Dede, if you remember, you saw me do this before. You pull some cloth off the bolt, which ( for me ) lies on my left side, on the floor, flat. I have maybe two yds off the bolt. I am holding with my right hand a fold created by having flipped the free end of the cloth over itself on the remainder of the cloth.

This fold is straight, as I fold it selvage to selvage. The cloth tends not to move anywhere while I cut as the drag forces on one fabric surface hold the cloth still against the other layer of fabric.

The 1225 Wiss sheers ( for me ) are sharp enough to slide through this fold to get a very straight cut without a table, and without bending or crawling on the floor.

Trick is, it's as much pulling the cloth ( with the left hand ) as it is sliding the sheers ( with my right ) . They have to be fairly new to do this well. Once they are too dull, then those new sheers get rotated to the cutting table at home to do duty there for a while.

I have habits left over from the rush rush days. I still have the habit of not sharpening scissors. New ones cut fabric like butter and sharpened ones never will. I have bought Wolf's ( you can buy them from Karen ) and they are terrific at the machine ( for me ). The softer handle and shorter length gives my wrists a break.

The 1225's are lighter than the Wiss 20's, though, they are only right handed ( 20's are left or right designated ) and the 1225's are maybe five bucks more. I maybe buy 3 pair a year now, once they lasted barely a month.

It's true once you have trimmed over a pin, they have a permanent knick, regardless what they cost in the first place.

Once I just gobbled as much ibuprofen as it took to ignore my hurting wrists. You can only do that for a decade without hurting your stomach, and maybe less, it's a lousy strategy.

Now, I use the wrists as they allow, and buy the equipment it takes to work in that frame of non abuse. I can now even knit and quilt so evidently the equipment has been well worth the cost for me.

I have a circular standing saw ( 3" ) that I use for stack cutting, and more can be stack cut than you think. I slide scissors where I can ( not squeeze ). I ALWAYS have the botton half of the sheers I am using touch the table if I must squeeze. Never squeeze in the air. And, I have experiemented untill I found the right scissor for each task, and they have gotten smaller and more technically modern ( for the most part ).