Fixing a Hole

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Simple mending can save a piece of clothing from the rag bag or trash.  Usually it just takes a couple of minutes, but thinking about doing the mending is hard.  Just do it!  You’ll be so glad you did.

My daughter’s favorite shorts had a drawstring with eyelet holes.  One of the eyeles ripped out and left a hole that threatened to get bigger.  Normally I would have slipped it into my mending basket and left it to sit until they no longer fit.  Fortunately my daughter needed them for camp and I had to act fast.

1.  First I removed the drawstring which was for style only and not really functional.

2.  Then I used a scrap of fusible interfacing on the front and back to reinforce the torn fabric.

3.  Then I picked a scrap of fabric from my stash and ironed a piece of Wonder Under Regular-Weight Paper-Backed Fusible Web to the scrap.

4.  The Wonder Under has a paper backing that is easy to draw on.  I used a pencil to draw a heart shape patch and then cut the fabric on the pencil lines.  (It’s so much easier to cut out fusible shapes after the wonder under is fused to the fabric than to cut the shapes first.)

5.  I peeled off the paper backing and ironed the patch over the hole.  I set my machine to a satin stitch (a zig-zag with a width of 3.0 and a length of .5) and top stitched all around the edge.   It’s not perfect, but it’s sturdy and the whole process took about 5 minutes. 

Fixing a Waistband

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My son is blessed with a thin waist and has been able to wear the same swimming trunks for 3 years. Finally chlorine rotted the stretch right out of the elastic and he couldn’t hold his trunks up any more. My first thought was to pitch them and buy a new pair, but finding time to go to the store was harder than just fixing them.

I use this same method to add elastic to the back of garage sale found jeans and slacks too. It helps the kids wear a wider variety of sizes.

Note 1:  Since this was a real mending job, my thread matches perfectly and may be hard to see.  You can click on the pictures to enlarge them and see more details. 

Note 2:  I keep a stash of basic mending supplies that I purchase when the thread and notion walls are half off.  My stash includes hanks of elastic in all sizes ($.50-$1 each) basic colors of thread:  red, black, khaki, navy, white, pink etc.,  interfacing, and sewing machine needles in all sizes and types.  This allows me to do quick sewing and mending without a trip to the store and I never have to pay full price for notions!

Step 1. Use a seam ripper to cut a slit in the inside of the waistband at each side seam.

Make a hole with the seam ripper

Step 2. Measure the width of the opening and choose elastic that is about 1/8 in narrower. Slip a pin in one end and pull it through the waistband. (Wait to cut the length of elastic until the end.)

Use a pin to slide the elastic through

Step 3. Set your machine to a wide satin stitch (a zigzag with a very short stitch, so the stitches lay right beside each other.) Satin stitch over the hole you cut, catching the end of the elastic to secure.

Fix a Waistband Step 3

Pin the elastic in place before satin stitching

Step 4. Adjust the gathers in the back to be even and trim the elastic to the desired length. Satin stitch over the other end to secure and repair the hole.

Satin stitch over the hole

Step 5. Straight stitch through the center back of the elastic to keep it from twisting.

Confession:  After the mending, he wore them once and we plan to donate them to Diabled Veterans instead of throwing them in the trash since the fabric is still good and the elastic gave them years of new life. I thought he deserved a bigger pair of trunks and this time of year is the perfect time to buy a swimming suit. They are on clearance for less than thrift store prices!