We all have them. Those favourite pieces of clothing that have been gradually pushed to the back of the drawer or the wardrobe because you have a hole or a rip in them or they may have just lost a button. Well, you can go and dig them out because I’ll be sharing 10 tutorials that can help you fix a rip, mend a zip and sew on a button!
How to Hem Pants
Let’s start with hemming pants. If you’re short like me you have to hem every.single.pair.of.new.pants….or trousers or whatever you call them in your part of the world. Sigh. Sometimes pants just unhem themselves.
How to Hem Pants by Hand
If you don’t have access to a sewing machine then you can always find a needle and thread and hem by hand. I ‘ve made a step by step video and photo tutorial to hem pants by hand for the complete beginner.
How to Hem Pants with a Sewing Machine
If you have a sewing machine then you can get a really nice finish by hemming your pants using a straight stitch on the sewing machine, which includes full video and photo instructions.
This is my favourite method of hemming pants!
If you want to mend a pair of mends trouser pants and don’t want the seam line to be seen on the out side, then hemming them by hand may be a better option or you could always try using the blind hem stitch on your sewing machine.
How to Replace a Zipper on Jeans
Vicky, from Vicky Myers Creations, has made a great video tutorial for replacing the zip in a pair of jeans. How many pairs of jeans have you thrown out just because the zip had broken! Not anymore. This repair job is done by hand so you’ll only need a needle and thread.
Sewing on a Button
This is an older tutorial of mine, but it does include a video tutorial for how to sew on a button, so the pictures aren’t great but the video explains the process pretty well. Some shirts and dresses even have an extra button hidden on the inside seam so it always pays to take a look if you’ve completely lost the button and you can’t find a match.
The Best Stitch Ever for Everything!
The ladder stitch, or also know as an invisible stitch, is perfect for sewing up holes along seams without leaving any evidence of a hole in the first place! I’ve got a step by step video tutorial for this stitch and it’s well worth checking out because you can use this stitch for so many things.
Mending Rips in Jeans
Lisa, from Cucicucicoo, show you how to mend rips in jeans even if they occur at the knee! You’ll need a sewing machine for this methods, but it looks so good when you’re done.
Mending Rips in T-Shirts or Jumpers
How many times have you caught your clothing on something and ended up with a huge rip like the one in the picture above? I’ve created a video tutorial to show you how to fix those rips in clothes and make it almost look like it wasn’t there to begin with.
Mending Rips in Multilayer Clothes
If you have a puffer coat or those lined track suit pants, you would have to sew through all the layers to mend the hole. This video above shows you a great solution to stop the tear from getting any bigger. It’s a no-sew option and all you’ll need are some scissors and an iron!
Mending a Small Hole in a T-Shirt
The above video is a great way to mend small holes in t-shirts. The first method is very similar the one used for the Puffer Coat and it’s a no-sew. The second option is a hand sewing option so you would need a needle and thread.
Mending a Tear in a Seam
This last video shows you how you can mend a tear along a seam by hand. This is a common occurrence with knit tops. You can resew the seam from the inside, but if you have just a needle and thread handy then this tutorial will show you how to do it by hand, which is still quite effective.
There;’s many other ways to mend those holes and rips and other dilemmas with clothes, but these tutorials should cover most of your essential mending needs.
Let me know if I’ve missed any technique that would be great for a beginning sewer when it comes to mending clothes.
Until next time, happy sewing!
Domenica
