unsew

She carefully unsews the hem of her dress.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To undo the stitching of: "unsew" means to separate or remove the stitches from a sewn item, typically fabric or clothing, thereby opening or dismantling what was previously sewn together.

Usage Examples

• (She removed the stitches of the hem.)
• (The tailor undid the sewing of the patch.)
• (He separated the stitched seam.)

Advanced Usage

• "to unsew a garment": to take apart a piece of clothing by removing its stitches, often for alteration or repair.

  • The seamstress unsewed the sleeves to shorten them. (She removed the stitches from the sleeves.)

• "to unsew a quilt": to dismantle a quilt by pulling out its stitching.

  • She unsewed the old quilt to reuse the fabric. (She separated the stitches of the quilt.)

Variants and Related Words

• Unsewing (n): the act or process of removing stitches.

  • The unsewing of the dress took longer than expected. (The process of removing stitches.)

• Unsewed (adj): having had its stitches removed.

  • The unsewed fabric was now ready to be reshaped. (The fabric with stitches removed.)

Synonyms

• Unpick: to undo the stitches of something (often used for knitting or sewing).

  • She had to unpick the sleeve to fix the mistake. (Similar to unsew but often implies careful removal.)

• Unstitch: to remove stitches from something.

  • He unstitched the pocket to replace the lining. (Direct synonym for unsew.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Unsew from: to remove stitches that attach one part to another.
  • The collar was unsewed from the shirt for cleaning. (The stitches connecting the collar to the shirt were removed.)

Related Idioms