Sometimes something you have stitched just doesn’t look right either because of the stitch or the colour of thread used. Putting the project to one side and coming back to it with fresh eyes can solve it, but more often than not you’re gonna have to admit it’s time to cut out those stitches. Try and let go of thoughts about how much time you spent stitching that section and focus instead on how great it will look when you’ve re-stitched it!
But how do you remove those stitches with the least fuss possible?
1. Gather Your Tools
Before you begin unpicking, make sure you have the necessary tools on hand. Here's what you'll need:
Seam ripper or scissors - A seam ripper is specifically designed to cut through threads without damaging your fabric. The pointed end can carefully cut individual stitches, while the small blade helps lift threads from the fabric. If you don’t have a seam ripper then you want your smallest pointiest scissors.
Tweezers - Once you've snipped the stitches with the seam ripper/scissors, tweezers will help you grab hold of the loose threads and pull them out (you can do this with your fingers but you can’t always grab onto the smallest remnants of thread).
2. Identify the Stitches to Unpick
Before you begin the unpicking process, make sure you know exactly which stitches need to be removed. You don't want to end up pulling out stitches you wanted to keep! It may be that the section you want to remove is next to a section that you want to keep which will require particular care.
3. Start removing
With your seam ripper or scissors you will need to make that scary first snip.
Work in small sections - It's always best to tackle small areas at a time. If you try to remove a large section in one go, it can be harder to control and may cause unnecessary damage to the fabric or you may accidentally remove stitches you didn’t want to cut out.
Assess the stitch - depending on the type of stitch used, some will be easier to remove than others, but generally insert the pointed end of the seam ripper or scissors under the centre of the stitch between the thread and the fabric. Be very careful not to cut into the fabric beneath.
Continue cutting and removing stitches - After cutting one thread, continue working your way along the stitch line. If it is an area of stitching you have only recently completed, you may remember the order of stitches that you made meaning you can just pull the stitches out rather than having to cut through every stitch.
4. Pull Out the Threads with Tweezers
Once you've snipped the stitches, you’ll likely have lots of loose threads or thread fuzz still caught in the fabric. Gently grasp the loose threads with the tweezers and pull them out one by one. Be careful not to pull too hard, as you don’t want to rip or distort the fabric. If a thread won’t come out then you may need to go back and snip some more thread.
5. Remove Any Leftover Thread Fragments
After you’ve pulled out the majority of the stitches, there may still be small remnants of thread or thread fuzz stuck to the fabric. You can use your tweezers to remove these or carefully trim any remaining threads with small scissors. It’s important to make sure the fabric is completely clear of any stray threads before you start stitching again. For thread fuzz, you can drag your fingernail (or the tweezers) over the surface to scrape this away. A few pieces of tape can then be used remove this fuzz from the fabric completely.
6. Check the Fabric for Damage
Unpicking stitches can sometimes cause minor damage to the fabric, especially if the stitching was tight or the fabric is delicate. Check the fabric for any tiny holes or stretched areas. If you notice any damage, try to smooth it out with your fingers or the point of your embroidery needle. You can rub the needle back and forth over the area and this encourages the warp and weft threads to move back towards their original position.
7. Start Again
Now that you have removed the incorrect stitches, you can begin again! Take your time to re-stitch the section carefully and how you visualised it.