It is such a shame when you have a favourite item of clothing that starts to wear out because of the amount that it is worn. Most clothing is not made with the same quality fabrics and stitching as they were 50 years ago, and because of that they wear out much quicker. But that doesn’t mean they are unsalvageable! Since other people have already made fantastic tutorials on mending clothing, I will be linking them throughout my blog. See how you can do some simple repairs below:
1. Socks
Photo from The Spruce Crafts
Socks may not be your most favourite item of clothing, but they are necessary in colder climates and do wear out quickly, but usually just in the toes or the heel. There is still so much fabric that is useful, so why not try to extend the life of your sock as much as you can? Cue in darning, which is a sewing technique for repairing holds in worn areas of fabric or knitting using a needle and thread, and is the perfect repair for hole-y socks! All you need is a needle, thread of a similar colour (or contrasting colour if that’s your style!), scissors, and a round object like a tennis ball if you don’t have a darning egg. To get started, check out this tutorial by The Spruce Crafts!
2. Replacing a button
Losing a button on a favourite shirt is so distressing and may cause you to stop wearing that item until it sits long forgotten at the back of your closet! To avoid this fate, keep your item to be mended out in the open so you remember to repair it. Buttons are an easy fix, as shown in this tutorial on Instructables.com, which cover both shank and flat buttons.
3. Mending Jeans – Inner Thigh
Anyone who has thighs that rub together knows the struggle of jeans wearing out in the inner-thigh area first, and they can’t even become cut offs because they would be too short! Instead of tossing your jeans, check out this amazing technique to reinforce and repair them, and do it sooner rather than later to make it less noticeable! Video tutorial by WonderFil Threads. Another tip to prevent your jeans from wearing out is to wear hosiery, slip shorts or control shorts under your jeans to prevent rubbing.
4. Hemming
Image from Threads Magazine
If you have found an amazing pair of pants at your local thrift store, but they are a bit too long, try hemming them! This is great skill to know, so your pants do not become worn and ragged at the bottom. Follow this tutorial by Threads Magazine to hem your item of clothing.
5. Zipper Issues
Zippers can have so many issues: being too loose and unzipping, getting stuck, splitting, one of the teeth breaking etc. But there are simple ways to repair zippers, and you can even go so far as to replace entire zipper units or parts to ensure you can still wear your favourite hoodie. Read this guide by Sew Guide to fix those finicky zippers!
If you do not want to repair an item of clothing yourself, post it online for free with the damages listed in the post for people who are crafty and would love a project and an inexpensive clothing item at the end! Although it takes more effort to repair clothing items, we should all try to do our part to reduce the amount of clothing that gets sent to landfill.
