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Quote:

Originally Posted by TX_Cutie

Do any of you have a special technique for ripping seams?

I'm always frustrated by trying to hold open the fabric with my left hand while maneuvering the ripper with my right hand. I feel like I need a third hand to help me stabilize everything. I tend to rip the stitches between the two fabric pieces rather than just ripping them out on one side.

I've seen tabletop seam rippers in the store and the idea interests me. Does anyone have one of these or know if they work on ripping out quilt seams?

Also, I tend to be ripping a big seam, it's going nice and quick, and then booom! it goes right thru the fabric.

I learned to do it on the seam itself. Look at the seam you have just sewn. Now, "rip" about every fourth stitch with your seam ripper. After you have done a few, turn it over and you should be able to pull the bottom thread off in one piece. You should never hold the seams open and "rip". You stretch the fabric that way. (And sometimes end up ripping the fabric.)

I hope that made sense.

I want the new Gingher ripper! As soon as I find a JoAnns Coupon. I tell DH that I want to invent a little attachment for a machine that will backup and take out all the stitches you want to remove. He laughs at me alot too!!!

I use a seam ripper to snip the thread on the bobbin side. I then pull a few stitches through the loops. Move farther down and snip the thread again. Wrap the tail I've pulled through around my finger and pull. Voila! a great big chunk of seam pulls right out.

Every time I try to rip a seam by pulling the fabric apart I make a mess.

Who would've thought there would be so many ways to tear out a seam?

I was getting ready to say the very same thing, Lisa_wanna_b_quilter!

I normally just lay the fabric across my lap, snip every fourth or fifth thread on the backside with my small embroidery scissors and pull the top thread. Its fairly quick to do and unfortunately a necessary evil of sewing no matter how careful we try to be.

Depends on how much of a hurry I am in. I use both methods. Ripping and pulling the thread, also the scissors. Both methods work very well. But no one should be without a good seam ripper. :D :roll:

Rita

I use four fingers on my right hand to hold the fabric taught, (I'm left-handed) and poke at the stitches with ripper in my left. I have to take it slowly because this procedure tires my muscles quickly.

This is what is referred to as "un-sewing". Unfortunately, a necessary evil we all have to do at one time or another. :evil: :evil: :evil:

if i'm doing a long seam, i use the Eleanor Burns method of using my rotary cutter. i start the seam by clipping with scissor if necessary, hold in my left hand one side and the other in the right with the rotary cutter pointing downward, handle upwards in right hand also. works well.

There are also a pair of scissors used in counted cross stitch for ripping out stitches. It has a little dip in one side and they work great for detailed removal!