Help! Trying to remove tiny stitches
 

Hope someone on here will have some suggestions for removing teeny tiny, itty bitty stitches. I was going along just fine stitching in the ditch with my walking foot on my grandson's quilt. Got to the end, flipped it around and started sewing the other way. I was about halfway done before I noticed that the previous seam looked all puckered. Long story short, something happened that made the stitches tiny, tiny. Have tried using my seam ripper, but can't really even get the point under them and feel like I am causing damage to the fabric. Got out my magnifier and ried using a straight pin, no luck. Oh, and the really difficult part - it's black thread on black fabric :mad:.

Any suggestions will be deeply appreciated.

Gram2five- I'm sorry to hear this! Just had to do a similar thing but mine was tiny FMQ stitches, almost white on white, though. For me black would be even harder. I do have a very fine pointed seam ripper, called "seam-fix" so I was able to pick some of the threads. Then, near the end where some of the tiniest stitches were, I thought of using my very sharp pointed eyebrow tweezers to help get ahold of the threads. That really helped a lot. I know what you mean about fabric damage. I was worried, too, but in the end it was OK. Good luck.

No suggestions here either -- I just had to take out tiny quilting stitches also -- red thread on red fabric. It took two days and a lot of patience but finally got it done then sent it to the quilter. Just got that one back and it turned out beautiful! Good luck!

Tiny stitches are the worst. I'm sure you already know this, but you only need to "rip" every 3rd one or so & then should be able to pull out from the opposite side (e.g., if you "snip" with your seam ripper every 3rd stitch on the front, you should be able to just pull the loosened thread on the back & the others will pop out. Still not fun. We've all been there & wished there was some magical tool to undo those tiny things.

I think I have a pair of those sharp tweezers around here somewhere, I'll give them a try.
Part of the problem is that I did a really great job stitching in the ditch! So good that it's hard to tell which threads are holding the seam together and which ones are my topstitching.

I would also try and separate the layers. I would try and clip the stitches between the backing and the batting. BTW, if your stitch length changed, make sure the quilt is not catching on something. Also check that your walking foot is still firmly attached and the arm didn't slip from where it's supposed to be.

I use the tiny rotary cutter to take out tiny stitches and big ones too. Once I can get to where the layers can be separated a bit and I can see the stitches holding the layers together, I pull up the top layer and start cutting with the rotary cutter little by little while continuing to pull up on the top layer and holding down the bottom one. Does that make any sense whatsoever? I have become a master at this technique .... which is a sad statement about my sewing/quilting. Good luck and take your time.

Separating might get you started. Leah Day has a good tutorial on taking out tiny tight stitches. lf l can find it again, l'll post the link.

Thank you all so much. I never thought of trying to separating the layers. Will give that a try. I'm afraid I will be at this for days, but I am so pleased with the way the top came out, it will be worth it. Still can't figure out what went wrong, but lesson learned. Pay attention!

I'd be scared to death that I would cut thru something important, but this sounds like a great technique. Will have to try it on my practice fmq sandwiches.

I just had to do this myself - ugh! I had a little seam ripper and one of those seam rippers that are a blade tip (which scared me).. what worked the best for me was the tweezers. I never would have been able to finish without using the tweezers. They could grab a teeny piece of thread and hold on to it when I pulled threat out.

as to the black on black... maybe run some white chalk along the sewing line to be able to see better?

I had assumed it couldn't be separated, if it can, I found using my pointy embroidery scissors helps me get the threads clipped easier than a seam ripper. When I'm brave, I sometimes even just clip the threads on top. That way I don't have to try to get anything between the thread & top. I just put scissors straight upright (perpendicular to top) and clip carefully until I'm through both plies of the thread.

This would be my suggestion as well. Painful but sometimes very necessary with those itty bitty stitches.

When I have to rip something like that, I add some magnifying glasses and get the best light I can on the subject. Also, Hobby Lobby has a seam ripper that has one of the smallest points and that makes ripping somewhat easier. In the end, nothing is going to make ripping black on black a pleasure. It is just tough. Been there, done that!

No extra advice I've used many of these methods at different times. Now a days I only undo if it looks a real mess I've ruined fabric too often. Good luck .

Using the blade of the rotary cutter --- spreading the seam open -- isn't that scary...EB does it that way.

after you remove all those stitches...make a small scrap sandwich and check your machine stitching before starting again.....

I use a rotary cutter and have never cut the fabric no matter how small the stitches.

I hate using black thread because when we get older, we can't see the thread from the fabric. Just be patient, say a prayer and you should get thru this problem before you know it.

This is how I do it. Works great, just be very careful not to nick the fabric.

Great idea! I am really trying to avoid separating the layers as I glue basted this quilt. Have been dabbing it with warm water to open it up, but seems like that process is taking forever, too.

I've been saying lots of prayers, and asking forgiveness for my thoughts and words, thru this process. And yes, even with the magnifying glass and lots of light, these old eyes are straining almost out of their sockets.

I love my seam ripper with the very thin, small, curved blade. It's actually designed to rip out serged seams, but works fantastically on small stitches. I've found it especially useful on the small stitches such as used when paper piecing.

As to the black on black, I'd recommend doing it right under an Ott light or some such and get every 3-4 stitches. Once you get a tiny area opened up, you'll be able to spread the seam apart somewhat and get to just the thread a bit easier.

Hope this helps.

Have you tried an electric seam ripper? It does a nice job of cutting the thread without hurting the fabric. Use the ripper with a light touch...don't force it.

Can you get into the seam? I didn't know (or had forgotten), that little bead of plastic on the short end of the seam ripper has a use. Turn the ripper so that little bead is on the underside of what you want to open up, take a deep breath and start pushing it into the stitches. That little bead seems to guide the ripper. Clipped threads will collect in the ripper so take it out and remove those every few stitches. Good luck! (You might want to make a sample line of stitching to try this before working on your "good" piece so you understand and feel a little more confident in what you are doing? Otherwise that method of clipping every few stitches and pulling the thread on the other side works really well, too.)

Using the small curved blade seam ripper will get it done fast. Separate the layers and cut the threads as they open up when you pull on both layers. So it's one hand on the top layer, one hand on the bottom layer and one hand on the seam ripper. That's three hands, right? You have three hands! I put the bottom layer under the presser foot and put the needle down just so that the fabric is caught. Gently tug on the top layer as you cut downward with that curved blade. The blade will cut the third or fourth thread down as the fabric separates.

I gave a demo at our quilt group on how to do this, but didn't have my sewing machine handy. I had a C-clamp, so clamped the bottom layer to the table edge for my third hand. I could undo a WOF seam in just a few minutes. (Yes, I sewed way too many of my strips together when they should have been added in a "quilt-as-you-go" method.) Didn't take me long to undo them all.

I agree with Tartan, that is the way I carefully rip out small stitches.

I have tried some of these methods, not the rotary cutter though.
I am finding white on white is hard to see also.
Good luck and just take your time.

That's the sort of thing that I do a small amount and put it aside in frustration.....sorry for you.

I would try a mustache trimmer. They work great for removing a long line of stitches.

I would use an eyebrow shaper which I get at Walgreens. Use it between the batting and the backing.

Thank you everyone for all the suggestions and your good wishes. I am working on it a bit at a time and making progress. This board is the best!

I don't know what kind of machine you have but with mine I often change the stitch length by bumping it with the quilt when I move it around. I've gotten into the habit of visually checking it to make sure I didn't make teeny tiny stitches. It's been known to happen.

I use my 28mm and do this also. It's quick for me. If afraid of the rotary, you could use the eye of a needle to lift then use the ripper

I use a razor blade. I pull the seam appart so that I can see the tiny thread. Then I just use the tip fo the razor blade to cut the thread. Go slow. I helps if you have magnifying glasses. Otherwise, I just do it in the best light that I can find.

KLO I use a rotary cutter, the small one would be better but there are some rules to this deal. First, do not let anyone sitting next or in front of you with in a foot or so. No chatting as you are doing this. As you must know the dull blade can be more of a damage than the sharp ones but either way, one needs to be super careful. Then, you get to pull out the stitches one by one but by then, you are ready to sew again. When in our group, I will say don't do this as I am doing but I still do.

Black on black, the worst !! Sorry for your problem but do like the others have suggested & separate the layers so at least you can get started & you should be good to go. Best of luck.

This is what happened! Will take note and check settings.

I use a rotary cutter. It's the fastest way to do it. I haven't ever cut the fabric. I have cut the fabric using the electric trimmer.