Well, after yesterday’s post about Thimbles, it’s hard to follow up on anything that could generate as much input! I really, really enjoyed reading everyone’s comments. If you haven’t read them yet, do take some time to – you’ll hear all about thimbles in the lives of needleworkers, why they’re liked, why they aren’t, substitutes for thimbles, special memories and stories of thimbles, and so forth! Fun stuff to read! Thank you!
One more little tool post for the week – back to the subject of scissors – and then I’ll leave off tools for a bit.
Maybe… I can’t believe it, but I did buy another little tool just yesterday, when I had to zip into the city after classes, and managed a quick stop at the LNS for some DMC.
Hm. Imagine: You’re walking down the street, collar up against the wind, darkness coming on, and you pause to ask passers-by: “Can you point me to the closest LNS? I need some DMC.” Methinks you’d be suspect to Shady Things.
Anyway – that new tool aside, here’s the thing: I love my good scissors. My absolute favorite scissors. They’re sharp, they’re thin-bladed, they’re reliable. They’re just great. But there’s another pair of scissors I wouldn’t be without, and after several months of using them, I consider them essential for my workbox.
Embroidery scissors with tiny curved blades are about the handiest little scissor-thing going, when it comes to fine needlework.
It’s all about those tiny curved blades.
They’re fine, they’re tiny. And they can get in ever-so-close for trimming threads. They’re wonderful when doing detail work! I like them especially when I’m doing anything particularly small. For example, on one of my “inside” projects – that’s a sofa project, when I’m not really “working” at needlework – I’ve been painstakingly stitching my way through a teeeeeny tiny Cluny tapestry reproduction from microStitchery. These scissors are a life-saver in that kind of work. They get right down to the surface of the silk gauze and minimize the danger of cutting anything else but the thread I’m after.
So they’re great for detail work. But heck, I use them for everything! (Well, I don’t trim my toenails with them, I don’t cut veggies with them…) But really, I use them for all kinds of needlework applications. They’re wonderful for cutwork and for drawn thread work, and I have it on good authority (though I haven’t used them myself for this) that they are excellent for Hardanger.
They’re modest little scissors – not very exciting looking, no fancy handles, no super-chic leather sheath. They’re just plain-Jane great little scissors that sport a short, curved blade.
This particular pair is by Gingher, and made in Italy. But there are lots of brands of curve-blade scissors out there. And you can pretty much find them at any needlework shop that has a good collection of scissors. I know Nordic Needle carries several types.
So that’s the last tool-in-the-workbasket post for the week. I do have some follow-ups coming up in the not-too-distant future: we’ll re-visit the goldwork scissors (I’ve had some fun with those!), we’ll look again at Transfer-Eze and compare it to another product, and I’ll show you yet another transfer product. But that’s in the future. The rest of this week, I’m planning to review a magazine and a couple books up close!
See you tomorrow!
