By my Mom, Carol Meyer
I am fussy about my seam ripper. Un-stitching is a fact of a sew-ers life. If we could do everything perfect the first time what a wonderful world it would be, but be prepared, whatever you sew, that you shall also rip. How can you actually LIKE to RIP? Ripping is an attitude to be learned, but having the right tool can make the difference.
A complaint is often heard by sew-ers when a mistake is made and something has to be taken apart. People do not particularly like to face mistakes. Having to undo something seems like failing. One with an unforgiving nature, or a perfectionist will complain the loudest. How could it be wrong? If the mistakes are ignored, the problem usually compounds with the next seam.
I remember as a young child helping my mother when she sewed. I was called to help hold the fabric while she cut errant stitches with a razor blade. Her task was easier with a “third hand” holding one side of the seam while she held the other, and the exposed stitched were sliced down the middle. Those were the days when double edge razor blades were standard for men’s shavers and a standard household item. Of course I always heard the cautionary “do not touch, it’s sharp” routine.
I began to sew at age ten, and remember when I came across my first seam ripper. I immediately saw that it was a magical tool, devised so cleverly so as to rip seams apart safely, without the accompanying dangers of double edge razor blades, and without needing to rely on someone else for help undoing mistakes.
At times over the years, and for whatever reason the seam ripper was not handy, I tried using scissors, and, yes, even razor blades to rip seams. Nothing ever worked as well for me. Sometimes I would accidentally knick the fabric instead of cutting the thread, leaving me with a much bigger problem to fix.
In later years I met an Italian trained seamstress who would use nothing but a razor blade, which she claimed was faster, and for her is was. She could rip seams lightening fast. She was a master, and handled a razor blade with the skill of a surgeon, never once cutting the fabric by mistake. I have also seen a person just as skilled using sharp pointed thread snips as their tool of choice.
Over the years I have become quite particular about my seam ripper. Before I knew any different, I bought the ones off the wall in general fabric stores. They all dulled with use and were replaced regularly. Before I knew any different I routinely replaced my seam ripper. They didn’t cost much and replacing regularly was a small price to pay to have a sharp one again.
When I got my first Bernina I was pleased that it came with a seam ripper. As I used it I noticed things about it that made ripping seams much easier. The point was sharp, but not too sharp, and it was beveled in such a way so as to be able to slide under the stitches without catching the fabric, something that happened with the generic seam rippers. I would not have known this difference either without receiving this new seam ripper. But just as importantly, Bernina seam rippers almost never seem to get dull. I have lost track of how many years it takes before it needs replacing. The same precision craftsmanship went into the Bernina seam ripper as into their machine, and it makes a difference to me.
After years of doing alterations for a living, I realized that almost everything had to be taken apart before it could be altered. That is why the seam ripper became so important to me. Ripping was just a part of the process, and it was not through a mistake of my own. If you turn your nose up at the thought of alterations (I once did!) it might be a lack of understanding the process.
There are things to learn to avoid making mistakes that have to be ripped. Here are a couple of pointers.
Make sure the fabric stays flat and smooth as it runs under the presser foot. Don’t let the fabric just run through your fingers as the underneath fabric may fold into the stitching, and requires ripping to make it right. Dressmakers work with garments that are three-dimensional. The very nature of clothing construction requires extra attention when working with pieces of many shapes. You must always be in control of the fabric, watching and adjusting especially in curved areas such as sleeves and collars. Us your fingers to feel that the fabric is smooth as it is sewed.
If you need to back stitch at the beginning and end of a seam to lock the stitch, limit the back stitches to only two or three. Start a little in from the leading edge, go backwards first taking two or three stitches, then forward. That way if you make a mistake it is not so hard to take apart.
There are so many things in life that cannot be undone. We cannot go back and fix the wrong words that were said or change actions that we did by mistake. In the sewing world most every mistake due to improper stitching can be fixed, and we should welcome the opportunity to do so because we can. Make friends with your seam ripper, and it will be your best sewing friend next to your machine!
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