed to count sewing and paper scissors, not others like my herb /flower ones that were my grandmother’s and came from Germany. 🙂 or the folding scissors I carry in my purse.
I have no true sewing room. The sun room table serves as the sewing/craft room when I pull stuff out of the wooden cabinet in there. As far as the number of scissors, I’m not sure. I do have a few fancy paper cutting scissors, a pair of old Gingher sewing shears and a pair of pinking that were my grandmother’s., a pair of snips that go into their plastic case, a pair of embroidery scissors, and a pair of Victorian style silver plated embroidery scissors that go in a silver plated sheath. They are repros, but were a birthday gift I bought myself one year and a pair of “lousy” scissors whose only job is to cut wire edged ribbon as it ruins other scissors.
The scissors tour brought back memories of my days of sewing. I have a pair of now antique pinking shears that were my mom’s before me. They were so heavy and dull they barely cut but I made do. I remember my home ec teacher or my mom telling me to never use my fabric scissors for paper cutting. A hard and fast rule that I always clung to and made sure to hide my best fabric scissors from family members. Knowing that you follow that rule it must be true!
When I was training as a hairdresser, back in the 1970’s, we were taught that your ring finger went into the loop on the handle your index and middle finger rested between the handle and the blades and the hook was to rest your little finger on. Fifty years on, although most scissors don’t have the hook for your little finger that’s still how I hold any pairs of scissors it seems to give me more control. Some of my friends who have tried holding their scissors this way have really liked it but others found it odd, any one fancy giving it a try?
I don’t think I have as many as you Jeanne but I do have quite a few. I have my mother’s shears, she had quite large hands (which she hated but as a child I always felt safe with those hands) and the shears are far too big and heavy for me to use but I keep them anyway. I also have her old pinking shears also heavy but unfortunately they have a broken tip so I can’t really use them. I have a new pair of pinking shears, a good pair of regular shears that my friend gave me as they were right handed and she was left handed (mine had gone missing which I was very unhappy about), several small embroidery style scissors (usually one in every project and some I have given to Sam) and then umpteen cheap scissors because it is much cheaper to buy new scissors for paper etc than to get them sharpened. I buy those from the shops that are a bit like The Dollar Tree over there usually in a pack of three different sizes. They often break in which case they get tossed out but if they are blunt I tend not to throw them so they just keep collecting. I always have a pair in my bedroom for cutting off those intensely irritating labels which drive me mad!!! I also have a case of fancy blade paper scissors, around 20 all different.
Sam and I had a great time yesterday. We went to Spotlight (probably our version of Joann’s) where she bought some gorgeous sparkly blue fabric for Ashley’s quilt, then we went to Creative Junk. I don’t know if you have ever seen anything similar over there. They take almost anything that would otherwise get tossed into the land fill. I should have taken a photo for you. It costs $10 to fill a bag though some things that are slightly better quality are priced individually. School teachers love the place. Anyway she picked up a huge pile of document folders, plastic and cardboard. She is going to need around 600 templates to finish the quilt and she found the thin plastic better than the cardboard or paper because it springs back to shape after you have bent it to sew.
By this time it was 12.20 so she took me for coffee (I know, it was her birthday, I should have been treating her lol). Then we went home to my house and spent the next hour cutting fabric and plastic. I have a Fabi cutter with a couple of Hexagon dies so I showed her how to use it then she did that and I cut her fabric into squares. I only did about half of the fabric which will give her 30 blocks but she needs 111 blocks! She might need to buy more fabric and she took what was on the bolt so that might be an issue! It was a lovely day and I am grateful to have such a thoughtful daughter.
I’m looking forward to seeing the photos of your kitchen Jeanne.
Anne, your Creative Junk place sounds like the Creation Station place we used to have a couple of miles from us; you never knew what you would find in there. I believe they, too, had some things individually priced and some things where you could buy by the bag (or possibly by weight). They also offered kids’ birthday parties. so much per child, and they had a big table where the kids could sit and create for a period of time. I thought that was such a neat idea!! Sadly, it closed a few years ago, and the building has since been torn down, but for a while, it was a real treasure trove!
I have quite a few pairs of scissors but I don’t think as many as you have or as wide a variety. I have several pairs of Fiskars, a pair of pinking shears-need new ones as quite dull, a pair of Gingher that were my Mother’s and I treasure, and several small embroidery scissors. I really enjoyed seeing what you used your various scissors for and have decided I need to purchase a pair or two or three. LOL! I once again have learned some valuable knowledge and look forward to trying my new scissors. Thank you for the fun post.
Wow, I have never known anyone to possess so many scissors. My aunt was a dressmaker. And I don’t recall her having that many. I do remember her having the sharpest of them though. It was great watching my aunt start a project from scratch and then watching her go through the process of making garments. Most of them for special occasions, for the neighborhood kids. She also made all our Christmas dresses which later became our Sunday school dresses for the rest of the year. Oh and I just remembered she gave us sewing lessons too.
Thanks Rosemary,
It’s just nice to have the right scissors for the right job…and I guess I do!!
How fun to watch your aunt sew AND then be given sewing lessons from her!!
Thanks Rosemary
Blessings, Jeanne