Dressmaking shears
The handle is bent upwards so the fabric stays flat on the table while you cut, instead of lifting and shifting.
Golden rule: fabric shears are for fabric only. Cutting paper dulls the blades fast.
Pinking shears
They cut a zigzag edge that reduces fraying on tightly woven fabrics. They are not a full finish for fabrics that fray a lot.
Pattern tools
A French curve for armholes and necklines, a hip curve for side seams, an L-square for right angles, an awl to mark dart points and a pattern notcher for notches.
Pressing tools
A tailor's ham for pressing curves like darts and princess seams, a sleeve board, and a wooden clapper that flattens seams by holding in the steam.
Machine needles
The number shows the thickness: 70/10 for fine fabrics, 90/14 for medium, 100/16 for heavy. Ballpoint needles are for knits so they don't cut the loops.
Small but vital
A seam ripper to unpick stitches, a thimble on the middle finger for hand sewing, and glass-head pins because they don't melt under the iron.
Start with the right tools
Learn professional tools and how to use them in Anna Stella's Manchester workshop.
Sources
- Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing, Reader's Digest.
- Claire B. Shaeffer, Couture Sewing Techniques, Taunton Press.
- Schmetz: guide to sewing machine needle sizes and types.
- Anna Stella Academy's sewing and pattern-making experience since 1992.