Each garment has its unique mending opportunity. To learn how to repair using patches and stitches, you must first analyze the damaged region. In many respects, it’s similar to the fundamental principle of homeopathy: like cures like. This investigation enables you to learn not only about the fabric’s components, such as fiber type, weight, and strength, but also about how your body wears through certain outfits. When a fray, tear, or rip creates an unusual form, you don’t want to cover it up with a patch. Instead, let the flaw serve as motivation for the remedy.
MATERIALS
mending a garment
Ironic (optional)
Ruler or tape measure
Fabric shears
discarded fabric
Straight or safety pins?
Fabric marker that is washable, such as tailor’s chalk or a quilter’s pen
Thread sashiko
Needles for Sashiko
Pliers with a needle-nose (optional)
Embroidery scissors or snips for thread cutting (optional)
squeak (optional)
1 Place the clothing on your work table flat. If necessary,
iron. Add 12 to 1 inch (1.3–2.5 cm) to all edges of the hole or rip. Build a generous patch: it’s preferable to make a patch that’s too large than one that’s too little. If your rip is 1 inch (2.5 cm) broad, make a patch 2 or 3 inches (5–7.5 cm) wide. This will enable you to stitch your patch into sturdy fabric and cover the hole as well as the damaged, torn, or weakening regions surrounding it.
2 Using the dimensions from Step 1, cut the patch from your spare cloth.
3 Tuck the patch underneath the ripped clothing.
Because this project involves repairing a hole in the pocket, be careful to put the patch between the pocket lining and the hole to avoid sewing the lining shut. (I discovered this the hard way.) Sigh.) The patch should be pinned in place. Use a fabric marker to trace it.
4 Thread a needle, knot one end of the thread, and enter the needle from the inside of the garment, keeping the knot concealed underneath.
Stitch around the circumference of the patch with a running stitch until all under edges are stitched down. Tie off the thread on the bottom of the garment.
5 Trim the fray from the inside of the hole.
This will provide a crisp edge for the subsequent stitches. You may be tempted to enjoy the wear and tear by relishing your frayed holes, but believe me when I say that your stitches will be nicer and that cutting out the fray will allow for a cleaner and sturdier repair.
6 Thread a needle, knot the thread at one end, then enter the needle from the bottom of the garment, keeping the knot concealed underneath.
Insert the needle slightly inside the hole’s edge and begin sewing using a whipstitch (see DOC LINK this page) around the perimeter of the hole until all edges are stitched down. If there are still visible sections of the hole to be sewed down, repeat with a second set of whipstitches. Ideally, your stitches should be 18 inch (1.5–3 mm) apart to enable the hole to be fully tacked down. Take a look at it! You just made a postmodern correction.
