Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Skinning a quilt

This is the video I was talking about that will teach you how to skin a quilt. If I have two layers of wadding I will work between the layers to try and reduce the risk to my quilt top and back.



I don't have her funky little tool, I use a very sharp knife. I works very well especially on the tight little stitches you can't get at any other way. I have a feeling those used to skinning other things will have an advantage with this technique, let me know. Please do be careful with sharp blades. I am amazed how many quilters are very casual with them. To be good for cutting fabric or threads (and especially this techniques) the blade does have to be very sharp. The sort of sharp where you probably won't feel it cut you, you'll just see the blood. None of us like getting blood on our quilts so make sure you pay attention to where you are putting your blade.

7 comments:

Joanna said...

Hi, I found your blog through one of the longarmer groups I belong to and have been a lurker for a while. I just wanted to say thank you for posting this video! I had no idea ripping out stitches could be so quick and easy! I've been doing it the painstaking way: with my seam ripper! Now that I know it can be this quick and easy, I'm not going to dread ripping out stitches.

Ferret said...

I hadn't thought of doing it this way with a knife, I have used it with a seam ripper but this is way better. I think feeling more confident tends to lead to less ripping, so maybe just knowing how will make it less likely that you need to do it :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Ferret, I always use the small rotary cutter, the tiny one, I find it sits neatly in my hand and the blade just nicks away at the threads, its very fast too. Jan

Anonymous said...

Hello Ferret - Her nifty tool is actually a disposable surgical scalpel. Alternatively you could use a surgical stitch cutter.
I have some but I believe you can't send them through the post or I would send you some. Maybe you can buy them in Boots etc.
Jenny

Ferret said...

I had wondered if it was. The knife I use does a great job for now, but I will talk to the vet and see if they can help me out.

I have had blades in the post, but it is very risky. I wouldn't recommend it.

Jeanne Turner McBrayer said...

Thanks for embedding the video. Pretty cool...I have a quilt that's been waiting over a year to be skinned.

California Fiber artist and composer said...

Thank you for posting this. I had never seen anything like it and much better than trying to do it with a seam ripper for short armers as well as long armers. The tool looks like a surgical scalper. Try a doctor's office or medical supply place. There are similar rippers made for serger stitching such as through Nancy's Notions.