Exactly!

yes i bought a pair i use them to cut the edges of my fabric before washing it , or if i can get to my machine i sew along the edges to prevent all the strings

I still have my mothers and my Grandma's pinking sheers. Can't use them for cutting as they are so dull. I went on a shopping trip for fabric 2 weeks ago and hit all my favorite places to go. The one place was selling pinking sheers....I kind of got a chuckle out of it.

I used one when I was younger and we actually darned our socks when they got holes. :lol:

I still like to pink curves. And in garment making you don't have to 'grade' the seam allowance if you pink it.

Just bought new a new one after my mother's wore out. They can't be sharpened. And yes, occasionally they come in handy!
froggyintexas

I have an egg. It was my husbands grandmothers. It has no handle. You must have the upgrade. lol

I still use mine.

I have 2 pair that belonged to my mom (78) when she died and I took them to be sharpened. The guy said they were beyond sharpening. So what does a person do with these big heavy scissors? I guess I could use them to cut paper.

just had mine sharpened so they would cut better and yes I still use mine.
Penny

I just found my pinking shears. I also have electric scissors that I cut long pieces of material with. Love them both.

Pinking shears can be sharpened, so I was told by at my Bernina dealer. I have a Gingher's bought on Ebay. They are in good shape, as I haven't only used them a couple of times.

I have my grandmothers pinking sheers they are so dull I can't use them I remembered she had them sharpened but it was alwys by a special sharpener that came to our town twice a year

thanks for this tip...I have a wonderful pair of Fiskars that I use all the time for clothing but never thought of using them to stop material from unravling.

My DH uses the darning egg for his sox...I refuse to darn sox so he does it....Bless him !

I have wondered if they sell them still also. My mother told me that material would not unravell if you ussed pinking shears

Perhaps someone knows of is place on line where you can send pinking shears to be sharpened. I recall the 'Scissors Sharpening Man' at JoAnns years ago had a special tool for pinking shears. Sharpening of pinking shears was more expensive than regular scissors. Of course I'm no help as to where you might look for sharpening online.

I haven't seen them in the stores, but then, I haven't been looking for them. I still have my original (1958) pinking shears. They were cutting so well for such a long time and then they began to "chew" the fabric. The kiddies may have used them on paper projects. :roll: A few years ago I brought them to Martha Pullen's sewing school in Huntsville and had them professionally sharpened. They're OK, but not as good as they were that very very long time ago.

I also "acquired" my MIL's pinking shears (two pairs). They also do the chewing thing.

Flashback: Does anyone remember the pinker that was attached to a table top? It had a hand crank and all you did was roll the fabric through it and the edges were pinked for you. WE had one in our Home Ec. Dept.

Don't know if it matters but I had a pr sharpened last summer. A long time scissor sharpener man explained why they cost me double. Another lady that used to sharpen told me also --something about they have to be done backwards
compared to ordinary shears.
Yes, stores sell them and these days they are expensive if you want good steel quality but these are not a quilting notion.

i still have my pair, but neverdid use them a lot. it was less stressful on a seam to zig zag the edge if it tended to fray!

I have 2 pairs of pinking shears, only use them when I make biscuit quilts, to keep from raveling. Otherwise I never hand cut anything.

I have a pair of Fiskars that I've used for many years. I don't use them often, but at one time I made a set of embroidered felt ornaments that had pinked edges. They were from a Vogue pattern, and I think that was my reason for buying the pinkers in the first place, in about 1978. They are great for preventing fraying when you pre-wash fabric. I also have the pinking rotary cutter, and that's fine for fabric prep, but if you do any garment sewing, the pinking shears are better for trimming curved seams.

I have definitely seen pinking shears in fabric shops within the last week.

I have 2 or three pair of pinking shears - use them once in a while, maining for clothes. I have a pink blade for my rotary cutter, but find I don't like pinked edges on the quilting. I don't know what happened to my Mom's darning egg - havent seen one in years. Have used an old light bulb for darning though. But have since quit darning - just not worth it.

Can you tell me why this is a good way to do it? I've never heard of doing this. Should I be doing this before binding?
Thanks.

Glad to hear from you, pt. I thought I was the only one in the know Universe with a wooden darning egg!

Yes I have a pair of left handed Henkles, I special ordered about 45 yrs. ago. I don't use them very often, but the odd time they come in handy.

A Pinker? Yes ! I have one. It's a Singer. It really works great, but I mostly have it as a collectors item. It's still in the original box. Don't ever remember , ever seeing them before I found this one. It was at a garage sale with $30 marked on it. I looked at it, & then put it down again when the lady asked if I'd give her $10 for it. Well I couldn't pass that up.

Thanks for this tip.....I was wondering the other day what I should do with my brand new never been used 12 year old pair!

I have pinking shears that I've had for probably nearly 40 yrs. I am not much of a seamstress but I do use them when I have to hem all of my DH pants. I can remember my DGGM and DGM both having one of those darning eggs. I wish I had them.

okay--i will ask--what is a darning egg???

I wish I had a pair :oops:

They do sell them, but they are NOT inexpensive. I just use the new 'pinking' blades on my rotary cutter.

yes they still sell them and I still use them.

What a beautiful family. I have a pair of pinking shears from my Mom that are from when she was young. Just keep them to remind me of her. Today they have pinking shear rotary blades.

I use mine often ( I have two pair)especially for fabrics that tend to really fray. I have tried the rotary cutter ones and have not liked the way they cut, not consistent.

Ialso sew so do use my pinking shears sometimes. I remember when I was a kid we werrn't allowed to touch moms' pinking sheers. I knew what a darning egg was but I'm not darning anything.

yes they still sell them.or at least tyey dis about a year ago at walmart

YEP, got them still use them!!!

I still use them. I went to an Estate sale last weekend and bought 2 pinking shears, sewing machine attachments and a lot of embroidery threads.

[quote=justjo46]I use the pinking shears all the time for keeping my material from raveling. My grandmother taught me this. I sew regurlar items of clothing for grandkids. quote]
Ditto! I use my pinking shears frequently. I always pink the edges of my fabric before washing to keep it from raveling. I wouldn't know how to accomplish this without the pinking shears. I have them sharpened every few years at Joann's. Their guy comes in every couple of months. I's really not a problem to purchase pinking shears, Joann's carries them. Mine are Wiss, I'm not sure what brand Joann's has.

8-)