One thing I do if I find it hard to get under the tread without picking up threads in the fabric is, I turn my seam ripper on its side first then turn it upright and cut the thread.

Here's something noone has mentioned yet. At least not that I have read. I was at our guild meeting the other night and one of the ladies showed us what she uses to ripout. Her husbands beard trimmer. Believe it or not, it works. It doesn''t cut the fabric only the thread and very quick. I went to WM and they had one on sale, a close-out, I think, for $9.

What would I know about seam ripping? :-P :-P :-P I read once that clipping every 3 or 4 stitches makes it easier on the quilter. So I gave it a try and it does make it easier.

Through experience and many damages, I have come to conclusion that seam rippers are possessed! I have been sewing since the age of 8 which means 54 years and I have had many mishaps. Seam rippers are like automobiles... a necessary evil! I am now retired from corporate America and now have a very fun sewing and alterations business in my home. I use seam rippers every day and HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. Yes they dull very quickly when you are ripping out blue jean hems. The biggest mistake is pushing too hard because the thread will eventually let go and if you aren't ready to handle the force you are putting on the ripper, you will have a very expensive glider ride right through your fabric. I keep dozens of rippers at a time because they dull. My suggestion to you is to go to Wawak online. It is a catalog for sewers. I buy the little blue seam rippers for pennies on the dollar and I do believe more mishaps occur with dull ones because you are putting too much pressure on them. The savings on thread and needles etc in this catalog is HUGE. They will also send you a catalog and you can call the 800 number and talk to their very friendly staff and place an order. I never buy my thread or needles,etc from a fabric store anymore. I have saved huge amounts of money by ordering.Not sure if you are a seamstress as well but they sell invisible zippers for 59 cents each, blue jean zippers are just as cheap. Good luck with the "evil ripper". Marty Byrnes Mesa, AZ

That is really good. You should get a Domain Name and Registered Trademark as they disappear fast in-case you become serious about opening a shop.

WOW. What a great idea. It made me think that possibly one could market those trimmers as a specialty tool for sewing. I can see it now in every fabric shop across this great country. But alas maybe they already make a device and market it in shops already.

Hmmm...

This is the way my mother taught me. I use seam rippers, have about four of them, but will often go back to my small scissors to rip stitch by stitch. There must be something wrong with my tension because, try as I might, I am never able to just pull the bobbin thread.

whenever I have to take out a seam, it is usually already on the longarm. I use a tweezer and lift the top thread so that right at the junction of the fabric and where the top thread is pulled upwards, I can see the bobbin thread. I use the seam ripper to slice that while pulling on the needle thread at the same time, this usually removes 10-15 stitches quickly. It has saved me load of time and I learned if from a longarm quilting video.
Michelle G.
El Paso, Texas

I'm really good at ripping stitches. It's true! Practice makes perfect.

I use the method Eleanor Burns uses on Quit in a Day. She uses her rotary cutter. Remove a few stitches at the beginning of your seam, holding your rotary cutter like a pencil, carefully touch the threads and pull gently on your seam. You never touch the material just the threads holding your seam together. After a couple of tries, you can open a seam very quickly. I was scared the first couple of times I tried it but now wouldn't do it any other way.