I’m a strong advocate of learning to sew. It’s a basic skill that can be very helpful when it comes to keeping your clothes functional and in good condition.
Over time, seams can get loose and buttons may fall off, so it’s best to learn the basics to avoid taking these little “troubles” to a tailor.
One of the most common things I have to mend are holes in clothes.
Since I wear my Madewell cardigan a lot, a hole is bound to appear and I got a half inch-wide hole along the seam near the collar.
It’s not a very big hole, and it’s not very noticeable, but I want to prevent it from getting any bigger.
Since I’m working with a knit fabric, I have to make sure that I don’t unravel the threads. That means, I have to sew with a whip stitch instead of a straight stitch to prevent the ends from fraying.
For this project, you’ll need:
- Thread
- Needle
- Scissors
Directions
- Thread needle with matching thread and tie a knot.
- Start the stitch a few millimeters before the hole with a whip stitch.
- Stop sewing a few millimeters after the hole to make sure it is completely sealed.
- Tie a knot and snip off the excess thread.
It doesn’t take long to mend the hole and though you can see the thread on the inside of the cardigan, it’s invisible on the outside. I’m sure this is not the only way to fix a hole in your clothes, but this is how I do it.
What are your tips and tricks to mending garments?
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s how I mend a hole in a sweater as well
I’m trying to think of other garment mending tips but I’m drawing a blank. 
What a great post! I have NO idea how to sew or anything but my mom is going to teach me when I go home to visit next:)
If they give you extra yarn, you can also knit the seam back together. At least that’s what I think my mom does.
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I agree, if it comes with extra yarn, I use that to fix the hole. But most of the time, I lose the little package, so I just use regular thread instead. =)
Thanks for this tip Jess…my favorite sweaters have had tears almost at the same exact place. Petite Mom is right…a lot of my sweaters come with extra yarn. I keep it all in an organized box, then forget to use it when mending!
I should probably keep them all in a box because I tend to lose those packets and they do eventually come in handy! =)
What is a whip stich? But thank you for the tutorial.
Ahh, see I have mended knits before and made a hasty straight stich. Good call on angleing the stich so it falls better! Straight stiches just made my knit wear bunch in awkward places.
Sewing is a necessary evil for me……………I only mend when I must. I wouldn’t describe my stitch as whip stitch, nor would I describe it as straight for sure!! Lol
@Jarucha: A whip stitch is when you loop the thread around…so it’s similar to the spiral wire binding of a notebook.
@Banhannas: With knits, it’s a little trickier because the threads can unravel..so I do the whip stitch to rein in any loose threads.
@Callandra: I learned to sew at a younger age..so I guess it’s a bit of habit for me. =)
This just happened to a J. Crew sweater of mine. So nice to hear others aren’t simply tossing their garments!