How to use a seam ripper correctly (and fast!)

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I’ve never taken a poll, but I’m willing to bet that most sewists would choose a seam ripper as her favorite, must-have sewing tool. However a surprising number of people who sew don’t know to how to use a seam ripper correctly or at all!

Become best sewing friends with your stitch unpicker tool! Learn how to use a seam ripper correctly to remove individual stitches or to quickly tear out whole lines of stitching in one go! #seamripper #sewingtools

It’s pretty much impossible to complete a sewing project without using a seam ripper (also known as a stitch ripper, unpicker, or stitch unpicker). They are absolutely essential for pulling out mistake stitches.

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Become best sewing friends with your stitch unpicker tool! Learn how to use a seam ripper correctly to remove individual stitches or to quickly tear out whole lines of stitching in one go! #seamripper #sewingtools

There are a lot of different styles of seam ripper, but my favorite is this small ergonomic seam ripper by Dritz*. There is also a large ergonomic seam ripper* that is exactly the same, but bigger. Below there are another two types of seam rippers: one with a special “seam eraser”* and another seam ripper with a magnifier and light*, which is good for people with bad eyesight. (I haven’t actually used them myself, but if you have, I’d love to hear about your experience!)

Whatever shape it is, all seam rippers have the same main structure: a handle with a metal tip. The tip has a blade between a point and a little red ball.

Become best sewing friends with your stitch unpicker tool! Learn how to use a seam ripper correctly to remove individual stitches or to quickly tear out whole lines of stitching in one go! #seamripper #sewingtools

Most people know how to use a seam ripper to tear out individual stitches, but a lot of people have no idea why there’s that little ball on the unpicker.

Well, I’m here to tell you that that little ball lets you rip out stitches very quickly. And I’m going to let you in on the trick! Watch this short video or continue reading below to find out how to use a seam ripper correctly!

Print out these instructions!
Scroll down to the end of this post and click “Print”.

How to use a seam ripper for individual stitches

First, let’s prepare a practice piece. Cut two fabric rectangles and sew them together, right sides facing, on at least one long side. Turn the fabric right side out and iron the seam/s flat.

Sew together two rectangles of fabric
  1. Hold the fabric with the seam facing you.
Sew together two rectangles of fabric

2. Gently pull on the fabric until you can see the stitches. (Normally you would use a color that matches the fabric. I used black to help it show up more.)

Become best sewing friends with your stitch unpicker tool! Learn how to use a seam ripper correctly to remove individual stitches or to quickly tear out whole lines of stitching in one go! #seamripper #sewingtools

3. Stick the pointed tip under a stitch that needs to be removed. The first stitch is always the hardest one to pick out, so be careful that you are catching only the thread and that you don’t poke through the fabric.

Become best sewing friends with your stitch unpicker tool! Learn how to use a seam ripper correctly to remove individual stitches or to quickly tear out whole lines of stitching in one go! #seamripper #sewingtools

4. Push the seam ripper gently so that the stitch reaches the blade in the curve (to the left above), and push a little more so that the blade cuts right through the thread (to the right above).

Become best sewing friends with your stitch unpicker tool! Learn how to use a seam ripper correctly to remove individual stitches or to quickly tear out whole lines of stitching in one go! #seamripper #sewingtools

5. Continue this way for any other stitches that need pulling out.

This method is perfect if you only have a few stitches to tear out, if the seam is curved, or if the fabric has a long nap. If, however, you have a long straight seam that needs to be removed, the following trick will save you a LOT of time!

Click to save this Cucicucicoo.com post on Pinterest!

How to use a seam ripper for rows of stitches

Become best sewing friends with your stitch unpicker tool! Learn how to use a seam ripper correctly to remove individual stitches or to quickly tear out whole lines of stitching in one go! #seamripper #sewingtools
  1. Start by pulling out a few stitches, as described above, at one end of the seam.
Become best sewing friends with your stitch unpicker tool! Learn how to use a seam ripper correctly to remove individual stitches or to quickly tear out whole lines of stitching in one go! #seamripper #sewingtools

2. Now insert the ball between the two layers of fabric with the blade against the stitches.

Become best sewing friends with your stitch unpicker tool! Learn how to use a seam ripper correctly to remove individual stitches or to quickly tear out whole lines of stitching in one go! #seamripper #sewingtools

3. Hold the fabric with your left hand and the seam ripper with your right (or vice versa if you are a leftie). Pull the fabric a little towards you (or just hold it still) while you push the seam ripper a little away from you (in the direction of the arrow above and to the left).

The blade will cut right through the whole line of stitches, gathering them up (the little tangle of black thread shown by the arrow above and to the right). The ball slides easily against the fabric without cutting or poking into it.

Become best sewing friends with your stitch unpicker tool! Learn how to use a seam ripper correctly to remove individual stitches or to quickly tear out whole lines of stitching in one go! #seamripper #sewingtools

It takes literally just a few seconds to rip out a whole long line of stitches this way. What an amazing time saver!

But I’m not done, because there’s still one more super useful way to use a seam ripper:

How to use a seam ripper for buttonholes

How to open a buttonhole with a seam ripper #seamripper #sewing101

Seam rippers are very useful for opening buttonholes, too. Here’s how:

  1. Sew a buttonhole either by hand or by machine.
  2. Stick a straight pin at each end of the stitches, but on the inside of the bar tacks (those longer stitches at the top and bottom).
  3. Stick the pointy end of the seam ripper into the fabric between the columns of zigzag stitches and push it through in each direction until it hits the pins.
  4. Remove the pins, and your buttonhole is open!

Find more about this use of a stitch ripper in my lesson on how to sew a buttonhole with a sewing machine.

Become best sewing friends with your stitch unpicker tool! Learn how to use a seam ripper correctly to remove individual stitches or to quickly tear out whole lines of stitching in one go! #seamripper #sewingtools

As you can see, the seam ripper is incredibly useful because it allows you to remove mistake stitches and save your sewing projects! It is also indispensable when sewing buttonholes.

So, if you still don’t have one, click here to purchase a seam ripper just like mine*!

Learn to Machine Sew FREE sewing course for beginners, only on Cucicucicoo.com! #sew #learntosew

If you liked this lesson on how to use a seam ripper correctly, check out the other lessons that are part of the FREE Cucicucicoo Learn to Machine Sew beginner’s sewing course! And don’t forget to share pictures of your work on Facebook, Instagram or other social media with the hashtags #cucicucicoo or #cucicucicoopatterns!

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You know you’ll want to remember these important sewing tips, so click here to save this post on Pinterest!

Become best sewing friends with your stitch unpicker tool! Learn how to use a seam ripper correctly to remove individual stitches or to quickly tear out whole lines of stitching in one go! #seamripper #sewingtools

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Become best sewing friends with your stitch unpicker tool! Learn how to use a seam ripper correctly to remove individual stitches or to quickly tear out whole lines of stitching in one go! #seamripper #sewingtools

How to use a seam ripper correctly (and fast!)

Active Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Become best sewing friends with your stitch unpicker tool! Learn how to use a seam ripper correctly to remove individual stitches or to quickly tear out whole lines of stitching in one go!

Materials

  • Two rectangles of fabric sewn together

Instructions

First, prepare a practice piece. Cut two fabric rectangles and sew them together, right sides facing, on at least one long side. Turn the fabric right side out and iron the seam/s flat.

How to use a seam ripper for individual stitches

  1. Hold the fabric with the seam facing you.
  2. Gently pull on the fabric until you can see the stitches.
  3. Stick the pointed tip under a stitch that needs to be removed. The first stitch is always the hardest one to pick out, so be careful that you are catching only the thread and that you don’t poke through the fabric.
  4. Become best sewing friends with your stitch unpicker tool! Learn how to use a seam ripper correctly to remove individual stitches or to quickly tear out whole lines of stitching in one go! #seamripper #sewingtools Push the seam ripper gently so that the stitch reaches the blade in the curve (to the left above), and push a little more so that the blade cuts right through the thread (to the right above).
  5. Continue this way for any other stitches that need pulling out.

How to use a seam ripper for rows of stitches

  1. Start by pulling out a few stitches, as described above, at one end of the seam.
  2. Now insert the ball between the two layers of fabric with the blade against the stitches.
  3. Become best sewing friends with your stitch unpicker tool! Learn how to use a seam ripper correctly to remove individual stitches or to quickly tear out whole lines of stitching in one go! #seamripper #sewingtoolsHold the fabric with your left hand and the seam ripper with your right (or vice versa if you are a leftie). Pull the fabric a little towards you (or just hold it still) while you push the seam ripper a little away from you (in the direction of the arrow above and to the left).
  4. The blade will cut right through the whole line of stitches, gathering them up (the little tangle of black thread shown by the arrow above and to the right). The ball slides easily against the fabric without cutting or poking into it. It takes literally just a few seconds to rip out a whole long line of stitches this way. What an amazing time saver!

How to use a seam ripper for buttonholes

Seam rippers are very useful for opening buttonholes, too. Here’s how:

How to open a buttonhole with a seam ripper #seamripper #sewing101

  1. Sew a buttonhole either by hand or by machine.
  2. Stick a straight pin at each end of the stitches, but on the inside of the bar
    tacks (those longer stitches at the top and bottom).
  3. Stick the pointy end of the seam ripper into the fabric between the columns of
    zigzag stitches and push it through in each direction until it hits the
    pins.
  4. Remove the pins, and your buttonhole is open!

Find more about this use of a stitch ripper in my lesson on how to sew a buttonhole with a sewing machine.

As you can see, the seam ripper is incredibly useful because it
allows you to remove mistake stitches and save your sewing projects! It
is also indispensable when sewing buttonholes.

So, if you still don’t have one, click one of the images below to purchase a seam ripper just like mine!

Recommended Products

All materials links are affiliate links which help fund this blog. All opinions are my own. Please read my affiliate link disclosure for more information: https://www.cucicucicoo.com/affiliate-links/

22 thoughts on “How to use a seam ripper correctly (and fast!)”

    • I was shocked when I learned this (with years of sewing experience under my belt), and even more shocked to find out that I was far from being the only one who didn’t know this! I’m so glad to hear that this will be helpful for you, Pam! <3

      Reply
  1. Thank you so much for this tutorial on how to use a seam ripper to take out a whole seam. I always wondered what the little ball was for. It certainly makes taking out a seam a breeze.

    Reply
  2. I had no idea how to use the ball end of the seam ripper either…after 50+ years of sewing. Thank you! Now, can you tell me if there’s an easy way to remove surged edges or seams? I tend to shy away from altering or upcycling clothing that has lots of surged seams and would like to know if there’s a quick way to remove them 🙂

    Reply
  3. Holy moly, I’ve been sewing for 60 years and never heard this before! Thank you so much for this post!
    Sew on and sew forth!

    Reply
  4. Any tips for using this method on knit or swim fabric? I still end up cutting into the fabric, maybe due to the stretching, which makes the ripper not stay in a straight line?

    Reply
    • Yes, I think you’re right, that the stretchiness means that the fabric won’t stay in place, so the seam ripper can cut into the fabric as it moves around. I might just go stitch by stitch, rather than ripping out whole lines quickly.

      Reply
  5. Hi and thank you for this great tip! At age 71 I am a new sewist and I know I have a lot to learn. I started trying to use my sewing machine earlier this year and realized that I needed a machine that didn’t have to use a foot pedal because of my neuropathy (the same reason I quit driving a car). As I was trying to teach myself to sew, I became great friends with my seam ripper. I need one with a larger handle because it is harder to grip it. Thank you for teaching even old ladies how to sew!
    ~~kay~~

    Reply
    • Hi Kay! I actually lost my seam ripper that you can see in this post and accidentally purchased the larger version of it, and I have to say that it’s quite comfortable to use! What have you done about the sewing machine? Mine has a button which allows you to sew without a pedal, but I don’t love using it because I feel like it doesn’t give me enough control.

      Reply
  6. Lisa, I find that I have greater control with the button for sewing and partly because I have that lever than can make the machine go faster or slower.
    ~~kay~~

    Reply
  7. Omg your a lifesaver! I thought of using it that way before and hadn’t ever actually done it( just started sewing about 2yrs ago now ). Anyway, I thought maybe it’d be easy, now that I’ve seen this… it definitely is and a whole lot faster! So thank you, I’m so glad I saw this! Looking forward to more tips and tutorials from you! Your my new favorite xoxoxo

    Reply

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