Best sewing scissors (for cutting different types of fabric)

Hi Creative Mamas! This post is long overdue. I keep getting questions about which are the best scissors for cutting different types of fabrics.

In this post I will show you my personal collection of scissors and I will describe how I use each of them.

I believe I have curated a list of the best sewing scissors that you can get! They are great to cut through layers of fabric, most of them come with lifetime warranty and they all produce a smooth cut!

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Aside of a great sewing kit, which includes a nice sewing machine, a nice sewing lamp and a comfortable sewing chair, scissors are a make or brake when it comes to sewing in a comfortable and a sustainable way.

Good quality scissors are a really good investment for every beginner sewer. I have had some of my scissors for over 20 years now and if you look after them correctly they can last you for a long time!

Dressmaking scissors

I have purchased several dressmaking scissors over the years. I bought different sizes for different purposes and I like to use different scissors depending on the sewing project.

Here are my 5 top picks. They are all high quality scissors which have been great to avoid hand fatigue which has been a problem for me over the years.

I have little hands and sometimes cutting thick fabrics repeatedly would cause me to be in pain.

Dressmaking shears (dressmakers shears)

The Industrial Serra Sharp Dressmaker Shears Trimmers are made in Brazil (lifetime guarantee) and they are my go to scissors for almost everything.

I use them as my everyday fabric cutting scissors because they are light and I can spend the whole day cutting fabric without pain in my hands! I have little hands 🙂

There are a few things that make the Serra Sharps super special!

They have a super comfortable grip and they are only 8″ in length . The stainless steel blades last forever and they are easy to re sharpen.

They make a clean cut every time and they have a micro-serrated bottom blade. They can cut 3 1/2″ in one go!

Their ergonomic handle allows you to make precise cuts. I also love the sharp blades!

Small scissors

Another great investment to your sewing toolkit is a smaller pair of dressmaking scissors.

These knife edge scissors are sold as embroidery scissors but I use them to make small cuts such as clipping inside corners and layering inside seams.

They have a shorter blade and they make clean cuts. Depending on the size of your hand this scissors can be a great option.

They work wonders when I need to shape my wool pom poms and the beauty of them is that due to their small size they are always by my sewing machine, so I use them to clip threads as I am sewing as well.

I love their soft and light plastic handles. Check out this embroidered tea cozy if you want to get inspired by some embroidery projects.

Heavy duty scissors (Tailor’s scissors)

I have tried many heavy duty scissors over time. the problem that I always have is that after cutting for a couple of days I start to get really sore hands.

When I was a student I bought my first pair of tailoring scissors. The problem with those was that they were too heavy for my hands. I felt uncomfortable cutting with them and as the years went on I kept trying different types of bigger fabric scissors.

I personally use this one. I have several of these scissors with longer blades, they are great for a long straight cut.

They come with a soft comfortable grip and my students love them because they are designed for left and right hand users 🙂

I have found several options similar to the ones that I have myself. Here are a couple that I love:

• Canary scissors are fantastic, they are light and they can do long cuts!
• High density carbon steel shears
• Fiskars soft grip

Whichever option you choose, look out for an ergonomic design which will include a soft-grip handle and long blades.

Pinking shears

Pinking shears were my favorite scissors to play with when I was little!

As a maker I really treasure them because they have a specific use within my sewing practice.

They are great when I am using felted fabric because I can easily create a zig zag edge.

They are also great when sewing linings for skirts or jackets because you can zig zag the edges of the lining and it saves you overlocking/serging the inside seams. I use this one!

Embroidery scissors

I didn’t get a pair of embroidery scissors for many years but then I received these little ones as a gift.

They are so light and small that they have been great to carry around with my embroidery and hand sewing projects everywhere!

They make clean nice cuts and they can get into tiny stitches where other scissors wouldn’t be able to get 🙂

Snips

Snips are a must have. They cost next to nothing and they are super handy to have by the sewing machine!

I use them as I am sewing to neaten my work.

And I also use them a lot to tidy up my applique work as well. Snips are great!!!

Rotary Cutters

Having a good quality Rotary Cutter is also a great idea. You must also have a cutting mat to avoid damaging your working surface.

I love the Fiskars Titanium soft grip cutter since its super comfortable and the blades last forever!

Left handed scissors

Left handed scissors are usually made by the same manufacturers as the right handed scissors but of course they are made with a comfortable left handed grip for left handed cutters 🙂

Here are my pick for the best left handed scissors:

• Left Handed Sewing Scissors 10 inch Fabric Shears
• SINGER 00561 8-1/2-Inch ProSeries Heavy Duty Bent Sewing Scissors

These 2 options are great and have a nice cutting blade and a comfortable grip.

I hope you have found this post useful. Feel free to reach out with any questions that you may have about fabric scissors 🙂