The ultimate seamstress gift is a great pair of scissors. Gingher scissors are among my favorite and I have a nice collection of them – everything from the 8″ dressmaker shears to the 4″ designer embroidery scissors. The nice thing about the Gingher scissors is their customer service. I’ve had some of these scissors for many, many years, and have sent them back to Ginger regularly for service. Any Gingher scissors can be sent back to Gingher in Greensboro, NC along with a check for $15 and they will sharpen, oil & service them and they will be returned about a week later as good as new! (You can click on any of the links below to view the products mentioned.) Of course, the video presentation with explanations can be seen on YouTube!
An 8″ pair of dressmaker shears is the most frequently used scissors. These are also available as left hand scissors.
If cutting has become difficult due to weaker hands or constant use, the 8″ spring action shears are a great choice.
7″ scissors sit next to my sewing machine, though some prefer to use the nippers next to their machines. Both work well.
Pinking shears aren’t a necessity, but they do come in handy for using as a seam finish for seams inside a wool jacket or something similar when you don’t want to overcast.
The tiny snips are wonderful for hanging around your neck for traveling – they are readily accessible.
The 4″ kindergarten scissors are also great for travel or for keeping in your lap while working on a project. The blunt ends are a much better choice than the embroidery scissors as they won’t pick you. I also use these exclusively for trimming fabric from behind lace. The blunt ends work well because you don’t end up with a pointed scissors end inadvertently catching a hole of the lace and cutting it accidentally.
A particularly lovely gift of scissors would be one from one of the designer scissors series that Gingher comes out with from time to time. The green print set is called “Sara” and I have the 8″ dressmaker shears as well as the 4″ embroidery shears. I also have the 5″ “Tessa” scissors. The designer series come out as a limited edition collection from time to time.
The other scissors that I really like is the Dovo scissors. These scissors have teeny, tiny serrated blades that grip the fabric so that it doesn’t slide away. My favorite set is the set of 3 gold-plated embroidery scissors (far left) that my husband gave me. ❤️ These are generally available at specialty heirloom shops.
Along with scissors, rotary cutters and self-healing mats are a great addition to the sewing room. I use both scissors as well as rotary cutters, depending on the project and my mood at the time. These also come in a variety of sizes. The smaller mats work well for small projects and for travel while a larger mat is wonderful to use on top of a cutting table. Mine is 36″ x 72″.
Rulers and measuring tapes are a necessity for any seamstress. Having a basic measuring tape in the sewing room, and then a retractable tape to carry around in my purse is always best. Then rulers, which there are a plethora to choose from, are wonderful to have as well. Heavier rulers like the 6″ x 24″ size work well to use with the rotary cutters. A lighter weight 2″ x 18″ ruler with a grid is also a necessity for me. Quilters will use a wider variety of rulers than someone that sews clothing.
French curve rulers and seam allowance rulers (far right) are wonderful for anyone doing a lot of changes to patterns or someone delving into pattern drafting.
Magnetic pin cushions have to be one of the best inventions ever!!! I have several in my sewing room – one next to the sewing machine, one on my cutting table, one next to my iron, etc. I like the ones with the cover because they work so well for traveling – even from room to room. Of course, spilled pins are a thing of the past with these! I also use glass head pins and not the pins that come with the cushions. You can iron over a glass head pin, but ironing over a pin with a plastic head can melt the plastic and cause havoc with a project.
Unfortunately, seam rippers are a necessity in the sewing room for those mistakes that happen from time to time. The Clover one is a brand that has a nice shape and sharp cutter. A seam ripper with a magnifier works well for those that need a little help seeing the tiny stitches.
If buying sewing notions for the seamstress is totally out of your comfort zone, hand creams are always a welcome choice. Keeping the hands soft is imperative so that fragile fabrics won’t snag on hang nails or callouses. I like to use Camille Beckman’s Glycerine Therapy at night and then use the Nutrogena Hand Cream throughout the day, supplementing with Earth Theraputics Cuticle and Nail cream as needed.
I hope that this has provided you with plenty of gift ideas for the seamstress in your life. You will never go wrong purchasing a quality item that will be well loved and used!!!
Kathy
Disclosure: The recommended products contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of those links I may receive a small commission, so thank you for supporting me when you shop! These are my opinions and are not representative of the companies that create these products. These are the products I use and have gotten great results with. I would never recommend poor quality products.