Arts, Crafts & Sewing Specs Explained

Plain explanations of arts, crafts & sewing specs on Wiki Shopping, such as sizes and ratings, and what each one changes when you choose a product.

Bar chart of pinking shears on Wiki Shopping by tooth size. 5 mm is the largest group with 14 pairs; 3 mm and 7 mm have 6 each.

Fabric Scissors, Shears and Pinking Shears

Shears are 10 inches or longer with one small and one large handle, scissors are shorter with matching handles, and pinking shears zigzag to slow fraying.

Bar chart of how long Cricut says to wait before the first wash. Everyday Iron-On vinyl needs 24 hours, and Printable Iron-On for light fabrics and for dark fabrics needs 48 hours each.

Iron-On Transfer Types: HTV vs Transfer Paper

HTV (heat transfer vinyl) is cut and pressed on, while transfer paper holds an inkjet print; light fabric paper suits pale shirts, dark fabric paper dark ones.

Bar chart of sewing machines on Wiki Shopping by type. Standard sewing machines are the largest group with 99, followed by embroidery machines with 92.

Sewing Machine Types, Explained

Mechanical sewing machines set stitches with dials, computerized ones add screens, automatic tension and more stitches, and sergers do a separate job.

Bar chart of bust measurement by Misses pattern size, from 30 1/2 inches for size 6 to 42 inches for size 20.

Sewing Pattern Sizes, Explained

Sewing pattern sizes follow a standard body measurement chart, not store sizes, so your pattern size is often one or two sizes larger than off the rack.

Spray Paint Finishes, Dry Times and Primer

Gloss reflects the most light, satin sits in the middle and matte the least; most spray paint is dry to the touch in about 20 minutes, handled in an hour.

Bar chart of watercolor paper weights in grams per square meter, from 185 for 90 lb paper to 850 for 400 lb paper, with 300 lb at 640.

Watercolor Paper Weights, Explained

140 lb watercolor paper weighs 300 grams per square meter and 300 lb paper about 640, so the heavier sheet buckles less; cold press is textured.

Bar chart of knit gauge by yarn weight, from 27 to 32 stitches per 4 inches for super fine yarn down to 7 to 11 stitches for super bulky yarn.

Yarn Weights, Explained

Yarn weight is a thickness class from 0 (lace) to 7 (jumbo); worsted is a medium 4 and DK a light 3, so DK knits more stitches to the inch.