Common repairs

Reinforce Areas Prone to Wear

Strengthen thinning fabric before it holes, at inner thighs, elbows, knees and pocket corners. Hand stitching is preferable on thin areas, since you control the tension. Machine rows are faster for a large flat area.

Confident Beginner35 minHand or machine

What you will learn

Spotting thin fabric
Backing a weak area
Stitching rows to spread wear

Materials and tools

Before you start

Assess the damage. Hold the garment up to the light. Thin patches look pale or see-through. Rub the fabric: if it feels papery, it is ready to reinforce.
Mark the thin area with chalk, and extend 1 in (25 mm) beyond into sound fabric.
Decide if it is too late. If threads are breaking or a hole has begun, use rep-small-hole, rep-darn-knit or rep-denim-hole.
Think about the garment. Reinforcing adds stiffness and may show as a patch or lines. On a stretchy garment, use a stretch backing and loose stitching.

Step by step

Turn the garment inside out. Cut a patch of interfacing or cotton the size of the marked area, with rounded corners.
For fusible: place the sticky side on the wrong side of the fabric and press with a cloth for 10 to 15 seconds. For fabric: pin it flat.
Stitch through both layers in parallel rows 1/4 in (6 mm) apart, running in the direction of the stress. Use running stitches by hand or a straight machine stitch.
Running stitches in rows, each about 1/8 in (3 mm) long.
Sew a second set of rows crossing the first at a slant to make a light grid. This spreads the strain.
Stitch around the edge of the patch if you used fabric, to stop the edge lifting.
Secure the thread on the wrong side with a small knot and trim.
Press from the wrong side. Try the garment on and flex the area to check it moves.

Tips for a neat result

Do the repair early. It is easier to reinforce than to patch a hole.
Match the weight of the backing to the garment.
For inner thighs, run stitches in the direction of the rub.

Common mistakes and fixes

The area feels stiff.

The backing is too heavy or the rows too close. Use lighter material and wider spacing.

Stitching shows on the right side.

Stitches go through to the face. This can be a feature, or stitch by hand and catch only a thread or two of the outer fabric.

The fabric wears at the edge of the patch.

The patch ends where the fabric is thin. Extend it further.

Safety and fabric care

Check the care label, use a press cloth and test fusibles on a hidden area. Keep fingers clear of the machine needle.

Check your result

The thin area feels firm but still flexes.
Stitching is even and neat.
The patch edges are flat.

Stop it happening againRotate garments, wash inside out, avoid rough surfaces, and check high-wear areas once a season.

When to use a professionalTake expensive, vintage or tailored garments to a repair shop, where a specialist can back the area invisibly.

Projects that use this

Darn a Hole in a Sweater or SockConfident Beginner40 min Reinforce a Worn Pocket CornerConfident Beginner15 min Patch Jeans With an Outside PatchConfident Beginner45 min Mend a Hole in Denim From the InsideIntermediate45 min