While dealing with life's challenges, quilting is always the best medicine. Always! But what if life's challenges include not being able to quilt due to physical problems? Quilting is still the best medicine, but it is necessary to use the right tools and adapt the way I quilt as I deal with some specific physical challenges and middle age in general.
I'm always asked to share my tips about adaptive quilting and I decided to share them in a blog series called Quilt-ability:
Today's tips are about scissors. IMy hands don't work they way I want them to, especially when the weather changes. I have found a few scissors that make my life easier.
Top left: Fiskar's Snips. I buy myself a new pair of these snips about once a year. Before I started longarm quiting, I never knew that I could dull scissors just by cutting threads. Yes, I cut those threads thousands upon thousands of times, but it was still news to me. These are my go-to snips for machine quilting. I can pick them up and quickly snip without fussing about maneuvering my fingers into tiny finger holes. A simple flick of the lock to open and a painless squeeze of the fingers to snip and I'm done!
Top right: Karen Kay Buckley Perfect Scissors. These scissors are light weight, beautifully sharp, and the finger holes are big enough that I can easily get my fingers in and control the cut no matter the weather. I use these mostly for trimming my applique and they do the job so well! Warning, these scissors are very, very sharp and I may or may not have stabbed myself in the palm of my hand last year.
Bottom: Famore EZ Stitch Snips. If you've ever been at a major quilt show and seen The Scissor Man with scissors hanging off his apron, that is Brint from Famore Cutlery and these are his scissors. I use these beauties as stitch removers. Once again, no tiny scissor finger holes to deal with and they do their job well. The little hook can catch a stitch to snip the thread I want AND ONLY THE THREAD I WANT!
These are some of my favorite scissors to use on days when my fingers betray me. Which scissors are your favorites?
3 comments:
Oh, I hear you! And you are using my favorites! Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to hearing more about quilt=ability!
Inability to stand for long periods. That is why I bought the Sweet Sixteen Sit-Down machine. I am 76 and hope to quilt until I am ninety. Looking forward to your series,
Debbie so agree with your choices! The Fiskars are my personal favorite.
It was such a thrill to meet you at MQX. love your blog.
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