Un Stitching!

I'm with you on that one! I have enough laundry without washing and pressing all the fabric as it comes into the house.

I use an electric mustache trimmer to rip out long seams. It takes a bit of practice but you can really buzz through a seam quickly that way! I wish I could demo....basically I hold the trimmer against the stitching while holding the seam open with one hand. If held at the right angle, you don't clip any of the fabric and the seam "melts" away. heheheh.

This is a good description.....I use my mustache trimmer instead of the sharp rotary cutter.

I also use the rotary cutter, usually the small one. I hold the cutter in my right hand like I'd hold a pencil, with the handle between my index and middle finger and thumb, close down by the head of the cutter. The fabric is then held in my right hand by the middle finger and ring finger and little finger against the palm of my hand. Of course the left hand is holding fabric too. This seems confusing in trying to describe it, but, it really does feel quite natural and is really easy. I've not ever cut my fabric either. The blade just has to touch the thread and it cuts it. Use a pencil and try it out, then switch to the rotary cutter. Good Luck, Michelle G.

Don't know if my method is any faster. I use a heavy-duty pin or the point of the seam ripper (carefully) to lift and pull out a few stitches until there's a tail long enough to grip. Then pull like a gather until the thread breaks. with luck, one then has a tail on the other side to repeat the process. One side of the seam usually gathers a little more readily than the other. I like this method because I Control the thread ;-) All the experts say to clup every 3rd stitch or so, put a length of masking tape over the clipped stitches, and pull off the thread on the unclipped side. the tape is supposed to hang on to all the fuzzies. Never worked that well for me, and still tedious.

My most helpful h>Yesterday the County Quilting Gremlin hit my house. (He's been making the

I have used what is called a sewing bird, to hold one of the edges. It clamps to the sewing table and then you clamp the "birds mouth" to one edge of the fabric, and hold the other side of the fabric seam in the off hand, and use the free hand to use the cutting tool of your choice for cutting threads on the seam as you go. Reset the "bird's mouth" onto the seam again as the seam ripping progresses. This is a very old time tool that is available, in modern form, from most sewing notion purveyors. It is a helpful item to have for doing lots of ripping out of seams. Not that I (ever) have to ever use it.;>0

John

Ugh, Pat, I hate doing that! But I do it much the same way you do, except that I've found that using some very sticky tape (package tape is good) can help with getting most of the little bits of thread that are left. Most, not all. :S

Kathy, do you think this nose and ear trimmer (ugh!) would work?

What kind do you use?

--Heidi

You need one like this. With the little straight edge like hair clippers. I certainly didn't pay this much though. Sometimes you can find them on closeout or off brands and they work fine.

Good idea Jeanne! I always 'Pat my way along' anyhow. PAT in VA/USA

So, does that mean you are growing a mustache longer instead of keeping it trimmed?? ;) PAT, couldn't resist in Virginia

Roberta: Your 'hint' about using the sets for something else resonates with me! I've BTDT. This time I was using fabric for a Group Quilt, so did not have that option. The fabric was purchased in Pennsylvania, so I couldn't just run out for more. In the end, in spite of my whining about un stitching, the top came out very well. PAT in VA/USA

Oh No!!!! . In message , Pat in Virginia writes

No...it's for chin hairs!

Does it work? . In message , KJ writes

I can't get DH to stand still long enough to try!