It's Fun to Sew with a Sewing Machine

by Hildegarde Struefert

Cutting tools

Pair of Shears

Pair of Scissors

If your mother has several types of cutting tools in her sewing box, you have already learned that shears and scissors will cut both fabric and thread, but one is easier to use for cutting thread than the other.

Little scissors like the small pair illustrated are meant to clip thread or cut narrow things like ribbon, elastic, etc. Scissors have very sharp and narrow points to make it possible to clip into tiny corners. Scissors have two handles the same size.

When you cut with scissors, put your thumb through one handle and a finger through the other. A pair of small scissors about 4 inches in length is easy to handle.

Shears are larger than scissors, and they are used for cutting a pattern out of material. Shears have one large handle and one small one. When you cut with shears, place your thumb through the small handle and two or three fingers through the larger handle. A pair of 7-inch shears is a good size for you.