For Christmas I got a vintage Singer Pinking Attachment and while it works well to automatically pink the edges of fabric, I don't always have my Featherweight set up at the ready. I like to pink the edges of my backing fabric to avoid frays (which drive me crazy) and knew I needed another option for quick pinking.
Last year I purchased a special pinking blade for my Olfa rotary cutter. It's wavy, decorative edge achieves the same results as the mechanical sewing machine attachment and is easy to use. However, I also have to pull out the cutting mat, switch the blade in my cutter, and use a ruler to keep a straight line. I found that the blade didn't always cut through completely and required multiple cuts.
I would love to just have a beautiful pair of Gingher pinking shears but being a lefty, it's nearly impossible to find any. I'd even consider other brands but haven't sourced any of those either. I did pick up this SoftKut brand of pinking shears and while it's not listed as left or right handed, I am able to use them. The handle is spongey and doesn't dig into my thumb. It's not ideal and I'm sure the position of the blades is more suited for right-handed use in terms of visibility (in that the thicker top blade, when I cut, covers the line I am trying to follow). For quick cutting though, they are acceptable for now. I'll still keep my eyes open for a truly left-handed pair of great quality pinking shears.
On a side note, I have tried out the Karen Kay Buckley's Perfect Scissors I picked up at the quilt show. These are micro serrated blades that keep the fabric from slipping. They are accurate and help stop fraying also. I bought the small size since they are so expensive (over $30 Canadian for these little guys) and I wanted them to use with my Farmer's Wife blocks which require tiny, precise trimming. I'm not sure why these scissors are so pricey because although I find the blades to be lovely, the handles seem very plastic-y and flimsy. I have a similar product in the Tim Holtz crafting scissors and they have a terrific, spongey covered handle that is much more substantial. I hope the Perfect Scissors stand up to long term use!
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