Pinking shears are special shears with zig-zag shaped blades. Their purpose is to create decorative seam finishes or hems of non-woven fabric (see the images below).
This post will answer these questions:
- How to cut with pinking shears?
- Can I use pinking shears to cut woven fabric?
- How to finish edges of woven fabric with pinking shears?
- How to finish edges of knit fabric with pinking shears?
How to cut with pinking shears?
There is nothing special about using these shears. If you decide to use these, you just cut the fabric the same way as with classic shears.
Can cut woven fabric with these shears?
Yes, you can, but the fabric will still fray, as pinking does not completely prevent fraying in woven fabrics. Pinking works best when the fabric is cut on the bias, as the yarns will not pull apart. Some fraying is to be expected; however, the lengthwise and crosswise yarns will not easily separate from the fabric. With wear and tear, the edges may lose their smooth appearance, but the fabric will not “fall apart”.
If the fabric is light and loosely woven, you can reinforce the edges with a straight stitch. Stitch along the fabric about 0,5 cm (about 1/4 inch) from its edge (see the image below).
Pink along these stitches (see the image below).
The edges of the fabric pieces should look like this (see the image below):
Sew the pattern pieces with finished edges together and press the seams open. The result is nice and flat (see the image below). However, I do not recommend to apply this method for loosely woven fabrics.
How to finish edges of knit fabric?
Use pinking if you want to create decorative seam finishes or hems of non-woven fabrics. These fabrics do not fray even if they are cut straight. Therefore, cutting them with these ‘special’ shears has a purely decorative purpose. In the image below, you can see a scrap of knit cotton jersey fabric cut with both classic and with pinking shears. There are no frays on either side of the cloth.
Conclusion:
Pinging shears use? Why not? Yet, do not have false expectations and only use when it makes sense.