When I am asked what I want for my birthday or Mother's Day, the answer is always very simple: tools please! Those tools are not a rake for the garden, an extra washing-up brush in the shape of a flower, a pot, pan or vacuum cleaner bag, but a sewing accessory. After all, nothing makes a seamstress as happy as a magic tool such as a pair of luxurious scissors, a cute seam ripper or an extra roll with inches on it!
And then I got this:  As a child you learn to cut at school and you will continue to do it all your life. It is such a basic action in life, you never think about it for a minute. In the couture world, however, cutting is a big deal. In fact: cutting is an important couture technique. Cutting as a tailor In Haute couture world, expensive materials are used. As a hobby seamstress you are probably buying less expensive fabrics. Maybe you bought a fabric of 10 euros per meter, or maybe one of 30 euros. Suppose you need 1.5 meters for a jacket, so you are cutting a piece of fabric of 45 euros. In the worst case, and that happens a lot, you make a mistake and you screw up the piece of fabric. Disaster, s.o.s. This happens to everyone a few times. Even advanced seamstress are making mistakes. You forgot the grain of the fabric or you forgot to cut extra inches for the hems. Or you will find out that you have cut two right sleeves. Not a disaster, if you have bought enough fabric, but a (small) disaster if you have to buy the fabric, but it is just not available anymore. Cutting is part of the entire project that should not be underestimated. The more accurately you cut the pattern, the better the next step of your project.  Scissors are the workers!
When you start sewing, it looks like the scissors are no longer needed. But nothing is less true. Cutting is a big part of the whole process. You have to cut the corners, you have to make notches for the curves and you often have to trim the hems when the fabric has to be sewn together on the right sides. And: the scissor is your big friend if you don't have a lock machine (yet). You have to cut precisely and zigzag the hems. And even if it is just the inside of the garment, the more accurately you work, the better and more professional are the result(s). Cutting as art In the book Ultimate Sewing Bible beautiful drawings about cutting or "couture cutting" are described:
A lot of precise work but it will be worth the effort! We want gold! It is therefore soooooo important to work with good scissors. A wire cutter for finishing the remaining wire. A stork scissors for small secure work and a golden pair of scissors to cut the fabric and the lining and to keep at hand for cutting during the sewing process. A very fine pair of scissors is the Golden Scissor. Razor sharp, very precise and comfortable in the hand. These scissors are the number one in quality sewing scissors for the sewing world. Our best buy:
Nothing as ordinary and unimportant as scissors? No, nothing as important as good scissors! A small investment but a tool that makes your sewing project looks like a piece of couture-art.  A sewing machine, a piece of fabric and an idea .. these are enough to do the job..? many novice seamstress might think... . But that is unfortunately not true. With a sewingmachine, a sewingpattern and a piece of fabric, you can go a long way but you are not there yet. Let's think for a while: cooking or baking is your passion. A pan, a recipe, the ingredients and let's start cooking. But that is not the reality. In an average household you should not just open a kitchen cupboard, chances are that a load of things will look at you. As soon as cooking or baking is a passion, a lot of kitchen tools are needed and wanted. From spatulas to food processors. They make it easier for you, they give you more options and possibilities and you enjoy the cooking big time. Sewing as a hobby or passion! This also applies to sewing. No overcrowded cupboards full of stuff are needed, but we like to mention the best sewing supplies, tools or accessoires. These are simply very useful and make it easier for you. And make you enjoy sewing even more. Of course you do not have to purchase all these items immediately. But put them on your wishlist. Or buy the tools as soon as they are on sale. On the market they are sometimes in large containers, or on webshops they are listed under 'parts' or sometimes under 'haberdashery'. In this case, the following applies: cheap is expensive. It is better to buy a good good pair of scissors than ten times a bad cheap version. And the first option is also a lot more sustainable. These little sewing tools are BIG friends:
 A mannequin is THE best friend of a seamstress! We do not mean: mannequins such as the mannequins on display in fashion stores, but adjustable mannequins. These are indispensable to make tailor-made clothing!
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All about creating your own Chanel-Style jacket, Chanel-lovers information, Historic Costumes, Couture & Sewing book reviews and tutorials.
By: Marga van der Vet,
50+ model
Content creator
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