SEAM RIPPIN' 101

First lesson: We all gotta rip sometime.

Second lesson: When I was a quilt newbie, I ripped seams like I had been taught, moons ago:

  Break every fourth or fifth stitch. (Errg. It takes t-i-i-i-me to get that seam ripper into those stitches.)
  Separate the two pieces of fabric starting in the middle somewhere and work the stitches apart to either end.

Still do it this way, too?

Third lesson: Scissors make the job much faster and more pleasant.

For right handers (adjust if you're a lefty):

  Lay fabric flat on table as shown, and peel up the corner of the top layer of fabric.
  With the tips of some standard shears, clip the first threads in between the two layers. (Do NOT use your pointiest, sharpest scissors, or you will cut your fabric at some point.)
  Hold the tips of the shears flat to the table, holding down the bottom layer of fabric.
  Holding the top layer with thumb and forefinger, rip back gently as far as it will go
(a few stitches). Repeat steps 2-4.

Master this and you probably won't mind ripping as much (sure, it is
possible to tolerate ripping...!) Save your seam ripper for mid-seam
ripping jobs.