Tutorial - How to Darn a Large Hole in Jeans

Prolong the life of your old jeans

Tutorial at Threading My Way Blog

"What do you do with a pair of jeans that has a rather large hole? Refashioning or repurposing springs immediately to mind - salvage the unholy parts, and make them into something else. But that's not the only option. No matter how big the hole, it is possible to prolong the life of jeans by repairing them.  I recently discovered a rather large hole in a pair of my gardening jeans. Who knows how long I had been walking around with them like this! I wasn't prepared to relegate any of my everyday jeans to be worn in the garden, so fixing the hole was my only option".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Fix Stretched Ribbing

You'll need shirring elastic and large eyed needle

Tutorial at Threading My Way Blog

"I have to admit, I'm not overly keen on clothing alterations or mending a worn garment. To prolong the life of a garment, however, I'll overcome my lack of enthusiasm. Today's sewing involved one such task - fixing the stretched ribbing on the sleeves of a favorite cardigan. As far as mending goes, the fix was relatively easy.  This cardigan has served me well - I wear it a LOT - and apart from the stretched sleeves, it's still in good shape. I have a habit of pushing the sleeves up to my forearm, which has probably caused the cuffs to stretch. I'm also not particularly careful when I take it off - pulling it by the ribbing, which also wouldn't help".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Mend a Hole in Fabric Quickly

Non-sewist trick to sew a patch on a garment

Tutorial at Apple Green Cottage Blog

"I need to admit: I used a totally unprofessional sewing hack when sewing a jersey patch on a sleeve to make it easier. I'm still a bit ashamed of it. But it was totally worth it!  Want to see what it was? It made my project easy and quick.  There it was one day: a hole in the sleeve of my favorite, softest long-sleeve T-shirt. A quick solution was needed, so I found one".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Repair a Hole in a Backpack

Start by using the right needle for the material

Tutorial at Green Issues by Agy

"My son's haversack tore at the top.  Then it became a big hole.  And now the strap is loose as well!  This is what happens when repairs are left until the very last minute.  So I decided to fix it (now that the Maker Faire is over), and we even had a Haversack Fix It Friday last week. We had a very productive evening fixing holes, zippers, linings and even a strap!  Here are 5 tips I would like to share with you when repairing a haversack".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Fix Frayed Jean Hems

Mend those tired jean hems with a colorful blanket stitch

Tutorial at Green Issues by Agy Blog

"I've been very busy with workshops this month and I was away to spend time with my parents so Fix It Friday took a break, but we're back today. During the break, I realised how tatty the hems of the legs of my jeans had become - torn and with white strands coming out. It didn't look neat at all! These are the same pair I had done some sashiko mending - more on that in a later post! I had originally machine sewn a straight stitch across the bottom of the hem and even attempted a small blanket stitch but then realised that it wasn't going to do! So, I got a chenille needle and embroidered a blanket stitch across the bottom in an array of colours".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Darn Using Your Sewing Machine

You can use your machine to darn even without a programmed stitch

Darning Tutorial at Lefthanded Notions Blog

"Darning is easy, using your sewing machine. Most sewing machines these days have a darning stitch and with the correct machine foot (in my case, the buttonhole foot is used) you can mend your items very quickly.  I have a Janome 4800.  It comes with a multitude of stitches and ofcourse one of them is the darning stitch.  A pair of my well loved and well worn flannel pajamas have frayed underneath the buttons.   After removing the button, you can then easily mend it and then re- attach your button".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Mend Men's Trousers

Mend rather than throw away

Mend Men's Trousers Tutorial at Whoever Has the Most Fabric Blog

"When I go to the USA once a year, I buy my husband's trousers.  He is big and tall and many US brands cater for men of his size.  We both like Dockers, he because they look good and me because they require practically no ironing.  I usually lug home three pairs in my extra suitcase and I can tell you, they are heavy. When they get frayed at the hem, I reluctantly throw them away.  This time, I decided to mend a pair".... Read more