Geri B, I believe there are many identical tools that we can get somewhere other than our quilt shops that are much less expensive. It seems if it's in a quilt show or fabric shop it automatically costs more. Very sad, especially for new quilters who are having to buy all their tools to get set up.

To avoid stretching the fabric, I clip with my seam ripper every 5 or 6 stitches (depends on stitch length) and pull the thread off on the opposite side. I use a piece of masking tape wrapped around my fingers to take away the little cut threads.

I do every 3 to 4 stitches "on top" being the side I can see the best. I may not be a professional quilter, but I definately am a professional ripper.

What's the world coming to when we can't even trust quilting "friends". :(

As noted, it's called frogging because you rip it, rip it. I believe this was originally a knitting term. When i frog knitting, it kind of sounds like its saying riiiiiibbit, riiiiibbit as you pull the yarn and the stitches pop apart.

The length of the seam to be removed, the length of the stitches and the orientation of the seam relative to the straight of grain or bias are all factors in determining which ripping technique to use. When I have a long seam with normal to long stitches, i like to clamp down one side, open up the seam into a V, and pull gently on the other side. The tension on the stitches makes them pop right in half long before the ripper gets close enough to cut the fabric. And its fun, lol. I sometimes use one blade of a scissors when I do it this way. My sewing machine has drawers, and the top one is at exactly the right height for me to slide it shut on one piece of fabric and press on it with my knee to maintain tension while I rip.

I had to read a few messages before I caught on! I thought "What in the heck are they talking about frogging?" DUH!

We are all on a budget and need to find good deals to maintain our hobby. However, criticizing the local quilt shop prices is not fair.

Quilt shops have high overheads. They pay taxes on, not only on the building (whether they own it or not) and their inventory. They have to maintain extensive sales records because they have to collect sales taxes and remit them to the state (They don't get paid to do tax forms, although they usually have to pay an accountant to fill out the forms.) They have employees they must pay. For every dollar they pay their employees, they fork over about 10 cents to the government in employment taxes. Then, there's vacation and holidays where the employee doesn't work, but must be paid anyway. At least in Texas, where I live, small businesses pay a lot more for electricity than the consumer does. They pay 3 to 4% of their sales to the credit card companies to process your credit card. I'm sure there are more overhead items than these, too.

Do you know of any local quilt shop owner who is getting rich? If they were getting rich, they wouldn't be going out of business in droves. If the businesses were really profitable, someone would buy them, rather than them going out of business.

They aren't gouging anyone on prices. They're just trying to make a living doing something they once enjoyed.

That said, I probably spend 5% of my quilting dollars in a LQS. I can find better deals on most items than I can get at the LQS, and I take advantage of it.

I'm just saying we should not criticize them for their prices. Just be grateful they are there for you when you spend 95% of your dollars elsewhere.

I predict that before long, they will all go the way of the local family owned shoe store, dress shop and bookstore.

bkay

I use a single edged razor blade. It is cheap and easy to replace for a sharp one. I try to cut carefully on the thread and have no problem

Frogging = Rippit, rippit, rippit (Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit.)

How easily a seams rips out is often related to how well your machine sews. My machines sew a very evenly balanced stitch so they don't pull out easily. My machine at sewing group isn't as 'perfect', so its stitching comes out easier. I cut every fourth stitch on the top and pull out the bottom.

I have the electric seam ripper and it works like a charm...LOVE IT...