What is your favorite / most efficent way to rip out a seam (unsew)?
11-01-2018, 01:21 PM
#11
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Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Central Ohio
Posts: 15,181
I agree with the appropriateness of this thread- that's how I spent my day! 
Sometimes I rip but when you have a lot of piecing that may not work well. So I cut about every couple of inches with a seam ripper and pull it out that way.
Sometimes I rip but when you have a lot of piecing that may not work well. So I cut about every couple of inches with a seam ripper and pull it out that way.
11-01-2018, 01:24 PM
#12
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Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Philomath, Oregon
Posts: 2,076
I was unsure of this, then I saw your screen name and thought well she should know...
Originally Posted by Stitchnripper
So one of my friends went to a Ricky Tims workshop and he said he grabs each piece of fabric and pulls hard! This doesn't work if you are ripping something with pieced blocks. Just yardage. You have to be committed and yank hard. At our quilting group when she told us this we were all shaking our heads saying, no no, can't do that. And she took what she was working on, stood up, and yanked hard and wow, it all came out and nothing was stretched. I'm sure this doesn't work on bias, but on straight seams. We all gave it a try and now we are convinced. It was a hard lesson but very easy.
11-01-2018, 01:25 PM
#13
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: SW Washington USA
Posts: 4,402
Originally Posted by Stitchnripper
At our quilting group when she told us this we were all shaking our heads saying, no no, can't do that. And she took what she was working on, stood up, and yanked hard and wow, it all came out and nothing was stretched. I'm sure this doesn't work on bias, but on straight seams. We all gave it a try and now we are convinced. It was a hard lesson but very easy.
11-01-2018, 01:50 PM
#14
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Mableton, GA
Posts: 11,203
Too funny! I have ripped my share of things. I mostly don’t mind it. I tell my quiltjg group I will do their ripping! I don’t alwsys use the Ricky Tims way - Just when it is a large amount and no bias and no piecing because my experience for me is that it rips out the ends of the piecing. Maybe I need a shorter stitch
11-02-2018, 01:20 AM
#17
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Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 680
I use Havels Ultra seam ripper, does an excellent job fast, and if you are careful no cut fabric. It is especially good on long seams. Just gently pull the fabric apart and run the blade along the exposed stitches.
http://www.havelssewing.com/seam-rip...pro-18950.html
http://www.havelssewing.com/seam-rip...pro-18950.html
11-02-2018, 01:52 PM
#18
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Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Va.
Posts: 5,752
Depends on if there's any bias. If not, I use the Ricky Tims caveman method. If there's bias then I do the more careful cut a top stitch here and there and pull out the bobbin thread.
I've also been known to take my seam ripper and insert it in the seam with the ball side of the seam ripper against the underside of the fabric with the pointy end on top where you can see it and slice all the way down the seam. This works pretty well and as long as you make sure the ball side is against the fabric you won't cut the fabric, but it's not as fast as the Ricky Tims method.
Rob
I've also been known to take my seam ripper and insert it in the seam with the ball side of the seam ripper against the underside of the fabric with the pointy end on top where you can see it and slice all the way down the seam. This works pretty well and as long as you make sure the ball side is against the fabric you won't cut the fabric, but it's not as fast as the Ricky Tims method.
Rob
11-02-2018, 02:43 PM
#19
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: NY
Posts: 10,590
For me it all depends. If it is a strip with no intersecting piecing I will rip ala Ricky Tims method. I have done that with little bits and long strips, also no bias. If the ripping is fussy (like I inserted a unit the wrong way or involves bias) I will either use my seam ripper and do every four or five stitches on one side and remove or I may take my rotary cutter and pull the seam to show the thread and carefully nick away at it like NativeTexan describes. I have accidentally cut into fabric too many times when I try to do like Rob describes.
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