DIY - Repair That Hole!

I have a hole! It may be in a jacket lining, in a pocket, etc., but no matter what, it's a problem. If it's too late to return it, fix it yourself! Here's how! Photos and directions are included.

"I've got a hole in my jacket lining", said my husband Charlie. Of course, I am the seamstress for this family, so he knew I could fix it. He turned the jacket sleeve inside out so I could investigate.

Often when it first appears that a seam has torn, it actually wasn't sewn right in the first place. In this jacket sleeve, a 5/8" seam allowance was sewn on one side, and the other was sewn on the edge. Unacceptable! That seamstress needs to be in my Sewing Class! When both pieces of fabric are not even when sewn, as in this case, it may appear okay at first, but eventually the fabric threads pull apart, leaving a hole.

Unacceptable sewing!

So what do you do now? Wear it anyway? Return it? If it's too late to return it and you want to repair it, it's really not that hard. Here's how:

First, you will need to remove stitches back to where the uneven stitching began. A Seam Ripper works well for this. It is very sharp, so be careful!

Continue removing stitches until you get back to where the seam allowances were the same on both pieces of fabric. The amount of stitching to remove will vary. On this jacket, I had to remove about 7-1/2" of stitching.

Finally! Here's where the
sewing went wrong!

After the stitching is removed, measure and turn the fabric under as you press along the seam allowance. 

Ms. Nancy's Tip: Use a low heat setting on your iron, and test the fabric along the edge before pressing.

With seam allowances folded inside, pin the folded fabrics evenly together.

Machine (or handstitch) the seam, sewing on the edge and making sure you catch both fabrics in the stitching.

You may remove the pins as you go, or sew over them and remove when finished.

If you did not catch both fabrics in your stitching, sew a second row of stitching beside of the first.

In the picture below, the newly sewn seam is in the middle. It "blends in" with the fabric of the sleeve, making the jacket look new again!

Charlie's jacket is "almost new" again!

 

Ms. Nancy's Notes:

• Holes in pockets in lined jackets can be sewn the same way.
• If the clothing item does not have a lining, you will still need to remove stitches to where the uneven stitching began. Then you may be able to sew a regular seam on the back side of fabrics without edge-stitching on the top.

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