Friday 30 May 2008

A bid for freedom... and a request for advice

My girl is going away. All the way to America for two weeks, with work.

The monkeys don't want her to leave.


I don't want her to leave either :o(

On the up side, I will have all the time I want to knit, and read blogs, and watch Columbo (the NBM is not a fan - the philistine). But I'm still sad that she's going.

But anyhoo, moving on to the other part of my post title: I'm after some advice from any sewists reading this. I want to buy some scissors for cutting fabric, and I'm not sure what I should get. If you sew: what types / sizes / makes of fabric scissors do you use? And do you like what you have? Any info gratefully received as I don't have a clue :o)

Oops, better go - NBM needs help packing...

18 comments:

Lindsey said...

That's true monkeh love. They just don't want her to go do they?

As far as scissors are concerned I don't buy dead posh, expensive ones. I'm afflicted with a kid and a hub who don't appreciate that fabric scissors are sacred and they will come into my workroom and steal my scissors to cut anything and everything.
I tend to buy those cheap multi packs you get in Dunelm and such places, but lots of packs. As soon as they go blunt I crack open a new packet and the old ones get relegated to paper or kitchen use.

Locket Pocket said...

Those monkeys were very considerate to provide the NBM with a cushion for her head before they sat on her! I can't really give you any advice about scissors as I just use what I have until they stop cutting and then I tell the children off for using my fabric scissors for paper (so I can sound like my mum obviously!) and then I get some more! The last lot I got came with my sewing machine and are a selection of Janome ones and seem to be really good.

Lucy x

Locket Pocket said...

Just read ethel and edna's tea room comment - we obviously posted at the same time - and I had to laugh at how similar our advice was - basically watch out for varmints using your sewing scissors for other purposes! So whatever scissors you buy - keep them away from those monkeys!!!

Mama said...

What part of the US is she coming to? Just think of the treasures she can bring back to you - the British pound is 1-2 against the American dollar!!!

ps: I'm partial to Fiskars
(http://www.fiskars.com) with the occasional Singer (http://www.singerco.com/) - mainly because I am much too cheap and careless to buy the Holy Grail of sewing scissors, Gingher (http://www.gingher.com/)

Mama said...

My name is WMK and I am a shop-aholic/ebay-aholic.

Uuummmm...for some reason, locating links to answer your scissor question just caused me to bid on a new sewing machine and a digital camera.

*goes off-line and slinks away from the computer*

Anonymous said...

I would second the Dunelm scissors. I have had both good scissors and cheap scissors, I have occasionally managed good cheap scissors! Overall I am as hapyy with a new pair from Dunelm as anything else and they sooooo pretty!

trash said...

Am assuming Ruby is going too? She will need someone to keep her company as she sits pining for you in her hotel room each evening.

I agree with E&ET - nothing too expensive but if you feel sure no rotten little beggar will come 'borrowing' your fabric scissors then I would choose a pair of ..errrr..umm... oh bugger! They have orange handles. Is it Fiskars? We have just bought two pair of pinking shears for school and one was crubbish and next to pointless, the other (with the orange handles) were lufferly and I wish that they would come and live at my house b/c I would build a special home for them.

Something like that I think but anything over ten pounds and if I am paying then I start to get the shakes;-)

silverpebble said...

Looks as though you have about as many primates in your house as we do. Miss P has similar monkey 'piley-ons'. I often wake up to find a small monkey in my armpit. Hope NBM enjoys her trip. How many monkeys will accompany her?

Just Original said...

Just pooped in from somewhere in the land of blog! Love your blog!

As for scissors I have a pair of Fiskars from Dunelm Mill they cost me about £15. They look like the type of garden shears that turn on there side so are fab for cutting out. They have black rubber handles with an orange lockable switch on them. They are absolutely brill I have had them for the past 3 years and they cut really well and make a fab noise when there cutting through fabric.

Pop back soon

Vanessa x

Kitty said...

Awwwww, that's sad :-( But maybe the NBM will be able to find a nice American monkey, and bring it home to be adopted by you and your monkeys? :-D

As regards scissors .. I use one big, sharp pair, and one small, sharp pair. Bet that's a bit help isn't it? :-D x

Kristie said...

I used to work in haberdashery and the best advice that I could give is go heavy. You want scissors with a fair weight to them and a nice thick blade...if that makes sense. You don't need super expensive ones but don't go too cheap or they'll go blunt fast! If you think that the monkeys will use them for nefarious purposes you should find a good hidey spot for them and leave out a cheapie pair on the desk so they see them first! Fiskars are pretty good...and so are Singer and Janome....but Gingher...ooohhh they are DIVINE. (drooling now...)

Anonymous said...

I have a big pair that i bought in ikea a good few years ago and they are still doing a grand job. Almost ready for a sharpen though. Make sure no other bugger uses them!

I also have a small pointy pair to threaten people with if they use my big pair ;)

*2nd Junes starts national recycling week - reduse, reuse recycle!*

Carol R said...

I have Ginghers but I have to hide them from DH. He would not think twice about using them to cut anything from carpet to wire!

Ginghers are cheaper in the US than in the UK so it might be an idea to ask your girl to bring some back with her but just to ensure she puts them in her checked-in luggage!

Anonymous said...

i think 1 of my monkeys may have stowed in her case because he's gone awol. I'll wait for a postcard.

Mrs Moog said...

Hee hee - I love that NBM will now pose happily for your mad photos!! I hope she brings back loads of lovely goodies for you :)

As for scissors - I've never bought very expensive ones as it would kill me when I find them in DH's shed. Some of the best have been a multi-pack free with my sewing machine and another from Dunelm.
Ages ago I bought some fabric from John Lewis and they didn't have a single pair of good sharp scissors in the whole fabric dept to cut my fabric with- I'd have gone on strike if I was them!

xx

lauren bergold said...

the only *GOOD* thing about my lamentable & lonely absence from the VICIOUS blogworld just lately, is the knowledge that by now the NMB is probably back home and safely under the monkehs' supervision. or...to judge from this pic...possibly just UNDER THE MONKEHS!!! :)

Unknown said...

I have a small pair (cheap yellow rubber handles from Michaels) which are super useful for cutting small fiddly things and for totting around (I tie a bright ribbon around the handle so I can either hang them on my neck or find them easily! Things get buried too easily in my workroom) - a couple of bigger pairs for cutting fabric (as well as a rotary cutter - I don't know what I did without this!) and a pair of pinking shears. I also have a separate pair for cutting paper too .... But the small pair are really my favorite!

paper-and-string said...

Now I LOVE my scissors...I have been known to yell LOUD if John picks up the wrong pair ie trying to use fabric scissors to open a cardboard box !! *gulp*
I use large dressmaking scissors from Fiskars (orange handles) and they cost about £30. so when I downgraded them from fabric-sharp to felt use I needed a new pair for fabric and cos I'm a stinge-bucket thought I'd try Ikea's offering. They cost, oh, £2.50, are the perfect size and weight and are super-sharp :-)
(found in the fabric department, not those kitchen scissors)
I never, ever use fabric scissors for paper or felt, and I always use my big scissors for everything, even cuttint teeny tiny pieces.
Oh, I could go on for hours bout scissors...but i'll shut up now ;-)
Sarah xx
PS 2 weeks away in America surely means a whole suitcase of gorgeous new craft supplies???