Depending on what I am ripping out - if it is a seam then I have the electric ripper (got it at the Road to California show and LOVE it) if I am taking out quilting then I used my standard ripper and do the every so many stitches and pull the other side. The electric one is like magic, what used to take several minutes is now done in seconds and one side stays long. For those pesky little pieces I use the sticky lint roller.