How to Pick Out Stitches From Long Arm Quilting
There was a time when all quilts were made entirely by hand. It was a slow process, and it took many hands to piece and quilt each project. Nowadays both piecing and quilting can be done by machine, and many wonderful quilting effects can be achieved with a long arm quilting machine. One person can finish many more quilts with a long arm machine than by hand. But the tight, precise stitching has a drawback in that it is harder to pick apart if you make a mistake than would be the running stitch you would make by hand.
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Instructions
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1
Remove the quilt from the machine. Lay it flat on a working surface, whether a table or the floor.
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2
Fold back the top layer and slip the tip of your seam ripper beneath the first stitch you want to remove, and cut it.
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3
Pull the top layer gently away from the batting layer. Several stitches will pull out. Stop pulling when you encounter resistance.
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4
Cut another stitch. Pull again. Continue until you have removed the entire section you wish to do over.
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5
Return the quilt to the machine, taking care to smooth out any wrinkles or bumps that have developed from the handling.
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Tips & Warnings
Picking out stitches is a last resort. The best way to avoid having to take out stitches is to make certain of your design in the first place. Unless you are very experienced with the machine, trace the lines you want to sew onto the fabric beforehand.
When removing the quilt from the machine, take care to keep the basting secure so that the layers don't shift.
Make sure the seam ripper cuts only the thread and not the fabric, so you don't introduce a hole in your quilt top or back.
