Last Survey’s Results:
Well, I feel better! We had a lot of people with the same problem as me answer the survey last week. The question was: “How do you keep up with your favorite blogs?” and I was generally feeling overwhelmed following my list of “only” 38! With many more solutions being mentioned in the comments, the most popular survey answer was “I skim… a lot… whenever I have a moment” with 58%! In second place (with 21%) were the people who “I dedicate a certain amount of time every day to catch up.” I envy the person who answered that they have lots of time and read them as they come in! I can’t forget to mention the winner of the “I read the most blogs” Award – seems Amy is officially the winner with 120. Congrats Amy!
I am happy to say that since last week I have completely emptied my Bloglovin’ inbox almost every day. Hooray! I’ve been following the “skim… a lot… whenever” method and it has worked out well so far. Though maybe this week was an anomaly? I have my doubts as to if it will stay that way… But, I have been keeping my sewing area cleaner and I didn’t think that would work so maybe there is hope! (I have to admit, for the sake of full disclosure, that I read the 2 that came in late today before I took the screen shot!)
This Week’s Question:
Today I am curious about your sewing notions. Specifically scissors. I have several pairs that I use. Mostly Fiskars – Regular, Pinking, Micro-Tip and a pair for cutting paper. I also picked up a rotary cutter a while ago – not an expensive brand, but it works just fine!
I have been thinking lately about getting a fancy pair of shears, but I’m not sure I care? I cut a lot with my rotary blade and the Fiskars are working out well for me. Maybe a fancy pair of scissors would just make me feel more official and not really improve my sewing experience?! What do you use? I’ve include a few options below – if yours are not listed, please leave a comment – we’d love to know what they are. (Want your sewing project or blog featured on Sewing Survey Saturday? It’s easy! Find out how at the bottom of this post!)
How to get your Sewing Project or Blog featured on Sewing Survey Saturday: Send an email to sherri@threadridinghood.com that includes your sewing related multiple choice question, your name and where you live (if you’d like it included). Please send your question with 3 to 5 multiple choice answers. Also send your blog information including which post you’d like me to link up to if you are featured! If you do not blog I would love to post a photo of one of your recent projects, so please send it along with your question. (Note: I may also feature a photo from your blog post (if applicable), if you do not want a linked photo please let me know in your email.)
Go heavens, I must have missed that question – I follow just under 500 blogs! Thats about 60 posts a day… and yes, skimming is the key! I read on my iphone (using feedly) either during my lunch break or when I come home from work and collapse on the couch. I guess I’m seriously addicted, because I often wish more new posts would pop p when i’ve already caught up on the day’s posts! I don’t actually think I’m alone on this – I’m off to ask around on twitter how many people read similar numbers!
Oh, and I’m team rotary blade ALL the way. The only way to go for knits!
Yes Gillian! That is a lot – wow! I love your article on it – very interesting.
I’ve fabric scissors from the Dutch department store (or should I say ‘warehouse’?) HEMA. It’s a basic pair, which wasn’t very expensive (about 6 or 7 euro’s), but they are great in use. Besides that I use pinking shears for trimming seamallowences on curves and, ofcourse, separate scissors for cutting paper. I want to buy some emboidery scissors, for cutting smal notches or little threads. Oh, almost forget, I’ve some fabric scissors which did belong to my grandmother. But sadly enough they are old and don’t cut as good as they should anymore.
Hi Mirjam – nice! I find most people are using less expensive scissors and they are fine. It would be so fun to have your grandmother’s scissors – it’s passing the love of sewing down the line!
I have several pairs of scissors – none of them are the expensive brand names. What I use depends on what I am making. I have a couple of rotary cutters if I am cutting out squares etc. I have a good pair of shears for cutting our shaped items like a pattern piece. I have pinking shears for when they are needed – mostly for the edge of a machine embroidered piece. I have a duck billed for machine embroidery and appliqué pieces. I have a couple of spring loaded short tips for clipping, and ragging. My favourite pair is a five inch, curved blade which I use for the detail cutting on small appliqués.
Hi Brenda – seems to be the norm, to use less expensive scissors. I will have to check out the duck billed kind – I have not heard of them. But I also don’t embroider much.
I have a basic pair of Singer scissors which I get sharpened intermittently. I use an olfa rotary cutter and I have a pinking blade for it I use mostly to trim fabric before prewashing. I have miscellaneous small scissors for snipping threads in my travelling sewing kits. And at the moment I have a children’s pair for snipping threads at my sewing machine, which both I and my daughter use.
Good on you to sharpen your scissors Lisa! I don’t think I have ever sharpened mine – might be a good idea! I’ve got some kids Dollarama scissors next to my machine for threads too 🙂 I was surprised, but they do a great job!
Haha – I don’t know whether to be happy or a little worried that no one else follows that many! And I’m a Fiskars girl, with a rotary cutter for straight cuts 🙂
Hee Hee – yes! I’m not sure either 🙂 Fiskars are great. They just do a good job.
I have more scissors than you and that’s probably frightening. I think I’m up to about a dozen…
I mostly use my Ginghers I got in college but my new love is Fiskars fabric shears. They have a spring handle so it makes cutting out pattern pieces much easier on your hands. I also use applique scissors for trimming thread tails very close.
Ha! Nice Eska! There are so many kinds and they are all useful for different things. I’m collecting… as I find a use for another kind. We’ll see. I may be up to a dozen before I know it!
I have various scissors!
I have a beautiful Gingher pair that makes me feel super official and cuts fabric like butter. My goodness. But they are a little heavy. I got them on a super discount deal because the packaging was damaged.
I also have a Kitchenaid pair with bright blue handles- easy to find in the mess of fabric scraps!- that are a little rubbery in the handle material. This pair is for FABRIC only so it’s still pretty sharp, but not as sharp as the Ginghers. I’ll be getting them resharpened this year.
I have two or three pairs of “craft” scissors, just normal scissors from IKEA or with no brand name on them. That’s for cutting paper, cardboard templates, trimming strings on my sewing machine, clipping off tags- and so on.
Rounding it out is a pair of pinking shears that I am pretty sure are from Fiskars and a real old Dritz brown-handled rotary cutter.
I work at a fabric store, and we mostly use Fiskars!
Wow Claudia – I need to find me some damaged packaging then! It would be fun to have some Ginghers – just to say I did, right?! Good to know your fabric store uses Fiskars. I guess I’m not doing so badly then.
Yep! and not to name names but I work at one of those big, corporate-retail-chain stores… so if we extrapolate, that’s a LOT of Fiskars. Our store has a professional sharpener come in every few months to re sharpen them, and a little blade sharpener for us to hone them in between.
Wow. A LOT of Fiskars! I would love for someone to come and sharpen my scissors every few months – what a great idea! 🙂
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