The exterior patch is the most basic repair for any damaged garment. It’s as easy as making a patch from a remnant of fabric identical to the material in the patched garment. Even the most basic patch may provide several creative choices. Is the patch large or small? Is the contrast high or low? Are the corners square, rounded, or mitered? And do you need one patch or two? In this project, we will go through the fundamentals of repair in order to get our mending project off to a good start.
Materials:
mending a garment
Iron
Ruler or tape measure?
Fabric shears
Straight pins or safety pinsFabric scraps
Sashiko thread and needles
Embroidery scissors or snips for thread cutting (optional)
squeak (optional)
1 Place the garment on your work table flat. If necessary, iron.
2 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 that is 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. In addition, you will have fabric to turn under for a completed edge.
3 Using the dimensions from Step 2, cut the patch from your spare cloth.
4 Round the corners of your patch to avoid bulk. Turn edges of the patch at ¼ inch (6 mm) and press under with an iron to create finished edges.
5 Place the patch on top of the hole in the clothing. Tack down the sides of the patch and pin it in place, right side up.
6 Thread a needle, knot one end of the thread, and enter the needle from the inside of the clothing, keeping the knot concealed underneath.
Stitch a running stitch around the perimeter of the patch until all of the edges are secure. Tie off the thread on the inside of the garment. Voilà! Wear the repaired clothes with joy.
