When I make a mistake while writing, I can delete and start over like nothing happened. When I sew, however, the sewing machine does not have a backspace button. It has a backstitch button, and that makes the mistake even worse. So, what do I do when the stitches don’t come out right? Well, I make a date with Jack.
Door number 17 is coming apart at the seams.
December 17, 2025
Those of us who sew, as I do for my day job, need to unpick stitches for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is to undo an egregious boo-boo. Accompanying the error is colorful language, exasperated sighs, and a reflexive reach for the tool that any sewer, sew-er, sewist, or whatever you want to call us, keeps close at hand and hopes never to use again: a seam ripper.
In order to sew, it helps to have a sense of humor. It’s almost a requirement. Sewing is immensely rewarding, but it can be intensely frustrating. Anyone who’s ever set the left sleeve into the right armscye or pieced quilt blocks in the wrong order knows what I mean. You laugh it off else you’re announcing your arrival through a hole in the sewing room door with an axe. Or, in our case, with scissors, rotary cutters, or seam rippers. And because that sense of humor we share is a bit twisted, we all call our seam ripper Jack. Yes, that’s right. Jack the Ripper. Dark, I know.
If you sit in on a sewing class or follow sewing groups on the socials, sewists will cheerfully report that they have a date with Jack. There was no swiping right to get this date. It means their project went sideways. The cheer may be forced, but the announcement is always met with enthusiastic commiseration and tales of past dates with Jack. Jack gets around and no one minds that they’ve all had a date with him. There is, however, universal agreement that Jack is a tool.
While a seam ripper is primarily used for correcting mistakes, it’s important to note that Jack helps repair and create things as well. A seam ripper takes out a broken zipper or opens a buttonhole after its sewn. There’s a fine line between erring and repairing. A date with Jack teaches us that there is no shame in undoing something we’re unhappy with and starting again.
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