Dear readers,
When it comes to cutting fabric, I see a lot of content about two things: explaining grainlines and debating scissors versus rotary cutters. I am firmly on Team Scissors. But here is a question that rarely comes up: once you have the right tool, were you ever actually taught how to use it?
Not which scissors to buy. How to cut. Which side the pattern should sit on. What your non-cutting hand should be doing. How the blade should move. These are the things that determine whether your cutting is accurate, and I almost never see them addressed.
Start with stability
Before your scissors even open, your fabric and pattern need to stay put. Use all three of these together:
- Weights at the centre of the pattern piece (not just at the edges)
- Pins parallel to the cutting edge, every 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm), adjusting for how curved or straight the edge is
- Your non-cutting hand flat on the pattern, just ahead of the blade as you cut
That last one is easy to forget, but it matters. Your hand is actively keeping the pattern from shifting as the blade moves.
Blade position
If you are right-handed, keep the pattern piece to the left of your blade (reverse if you are left-handed). This means you are cutting along the outside edge of the pattern, not underneath it, so you can see exactly where you are cutting.
Let the lower blade glide along the table surface. Do not lift the fabric to help the scissors along. Use long, smooth strokes, and do not fully close the blades with each cut. That snipping motion creates jagged edges and shifts the fabric with every snap.
A note on rotary cutters
There are times when a rotary cutter is genuinely better than scissors: long straight cuts on folded fabric, very slippery materials, thick layers. I do use one occasionally. But for most home sewing, especially on single layers with a paper pattern pinned on top, scissors give you more control. Which one I use and when? That will be a Tiny Tip for another Tuesday.
Happy sewing,
Delphine