Problem-Solving for Successful Repairs - Part 1
Things to consider when choosing materials and stitch techniques for a long-lasting mend
There are a lot of right ways to fix a garment, but having some knowledge of how the garment properties, mending materials, and stitches work together will give you a better, longer-lasting repair. There’s nothing more frustrating than spending time mending something, only to have the garment feel/fit different or tear apart on the next wear or wash.
For me, two of the biggest aspects to a successful mend are choosing 1) the right materials (thread/yarn/fabric) and 2) an appropriate stitch technique to complete the repair. Of course, you’ll also want to consider what you would like your repair to look like: do you want a visible, creative statement? Or a subtle, hidden repair? I’ll talk more about this in a future post, but regardless of what you want it to look like, choosing the right materials will help you make the right choice for each of your repairs so they last longer, look better, and feel more comfortable.
The information below is based on my own experience, trial and error, and the knowledge of the masses of menders who have repaired things before me and alongside me. I definitely don’t know every mending technique! But I hope that you might find some of this information useful to add to your own mending technique toolkit, and that you pass along anything you find helpful so we can all have the satisfaction of successfully repairing clothes so they last longer.
In Part 2 of this post, I’ll share some examples of my own Mends Gone Bad due to incompatible materials or techniques, and how I trouble-shooted those situations based on my available knowledge, skills, and supplies.
(Above: My sister-in-law darning a hand-wash only wool sweater with wool tapestry yarn)
THE MATERIALS
First things first. You’ll want to choose your mending materials to match the properties of the fabric (woven or knit), and to match how the garment is cared for. The fabric you choose for a patch, or the yarn/thread you choose for a darn should be similar to the garment you’re repairing, and should be able to be washed the way you wash your garment.
What kind of fabric is your damaged garment made from - cotton, polyester, wool, spandex, tencel, etc?
What is the weight of the fabric? Is it lightweight, thin, soft, sturdy, stretchy, stiff, thick, drapey, etc?
How is the fabric constructed?
Woven (not stretchy, looks like a tiny checkerboard pattern up close)
Knit (stretchy, looks like tiny interlocking V’s up close)
How do you wash that garment?
Hand wash only
Machine wash and dry
Wash and line dry
Does it require other special care?
How has the garment been damaged?
Is a seam opened up?
Has the fabric been worn thin, to the point of tearing?
Did the garment snag on something that made a hole?
You’ll want to choose mending materials that are similar to your garment both in their function (how thick or thin, woven or knit) and their care (machine washable or hand wash, ironing heat). Is your wool garment machine washable? If so, make sure you choose mending materials that are also treated to be washable (more on this in another post). If you use a never-washed piece of cotton fabric to repair a cotton garment, that cotton fabric will likely shrink some in the wash, changing the appearance and fit of the repair. If you iron your clothes, using synthetic fabric material (polyester, nylon, etc) to repair a natural fiber garment (cotton, linen) may result in the synthetic patch melting if you iron that area at the same heat that the cotton or linen can tolerate.
(Above: Selecting quilting cotton scraps to patch a cotton quilt)
Yarn & Thread
Choosing a compatible material doesn’t just apply to the selection of fabric for a patch. Thread or yarn should also be close to the same size/thickness as the thread/yarn the garment fabric is made from. For example, a t-shirt or lightweight woven garment could be sewn with sewing thread, while a thicker sweater would use yarn of the same size, or jeans could be repaired using thicker cotton thread, such as cotton crochet thread. You should also consider how the yarn/thread is cared for and if that is compatible with the garment care. Wool garments, for example, should be repaired with a yarn that can be washed in the same way as the garment so it doesn’t shrink.
Needles
You will also want to choose an appropriate sewing needle. While a needle with a large eye is easier to thread, the large eye can damage or make holes in thinner fabric, so you will want to pick a thinner needle with a smaller eye when repairing lightweight fabrics. For denim repairs, you will want a sturdy pointed needle with a long, narrow eye (and probably a pair of needle nose pliers to pull the needle and thread through multiple layers of thick fabric). For thicker weight knitwear, like sweaters or thick socks, a darning needle with a rounded point will reduce the likelihood of splitting (or sewing through) the strands of yarn, giving your repair a cleaner appearance.
(Above: Sewing t-shirt scrap patch onto a t-shirt, using a whip stitch)
THE STITCHES
The second consideration is what type of stitch to use to repair the garment. Just like you picked materials to match your garment, you’ll need to choose a stitch that “works” with your fabric. Some stitches are stretchy, so are more suitable for stretchy knit fabrics, while other stitches don’t stretch and are nice and strong when repairing woven fabrics. If you are a machine sewist, you likely already know when you might choose a zig zag vs straight stitch vs a stretchy stitch, based on the type of fabric you’re using - the same thing applies for repairs, whether by machine or hand.
Here are some basic types of stitches that are applicable for different fabric types. Generally, you could use almost any type of stitch for a woven fabric, as long as you prepare the fabric so the edges won’t run, by pressing an edge over to create a hem, or cutting with pinking shears. Your choice would be based more on the look you want for your repair. For knit fabrics, it is more important to choose a stretchy stitch that will stretch with the fabric - especially if the repair is on a high-strain area, such as the knees, elbows, or cuffs.
(Above: Using a stretchy back stitch to tighten up saggy cuffs of a knit cardigan)
I haven’t included photos of all the different stitch types here, as you can easily do a quick internet search with the right vocabulary to find a tutorial if needed.
Woven, or non-stretchy fabrics
Hand stitching: running stitch, whip/overcast stitch, blanket/buttonhole stitch, back stitch
Machine stitching: straight stitch, zig zag
Darning: woven darn, bias woven darn, Scotch darn, needle felting for woolens
Knit, or stretchy fabrics
Hand stitching: back stitch, whip/overcast stitch, blanket/buttonhole stitch
Machine stitching: zig zag, overlock/serger, stretch stitch settings
Darning: woven darn, bias woven darn, Scotch darn, Swiss darn/duplicate stitch, honeycomb darn, needle felting for woolens (on non-stretchy areas of the garment)
Choosing the right stitch can make a huge difference in how your mend turns out! But once you understand how fabric and stitches work together, you can learn how to creatively break the rules in ways that won’t impact the function of your mends (more on this in a later post).
(Above: Bias darning a lightweight sock)
UP NEXT: EXAMPLES
Ok, so you’ve read all that information, and now you want to know how it applies to your next mends. In Part 2 of this post, I will share some examples of my own repairs over the years. Each of these garments suffered some sort of further damage or unsatisfactory change due to me not fully considering my mending materials or technique. You’ll see how I selected the techniques for each repair, where things went wrong, and what I did to improve the repair, so you can learn from my mistakes.
In an interview with Zoe on Check Your Thread Podcast, we discussed this very topic! You can listen here: https://checkyourthread.com/podcast/135-how-to-triage-your-mends-with-jeanna-wigger/
This post is a written resource that pairs with a lot of the information discussed in the podcast.