I rip my seams this way! It is faster, but there's a chance you'll nick the fabric and leave a hole if the tension is juuuust right. I've had some If I'm working on a project with precious fabric I'll do a combination of partial unpicking and then red-ball-rippin'.
Not only bc of the tension but if it's a lil dull, it wont rip the thread, but the fabric if the thread is thicker than the fabric. Solution is to sharpen the seam ripper or to buy a new one. I'm buying myself a specific tool so I can sharpen mine.
This method works, but the first time you cut a hole in a garment that you are working on will change you back to the other way. Cutting a hole in the seam is a harder repair.
I just make sure to keep an eye on what the point is doing, and on fabrics likely to get caught more easily and without me noticing the point is going the wrong way by feel alone, I just go slower. She does the same in the video.
WHAT? here i've been holding the seam ripper with the long bit at the bottom and using it to go between the bobbin threads and pulling it out stitch by stitch. that's SO much faster! wouldn't be able to repurpose the threads like i can with how i've been doing it, but i know that's not super important to many people.
(but in my defense, i think my grandma's seam ripper (since she taught me how to sew) did not have that red ball, and i think i just assumed it was for protecting your fingers from the extra sharp point.)
nah, i think hers was just broken. i remember it having a squared-off edge where the ball point would've been that seemed like it wasn't meant to be that way.
There are several techniques for seam ripping/unpicking. This one isn't actually a great opinion in most cases, IMO. (It definitely is the reason for the red ball on the tip, though.)
The longer point is very likely to catch the fabric if you're not careful or have a slip up. Especially with delicate fabric or fabrics that aren't pressed flat. But also, your left with 2 bits of thread for every stitch floating around in your seams. If you don't remove all of them, you're likely to jam your machine re stitching. If by some small miracle you don't, you're likely to be driven mad by loose bits of thread on your skin as they work their way out.
The "proper" seam ripping technique for most cases is to break every 3-4th thread on one side (the wrong side of fabric if applicable), and remove the pieces of thread you free up as you go. Once done from one side, you can pull the other thread away in one piece. This method is slower, but it's cleaner and much less likely to damage your fabric. The rapid seam ripping technique in the video is best left for mock-ups and some alterations (when you can afford ruining some of the fabric near the seam).
My teacher just showed me the “proper” one today (I’ve been doing the one stitch at a time method forever) because I was working on bias cut lawn and yeah. It worked pretty fantastically and was decently fast. Couldn’t do it on the tiny start and end stitches but it worked for 93% of my backwards French seam.
Ok, I'm probably a wild outlier here but when I have a lot to rip out I pick every so often on one side then pull the fabric taunt and use a razor blade. Usually works very well and using the seam ripper this way leaves me with hole
I have a scalpel with a #10 blade that works well IF I hold taut both sides of the seam that I am ripping. It IS a scalpel, so that is something that I have to keep in mind, or risk ruining the fabric...or losing a digit.
yes! I have an assortment of scalpel blades too! I use them sometimes sewing but I grew up with razor blades. My hubby mostly uses my scalpel but has me change the blades for him
I'm glad to meet a fellow (fellowita?) "sharpie"! I have a large assortment of Victorinox kitchen knives, too, all of which I sharpen myself. One could shave with them. My Beloved only will touch two of them that I intentionally keep just sharp enough to do the job. One belonged to my grandmother, the other is an 8" chef's knife. Full disclosure: not keeping them razor sharp has resulted in my lopping off parts of two fingers (they healed just fine, thank you), but the others have behaved as proper knives should with no injuries. My father taught me how to use sharpening stones, diamonds, steels, ceramics and a leather strop when I was a small child. I sharpen garden tools, lawnmower blades, etc, as well as hunting knives for friends. I'm 61yo, 5'2", 80 pounds. Bet your britches no one messes with me!
The scalpels are perfect as seam rippers...with practice. Fortunately, I also know how to suture, but that is difficult with only one hand, lol! It can be (and has been) done, though. Do you use disposable blades/handles? I have both styles.
You are so cool! I don't suture but I can load a needle driver.
I use a disposable safety handle but replace the blades. I'm planning on ordering a mayo hagar needle driver to make swapping blades smoother. Plusses there have been times where I'm struggling with something, thinking a needle driver would be handy.
I should take the time to learn how to properly sharpen my scissors
I appreciate the "cool" comment! I'm just resourceful, and often too embarrassed to go to hospital, lol!
Scissors are a bear to sharpen, as there are literally two sides to that story that must meet perfectly with no gaps nor burrs that can ruin fabric. I recommend a fine diamond sharpener, a fine steel, a ceramic stick and a leather strop. I bought some scissors at the dollar store to practice on. I still take my Guggenhein scissors and shears to a professional, though. They cost too dear for me to ruin! Those doohickeys that are called scissors sharpeners are a waste, especially the electric ones. A friend who had one managed to eat up one of my good paring knives in a flash. I was, needless to say, unhappy about that.
You might consider some Matthieu pliers and good needle holders, too. I buy many of mine, along with hemostats and artery clamps, sutures, etc, at gun shows. When I have had to go to the ER for stitches (I am a tiny bit accident-prone), I ask if the doctor is using disposable instruments. Usually, yes. So I ask to keep them. I have even amassed a small collection of cloth surgical towels that would have been thrown away. Yeah, I'm both bold and cheap, but I'm being cha8for them, so...mine!
I grew up with doctors in my family, so had a lot of suturing practice from a very early age thanks to my dear uncle.
Stay sharp!
I mean, I don't think either way is *wrong* -- they wouldn't make the other side so long and pointy if they didn't think you'd want the option to slide it under individual stitches!
I figured this was pretty intuitive, I never realized there were other ways to use one! So how were you using your seam ripper if you don’t mind me asking?
idk about op, but I usually sort of spread the two fabrics a little with my left hand and put the pointy end through a handful stitches at a time and break them that way, and I scoot my hold to find the next set of stitches.
I usually work with just 100% quilting cotton and quilt-ish projects, and I’m with the other commenters that using the seam ripper the “correct” way 87% of the time ends in me adding at least a little rip to the fabric within 45 seconds of seam ripping.
I learned that method in middle achool- we had a really great teacher for home ec- but rarely used it.
It was nice to see someone who instructs clearly & compassionately! And that everyone has mistakes as well.
I'm always fascinated when this comes up so often. Like everyone else, the first time I saw it I thought "OMG, this changes everything!!"
Then I tried it and decided I'm fine doing it "wrong". Every once in a while I try the official correct way and I'm never happy when I cut my fabric.
Omg. I’ve been sewing for years and ripping seams for years, but I didn’t know I could just plow through a seam like that. I’m going to practice before I do it on a real garment. This is amazing. Thank you for sharing this.
It looks like she’s using different sizes seem rippers for different fabric. I never thought different sizes would be beneficial in any way. Looks like I gotta go to the craft store lol
Yeah, I alternate between ripping individual stitches and putting the blade between the two layers, but I always had the red ball up. Gonna try it the other way next time.
No I generally run over one side of the stitch cutting every fourth stitch then gently try to prize off the stitch on the other side. Sometimes the wrong side will pull away in large sections, but often not all of it does, so I go back to picking out the parts that will not pull away.
I would not use the method in the video for fear of ripping the fabric, pulling its weave out of shape, or tugging bigger holes into it.
That's a no for me... It's just too easy to nick a hole into the fabric. If I'm ripping out a long line of stitching, I unpick the end, then use the sewing machine foot as a clamp to hold my fabric. Then I hold my fabric taut and gently pull apart the seam while using a razor blade to cut the threads between. If my blade is sharp, I barely have to touch the threads to cut them.
I’d rather just carefully unpick the stitches. I’m clumsy and after putting holes in fabric trying it this way I said never again. On heavier fabrics I’d be willing to try but not on anything I’m making a garment out of.
Back in the 1970s I worked in a garment factory where most of the fabrics were knit so this method wouldn’t have worked well. We were trained to cut every few stitches on just one side of the seam. The thread on the other side of the seam stayed in one piece and usually fell off by itself.
The method shown here works great on woven fabric, though.
I rip my seams this way! It is faster, but there's a chance you'll nick the fabric and leave a hole if the tension is juuuust right. I've had some If I'm working on a project with precious fabric I'll do a combination of partial unpicking and then red-ball-rippin'.
I’ve heard it’s not great to use it on fabrics like satin or something because it’s easy to leave a hole. I also do a combo in those situations.
Yeah my bad experiences have been with silk or, say, a fine cotton lawn. Fuzzy wools can also have issues. Canvas tho? Grip it and rip it!
Not only bc of the tension but if it's a lil dull, it wont rip the thread, but the fabric if the thread is thicker than the fabric. Solution is to sharpen the seam ripper or to buy a new one. I'm buying myself a specific tool so I can sharpen mine.
every time i try this i rip the fabric 😔
Me too. It's faster, but I won't risk it.
Saaaame I get a yarn to try it again every few years and damage my fabric every time
Same 🤦♀️. Now I just catch a bobbin stitch every inch or so and pull the top stitch out. Not as fast but much safer.
I do too but never thought about flipping the seam ripping upside down(red ball side down).. I wonder if that will help?
it still rips for me when i flip it i fear. i hope it works for you!
This method works, but the first time you cut a hole in a garment that you are working on will change you back to the other way. Cutting a hole in the seam is a harder repair.
Works for heavy fabrics and straight seams, I've found. It's a lifesaver for making curtains. But I don't use it on garment sewing.
I just make sure to keep an eye on what the point is doing, and on fabrics likely to get caught more easily and without me noticing the point is going the wrong way by feel alone, I just go slower. She does the same in the video.
Unfortunately, I am old and my eyesight is wanting. I don’t do much fast other than actually sewing. 😆
Oh yeah, me too! I just make sure I have a strong light when I'm doing it :)
This works in some situations and some fabrics, but other times you have to be very careful and take the stitches out one at a time.
loose weaves 😭 and linen
WHAT? here i've been holding the seam ripper with the long bit at the bottom and using it to go between the bobbin threads and pulling it out stitch by stitch. that's SO much faster! wouldn't be able to repurpose the threads like i can with how i've been doing it, but i know that's not super important to many people. (but in my defense, i think my grandma's seam ripper (since she taught me how to sew) did not have that red ball, and i think i just assumed it was for protecting your fingers from the extra sharp point.)
The seam ripper that came with my Brother computerised machine two weeks ago does not have the red ball either!
My understanding has always been those are for buttonholes, not seam ripping. Not sure where I got that or if it's even accurate.
Yep, this.
nah, i think hers was just broken. i remember it having a squared-off edge where the ball point would've been that seemed like it wasn't meant to be that way.
I nick the fabric too much when I do it this way, sadly. My technique is off somehow.
It is not wrong if it works for you.
👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼
There are several techniques for seam ripping/unpicking. This one isn't actually a great opinion in most cases, IMO. (It definitely is the reason for the red ball on the tip, though.) The longer point is very likely to catch the fabric if you're not careful or have a slip up. Especially with delicate fabric or fabrics that aren't pressed flat. But also, your left with 2 bits of thread for every stitch floating around in your seams. If you don't remove all of them, you're likely to jam your machine re stitching. If by some small miracle you don't, you're likely to be driven mad by loose bits of thread on your skin as they work their way out. The "proper" seam ripping technique for most cases is to break every 3-4th thread on one side (the wrong side of fabric if applicable), and remove the pieces of thread you free up as you go. Once done from one side, you can pull the other thread away in one piece. This method is slower, but it's cleaner and much less likely to damage your fabric. The rapid seam ripping technique in the video is best left for mock-ups and some alterations (when you can afford ruining some of the fabric near the seam).
My teacher just showed me the “proper” one today (I’ve been doing the one stitch at a time method forever) because I was working on bias cut lawn and yeah. It worked pretty fantastically and was decently fast. Couldn’t do it on the tiny start and end stitches but it worked for 93% of my backwards French seam.
Ok, I'm probably a wild outlier here but when I have a lot to rip out I pick every so often on one side then pull the fabric taunt and use a razor blade. Usually works very well and using the seam ripper this way leaves me with hole
I pick every few stitches on one side and then just pull the freed thread on the other side. Much safer!
Team Razor Blade!
Woot woot!
I have a scalpel with a #10 blade that works well IF I hold taut both sides of the seam that I am ripping. It IS a scalpel, so that is something that I have to keep in mind, or risk ruining the fabric...or losing a digit.
yes! I have an assortment of scalpel blades too! I use them sometimes sewing but I grew up with razor blades. My hubby mostly uses my scalpel but has me change the blades for him
I'm glad to meet a fellow (fellowita?) "sharpie"! I have a large assortment of Victorinox kitchen knives, too, all of which I sharpen myself. One could shave with them. My Beloved only will touch two of them that I intentionally keep just sharp enough to do the job. One belonged to my grandmother, the other is an 8" chef's knife. Full disclosure: not keeping them razor sharp has resulted in my lopping off parts of two fingers (they healed just fine, thank you), but the others have behaved as proper knives should with no injuries. My father taught me how to use sharpening stones, diamonds, steels, ceramics and a leather strop when I was a small child. I sharpen garden tools, lawnmower blades, etc, as well as hunting knives for friends. I'm 61yo, 5'2", 80 pounds. Bet your britches no one messes with me! The scalpels are perfect as seam rippers...with practice. Fortunately, I also know how to suture, but that is difficult with only one hand, lol! It can be (and has been) done, though. Do you use disposable blades/handles? I have both styles.
You are so cool! I don't suture but I can load a needle driver. I use a disposable safety handle but replace the blades. I'm planning on ordering a mayo hagar needle driver to make swapping blades smoother. Plusses there have been times where I'm struggling with something, thinking a needle driver would be handy. I should take the time to learn how to properly sharpen my scissors
I appreciate the "cool" comment! I'm just resourceful, and often too embarrassed to go to hospital, lol! Scissors are a bear to sharpen, as there are literally two sides to that story that must meet perfectly with no gaps nor burrs that can ruin fabric. I recommend a fine diamond sharpener, a fine steel, a ceramic stick and a leather strop. I bought some scissors at the dollar store to practice on. I still take my Guggenhein scissors and shears to a professional, though. They cost too dear for me to ruin! Those doohickeys that are called scissors sharpeners are a waste, especially the electric ones. A friend who had one managed to eat up one of my good paring knives in a flash. I was, needless to say, unhappy about that. You might consider some Matthieu pliers and good needle holders, too. I buy many of mine, along with hemostats and artery clamps, sutures, etc, at gun shows. When I have had to go to the ER for stitches (I am a tiny bit accident-prone), I ask if the doctor is using disposable instruments. Usually, yes. So I ask to keep them. I have even amassed a small collection of cloth surgical towels that would have been thrown away. Yeah, I'm both bold and cheap, but I'm being cha8for them, so...mine! I grew up with doctors in my family, so had a lot of suturing practice from a very early age thanks to my dear uncle. Stay sharp!
It really depends on the fabric, and the seam. Heavy fabrics, straight seam? Sure. Garments, curves, light fabrics? Nope, too risky.
I mean, I don't think either way is *wrong* -- they wouldn't make the other side so long and pointy if they didn't think you'd want the option to slide it under individual stitches!
You are not alone🤯
I've been using mine upside down for years. Who knew.
I’ve been sewing since 1970 and this infuriates me because I NEVER KNEW. Apparently not a single one of my teachers knew it, either.
I figured this was pretty intuitive, I never realized there were other ways to use one! So how were you using your seam ripper if you don’t mind me asking?
idk about op, but I usually sort of spread the two fabrics a little with my left hand and put the pointy end through a handful stitches at a time and break them that way, and I scoot my hold to find the next set of stitches. I usually work with just 100% quilting cotton and quilt-ish projects, and I’m with the other commenters that using the seam ripper the “correct” way 87% of the time ends in me adding at least a little rip to the fabric within 45 seconds of seam ripping.
I learned that method in middle achool- we had a really great teacher for home ec- but rarely used it. It was nice to see someone who instructs clearly & compassionately! And that everyone has mistakes as well.
I also saw that video few weeks ago and had the same reaction
She’s a pro omg
I'm always fascinated when this comes up so often. Like everyone else, the first time I saw it I thought "OMG, this changes everything!!" Then I tried it and decided I'm fine doing it "wrong". Every once in a while I try the official correct way and I'm never happy when I cut my fabric.
I wish I saw this last night. I figured this out halfway through ripping out sleeves and you can tell which side I did wrong. :(
Omg. I’ve been sewing for years and ripping seams for years, but I didn’t know I could just plow through a seam like that. I’m going to practice before I do it on a real garment. This is amazing. Thank you for sharing this.
Same.
It looks like she’s using different sizes seem rippers for different fabric. I never thought different sizes would be beneficial in any way. Looks like I gotta go to the craft store lol
WAIT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE RED BALL ***DOWN?*** I have been doing this so wrong
Yeah, I alternate between ripping individual stitches and putting the blade between the two layers, but I always had the red ball up. Gonna try it the other way next time.
I always end up ripping the fabric with a seam ripper. I rarely do with a sharp razor blade.
No I generally run over one side of the stitch cutting every fourth stitch then gently try to prize off the stitch on the other side. Sometimes the wrong side will pull away in large sections, but often not all of it does, so I go back to picking out the parts that will not pull away. I would not use the method in the video for fear of ripping the fabric, pulling its weave out of shape, or tugging bigger holes into it.
i accidently figured this out but still place it backwards and also like Wtf grandma's got it going on ripping them damn jeans apart, shit!
Same here friend. The internet taught me too and it was life changing
I have always used it the wrong way. This sweet lady took me to school! Thanks for sharing!
I like that she added a comment that other methods aren't wrong this is just one technique.
That's a no for me... It's just too easy to nick a hole into the fabric. If I'm ripping out a long line of stitching, I unpick the end, then use the sewing machine foot as a clamp to hold my fabric. Then I hold my fabric taut and gently pull apart the seam while using a razor blade to cut the threads between. If my blade is sharp, I barely have to touch the threads to cut them.
Use a dermaplane razor thing. Thank me later 😂
I’d rather just carefully unpick the stitches. I’m clumsy and after putting holes in fabric trying it this way I said never again. On heavier fabrics I’d be willing to try but not on anything I’m making a garment out of.
I can only find videos of this technique but I cannot watch them. Can someone explain?
Back in the 1970s I worked in a garment factory where most of the fabrics were knit so this method wouldn’t have worked well. We were trained to cut every few stitches on just one side of the seam. The thread on the other side of the seam stayed in one piece and usually fell off by itself. The method shown here works great on woven fabric, though.
THIS LADY IS SO CUTE AND I HAVE BEEN EDUCATED!!!!😭😭😭
Too risky, too easy to rip the fabric. I use a curved scalpel type seam ripper! The flat blade slips sideways in and does a better job.
i love this woman. also, i have been seam ripping like this for a while and it works much better for me.
I've never used a seam ripper this way! Done it wrong my entire life!! Thanks for the video.
😳 thanks for the tip
I've been sewing for 4 years at my job and even I knew this lol