No matter how well-loved your clothes and fabric items are, wear and tear is inevitable. Whether it’s a tiny hole, a large tear, or frayed fabric, knowing how to repair them can extend their lifespan and keep your garments looking great. Doing some basic repairs for your clothing is more accessible than you might think. With some basics, you can patch a hole with a piece of fabric and a running stitch or sew a ripped seam with a back stitch.This guide will take you through different types of fabric damage and the best ways to fix them.

In my previous blog on this subject I showed you how to use three types of stitches for basic repairs and I listed all the tools you need at hand for most hand sewing repairs at home or while traveling. You might want to read this blog and the Madam Sew series about hand sewing first to:

• Learn about the basic hand sewing tools and know their uses

• Know how to select and thread a hand needle

• Practice the essential hand stitches on some scraps

Sewing a hole can mean a lot of things. Some holes are easier to repair than others, some holes are tears, rips, loose seams or damaged fabric. Before jumping into a repair, take a moment to analyze the situation:

• Size of the hole or tear: Small holes may only need a few stitches, while larger ones may require reinforcement.

• Type of fabric: Delicate fabrics (silk, lace) need a different approach, tools and material than sturdy ones (denim, canvas). Use a thinner thread and needle for delicate fabric.

• Condition of the fabric: Is it fraying or unraveling? Weak fabric around the hole will need extra support.

• Location of the damage: A hole in a high-stress area (elbows, knees) requires a stronger repair than one in a more ‘decorative’ area (chest, shoulder).

• Visibility: If the repair is in a visible area, you probably want to use a subtle or a decorative mending technique.

And some holes or tears are maybe just not ‘repairable’ because they are too big, the fabric is too weak and will probably rip over and over again. Know that it is very hard to repair invisibly so realize that a little scar or a decorative little extra will probably replace the hole in your garment, but that is what makes it unique, right?

Gather your tools. For hand sewing repairs the basic tools are needle, thread and scissors. Read my blog post about how to put together a basic sewing kit.

Hand-sewing needles come in various sizes and shapes, each suited for different fabrics and types of damage. The two main elements to consider are needle type (shape and length) and needle size (thickness and eye size).

• Darning or Tapestry needles are long, blunt needles with a large eye for thicker darning thread or yarn. These are mainly used for adding stitches to socks and large holes in knitted fabrics like wool.

• Sharps needles can be used for general repairs like small holes in different fabrics. They have a medium length with a small sharp point for precision.

• Ballpoint needles are used for stretchy and fine knit fabrics like t-shirts, leggings or athletic wear. They have a rounded tip that glides between the knit fibers instead of piercing them.

• Leather or Glovers needles are used in leather repair. These are very sharp and sturdy.

Some extra information about thread. A general rule of thumb for repairs is to choose a thread that is as similar as possible to the material you are repairing.

1. Types of thread

• Cotton Thread: Ideal for lightweight fabrics like cotton shirts and linen.

• Polyester Thread: A versatile option that works well with synthetic and blended fabrics.

• Silk Thread: Best for delicate materials like silk or lightweight wool.

• Nylon Thread: Strong and slightly elastic, great for mending stretch fabrics.

• Wool Darning Thread: Best for repairing wool socks and knit sweaters.

• Embroidery Floss: Used for decorative repairs, often in visible mending.

2. Choosing the right thread thickness for your repair

• For thin, lightweight fabrics, use fine cotton or polyester thread.

• For denim or canvas, use heavy-duty polyester or upholstery thread.

• For stretchy fabrics, use nylon or polyester thread for flexibility.

• For wool socks or knit sweaters, use wool darning thread to blend in.

If you want to dive deeper in thread types, read this blog about thread weight or our tips for choosing quilting thread.

Depending on how big the repair area is and how well you can hold the fabric, an embroidery hoop can be a helpful tool to keep the fabric in place. For some fabrics a darning mushroom, darning egg or any rounded object (a tennis ball maybe) can provide the right tension.

If you are working with heavy-duty fabric and a thick needle, a thimble can protect your fingers.

Threading a needle can also be tricky and frustrating. To make that more manageable, there are needle threaders on the market to thread any needle more easily. When threading your needle, a good rule to follow is to cut about 18 inches of thread to prevent tangling.

A thimble protects your finger and can give a needle an extra push when working with multiple layers or heavier fabrics.

And always wash and dry your project before you start the repair.

For small holes, you can often use a simple stitch to pull the fabric back together.

1. Thread your needle with a matching or transparent thread color and tie a knot at the end.

2. Bring the edges together on the inside of the garment and stitch using small, even stitches across the hole to close the hole. You can use a simple running stitch (or a ladder stitch).

3. Secure the thread with a small knot on the underside of the fabric.

Other options are adding visible decorative stitches with embroidery floss or re-weaving the fabric. For re-weaving you use stitches in a grid pattern to mimic the fabric’s weave. I’ll explain this technique in the ‘bigger holes’ part lower in this blog post. If you did the repair and you still want to cover up the stitches, you can use a patch or iron a little HTV design on top like I did with my sweater. Below you can also see how I fixed and covered a small hole with embroidery floss.

Tears and rips vary in complexity depending on the fabric and how clean the tear is.

• A Tear along a seam: Use a backstitch or a ladder stitch to close the seam neatly from the inside. Use a matching color. When repairing a rip it is hard not to take in some fabric. You need to be able to grab the edges along the rip in order to close it. Use pins to mark and hold the new seam before you start sewing.

• When the edges are jagged or frayed - which is the case with most of the tears - it is best to reinforce the area with fusible interfacing or an extra piece of fabric on the back before sewing or mending the rip closed. Try not to wait too long to repair a tear. The longer you wait, the more unraveled the edges will become. Anyhow, it is always a good idea to use fusible interfacing, even if you don’t think the rip needs to be reinforced. It keeps the fabric in place neatly when you sew.

• For stretch fabric tears I would advise to use a zigzag stitch or stretch stitch to prevent further damage and keep the stretch where it is needed.

• Visible mending technique: Use embroidery stitches with heavier thread or decorative patches to cover the repair and turn the tear into a design element.

1. First iron the rip or tear on both sides of the fabric so the fabric comes together as much as possible and stays flat. Clean up the wound and cut loose threads away.

2. Cut a piece of fusible interfacing big enough so it covers the ripped area and adhere it to the inside of the garment on the tear.

3. Thread your hand needle with matching thread and sew some small stitches across the tear, a wide zigzag stitch, some parallel stitches or a ladder stitch, to keep the fabric together and the fusible interfacing in place. You can also use your sewing machine to do the stitching across the rip or tear.

I personally prefer a ladder stitch. It has the advantage that you can pull the stitching after you finish so the stitches disappear in the fabric. Remember not to overdo the stitching, especially if it is an area with little wear and tear. The more you can minimalize the stitching, the better. And don’t pull the stitches too hard. You don’t want your fabric to crease or bunch up.

When the surrounding fabric is weak, an invisible mend will not be possible. Re-weaving the fabric is probably the most durable option if you want to prolong the life of your favorite garment but you will see the stitches. For large holes in very visible places, you can also consider a decorative embroidery technique like sashiko or you can add a patch on the hole (see below). I used a basic sashiko design to cover a yellow spot on the pocket of my jeans.

Let me explain how this reweaving works for repairing holes. I used old black pants that were ripped and are also too small (I gained some weight :-() to demonstrate this technique with contrasting thread. Normally I would use black thread of course as you want to see the repair as little as possible. I also fixed a blue sweater but with the blue stitches blending in too well, you can’t see what I’m doing.

1. Clean up the ‘wound’ a bit by cutting off loose hanging threads.

2. Apply fusible interfacing to the back of the area to stabilize the fabric. Use black interfacing for darker fabrics and white for lighter ones. You can also apply a piece of knitted fabric similar to the main fabric with some fabric basting glue. That is what I did with the blue knitted sweater. If you are using heavier thread when repairing a hole in a knitted sweater (or darning a sock), reinforcing the fabric might not be necessary. You will re-weave the fabric with the thread only.

3. Thread your needle and knot and secure your thread. To get a nice result, not only the color of the thread is important but also the texture has to be as close as possible to the thread the fabric was made of. An embroidery hoop or darning mushroom can make it easier to keep the damaged fabric in place when dealing with some sturdy fabrics.

4. First sew a circle around the area you want to repair using a simple running stitch. I’m using brown thread on the light blue fabric so you can see the stitches clearly. Using the same color of thread makes the repair less visible but sometimes that doesn’t make it better. It is trial and error to know what works best for you.

5. Now we’ll sew a grid of stitches across the hole plus the weak fabric (grabbing the interfacing you may have added). First you create the warp, the vertical threads. Sew evenly spaced parallel stitches across the hole, slightly beyond the frayed edges. Keep the stitches loose enough so they don’t pull the fabric too tightly.

On the jeans I just kept to the parallel stitches and didn’t do the next step.

6. Then weave the weft (the horizontal threads) by turning your needle perpendicular and weaving through the vertical threads you’ve just stitched, going over and under the threads. On the next row, alternate the pattern going under the previous thread where you went over before, to create a woven patch. Be careful not to pull the stitches too tight to avoid puckering.

7. Continue weaving until the hole is fully covered.

8. Finish off with a knot on the inside.

You can also re-weave the fabric ‘less structured’ and sew over the weak fabric or hole with some interfacing with your sewing machine. In less visible places, like a crotch tear in your jeans for example, this technique is perfect.

If the fabric is too weak to be repaired you might want to consider replacing the fabric with a new piece of fabric all together. But that is not a quick repair and considered more advanced sewing because you will have to deconstruct the garment a bit. I haven’t done this in very visible places but I have replaced the fabric of side pockets of jeans that get a lot of wear and tear from carrying my husband’s keys and coins.

Patches can be used for both decorative and practical repairs. Having a little sew-on patch in your sewing kit can also be a solution for a quick fix on the road. For durable repairs, choose a patch that complements or contrasts the damaged fabric.

1. Choose a patch slightly larger than the hole.

2. Position the patch on the outside of the fabric.

3. Use a running stitch or blanket stitch to sew it securely in place.

You can find more details on how to attach a patch and the best techniques for sewing patches, in a blog I wrote some time ago.

If you’re in a rush, iron-on patches can provide a temporary fix. You can also buy good quality transparent adhesive patch fabric to repair waterproof materials of down jackets. For repairs with adhesive patches you can refer to the instructions that come with the patch material.

Darning socks is also a classic repair but one that is probably not practiced a lot any more. I’ve darned socks, a bit out of curiosity at first. I was wondering if it was hard to do, how long it would hold and how comfortable it would feel. I was amazed by the result and that the repairs last. I find it a very mindful thing to do. You can do it on the sofa in front of the television. After my initial enthusiasm weakened a bit, I decided to only darn the socks that are more expensive or special, woolen walking socks or colorful sports socks.  

To darn socks you need something to hold the fabric taught while you sew, a darning mushroom can be a good investment if you plan on doing it more than once. You can also use a light bulb or the lid of a jar. Insert the darning mushroom (or alternative) under the hole to stretch the fabric slightly and create a stable surface.

The steps for darning a sock are the same as the re-weaving technique I explained above to repair larger holes.

Some extra tips:

• If the sock is thick, use a slightly heavier thread to ensure durability.

• For decorative repairs, try using brightly colored or contrasting thread for a visible mending look.

• If the hole is very large, reinforce the area with an additional layer of fabric before darning.

With this method, your socks will last much longer!

Look at this video of me darning one of my son’s socks

Sewing a hole can mean many things and I’m sure that by mastering the basic hand sewing stitches and these repair techniques, you'll gain confidence in maintaining your clothes well. With a well-packed repair kit and these skills, you'll be able to sew most “holes” efficiently and sustainably, whether you're at home or on the go.

Looking for more specific mending resources? Take a look at the Repair What You Wear, a website full of interesting mending tutorials.

If you think of other situations that we haven’t dealt with here or you have questions that we can maybe help you with, just leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you.

Happy Sewing!

An
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