If you’re repairing a silk or satin shirt, use a silk thread. Trim away as many straggling threads from the garment itself before you begin, and use either a 60/8 or 65/9 needle to prevent leaving pin marks. If you’re fixing a patterned garment with multiple colors, match the thread to the predominant color.
If the garment is wrinkled, you may want to iron it beforehand so it lays as smooth as possible before you begin stitching.
If the thread is thicker than the eye of the needle, you need to get a bigger needle. The knot will keep the thread from simply pulling through your fabric, undoing all your stitches.
Do your best to grab threads from the very edge of the tear so the stitch is as small and smooth as possible. Avoid pulling the thread super tight, as this could pucker the fabric and make your seam much more noticeable. If you’d rather use a sewing machine, opt for the dashed zigzag stitch.
If you’re nervous about your stitches coming undone even with the backstitches added on, thread your needle through the length of the entire seam to pull the end of the thread underneath the stitches. This adds even more security and makes it extremely unlikely that your hard work will be undone.
Once your repair has been made, you can wear and wash the garment just like you normally would. This method works great for all different kinds of fabrics, from cotton to denim to polyester.
With loose or torn hems, it’s a lot easier to sew them back in place while the garment is inside out. It’ll be easier for you to see exactly where you need to do your stitching.
To make a knot, wrap the end of the thread around your finger 2-3 times, then roll the thread off your finger. Pull the end of the thread to create a small knot.
If the crease of the pressing mark isn’t very defined and your hem won’t stay in place, use an iron to create a more defined crease.
Gently pull on the thread so it is secure, but don’t pull so hard as to pucker the fabric.
Keep the garment as flat as possible while you’re stitching so that you don’t accidentally pucker the hem.
Depending on your skill level, you can also use a sewing machine to repair loose hems.
This method works best on small holes or tears where there isn’t an actual chunk of fabric missing from the garment. Fusible bonding web can be used to mend wholes in many different kinds of fabrics—cotton, blends, polyester, and even silk.
Fusible bonding web melts when it comes into contact with heat. It gets sandwiched between the garment and another piece of material and essentially bonds that fabric back together as it melts. Fusible bonding web is also often used for bigger tears to hold the fabric together while you add stitching to secure the area even more, so it can come in handy for many different repairs. Buy fusible bonding web online or from your local craft store.
Sew-in stabilizer doesn’t change consistency when it’s heated, so it won’t wrinkle or distort your garment. It provides a layer of protection so that the webbing doesn’t stick to your iron. You could also use interfacing in place of stabilizer.
Even a tea towel will work well as a press cloth. If it’s especially thick, just keep in mind that it’ll take the heat from the iron a little longer to get through to the bonding web.
If you’re using a thicker press cloth, leave the iron in place for 15-20 seconds.
Once your garment is fixed, you can wear and launder it just like you did before. The hole should be nearly invisible and protected from getting bigger.
For this repair, you’ll need a needle, thread that matches the garment, and a pair of scissors. A thimble may also come in handy so you don’t accidentally prick a fingertip. A cross-stitch is when the thread crosses from a top hole on one side to the bottom hole on the opposite side. In a straight-stitch, the thread passes through the top and bottom holes on the same side of the button or the two top holes and two bottom holes.
Replace the slider to fix a zipper that won’t stay closed even after the garment has been zipped. You could also use a pair of pliers to pinch the existing slider so it is tighter and see if that fixes the problem. Check either side of the zipper for stuck fabric or thread if your zipper won’t open or shut. If you can’t pull the blockage out by hand, use a thin needle to poke the material out of the zipper’s jaws.
Avoid pulling the pills off with your fingers. This is tempting and seems easy, but it actually promotes more pilling!
If this is a consistent problem you see on your dark clothes, consider switching to a spray or gel deodorant. They’re less likely to stain.
This trick works especially well with worn-out knees. You could extend the distressed section up over your thighs, or even add a few patches to the front or back pockets.
If there is a lot of excess fabric left after you’ve sewn the seams, you may want to trim them away so they don’t create a bulge underneath the shirt.
