The Secret of the Red Ball on Your Seam Ripper

A seam ripper is one of the most important sewing tools. Sometimes, we make a mistake while sewing and the best way to remove the wrong stitches is by using a seam ripper. You can definitely use a small pair of scissors, but you have to do it very carefully as you might damage the fabric. If you have been sewing for a few years now, you probably already used it several times, but did you know the purpose of the red ball?

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I always wondered about its purpose but never had the chance to research it until I stumbled across this video by Tailor nour. I always thought it was just there for aesthetic purposes and nothing else. Turns out, it has a function! Find the secret of the red ball on your seam ripper and the proper way to use a seam ripper in the instructions below.

For more sewing tips, check these out: 4 Tips On How To Lessen Sewing Mistakes

How to Properly Use the Seam Ripper

Most people use the seam ripper by using the long pointed side to pick up the stitches, which is correct if you only have a few stitches to tear out. But sometimes people still use this method to cut rows of stitches which is wrong. It is not the proper way to use a seam ripper. This can destroy your fabric.

The proper way to use it for cutting rows of stitches is by gently picking the stitch using the long pointed side and pushing until it reaches the blade or the J-curve to cut the thread, then pull out a few stitches.

Next, insert the ball between the two fabrics. Make sure the blade is against the stitches.

Using your left hand, hold and pull the fabric toward you, while pushing the seam ripper away from you using your right hand. This will cut through the whole line of stitches.

The Secret of the Red Ball on Your Seam Ripper