Craftzine.com blog: Mending Archives

Archive: Mending

February 19, 2010

Quick Knitting Tip: Pick Up a Dropped Stitch

Fixing mistakes in your knitting can be frustrating! Learn how to use a latch hook tool to pick up a dropped stitch that has run down several rows in this CRAFT Video. Got tips for fixing mistakes in your knitting? Post them up in the comments!

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, watch it on YouTube, Vimeo, Blip, or download the m4v video.

February 1, 2010

How-To: Remove Acrylic Paint From Clothing

I can't tell you how many pieces of clothing in our house have been ruined with acrylic paint spills (especially in the case of my kids). Claudine Hellmuth shares a quick method that she says works to remove acrylic paint from clothes about 99% of the time. I like those odds, and will be sure to try this the next time we have a spill!

December 28, 2009

Mending Projects

After the mad holiday rush and family events, I always find that the days leading up to New Year's is a perfect time to fix things that have been broken when I never had the time. I'm about to mend my husband's sweater with elbow patches with Jenny Ryan's tutorial.

Here are some of my favorites mending projects:

See all of our mending projects on CRAFT.

October 28, 2009

Ask CRAFT: Replacing a Peacoat's Lining

If you have a question for Ask CRAFT, shoot me an email at becky@craftzine.com, or drop us a note on Twitter! We'd love to answer your crafty questions on any topic: technique, projects, crafty culture, or anything else! Each week the answers are here; include your name, where you're from, and your website or blog if you have one!

Lauren Venell writes in:

I have a wool peacoat that has held up perfectly on the outside, but the lining is literally in shreds. How can I replace the lining in time for winter without having to sew the whole thing in by hand? I cannot for the life of me figure out how the lining was sewn in by machine without stitches showing on the outside of the coat.

Coat linings are sewn in with the coat entirely inside-out. Just like a plush toy, a small opening is left somewhere so that it can be turned right side out, then the hole is hand sewn shut. This hole is usually somewhere along the bottom edge of the lining. Open it up with a seam ripper and reverse the entire thing. You'll then see that the lining is sewn by machine to the outer layers of the coat. Use your seam ripper again to free the old lining, and even use it to construct a pattern for the new lining. Best of luck to you! As you can see from these pictures, I'm facing the exact same problem with my vintage peacoat.

October 22, 2009

Shoe Repair Tips + Interview with Vince Pacheo

Shoes. We all love them and covet more of them. Am I right or am I right? But in this economy, shoe repair shops have flourished as many choose to get their worn or broken shoes repaired, rather than shelling out dough for a new pair. No one is busier than Vince Pacheo, owner of Vinny's A-1 Shoe Repair in Sonoma, CA. Trained by his father in the craft of being a cobbler, I talked to Vince about his work and he graciously shares with us tips on how to fix our old shoes.

Vinny's A-1 Shoe Repair
500 West Napa St Ste. 516
Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 996-6877
vinnytheshoe.blogspot.com

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September 1, 2009

How-To: Repair an Old Backpack

Back to school is a great slogan for selling things. Every fall a frenzy of shopping begins and old and worn supplies are replaced with something brand spankin' new. Last year's clothes are outgrown, last year's lunchbox was misplaced, last year's backpack is filthy and broken. Manufacturers know this, and they capitalize on it. As consumers, we can change that pattern. Instead of buying something new for back to school, try mending, renewing, and repairing something. My old backpack was almost worthless. The zipper was broken, the clips were broken, and it was filthy. Instead of replacing it, I set to work fixing it up. It is a very rewarding process, proving that a little elbow grease always beats spending hard-earned dollars.

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August 20, 2009

Remarkable Repairs

Check out these inspiring entries to Platform 21's Remarkable Repairs contest, from furniture and fashion to musical instruments and appliances. Via Core77.

July 27, 2009

Broken Key Fix

Brokenkeyfix
With all the plastic key toppers for cars these days, here's a crafty broken key fix from Swamp Yankees from Outer Space. (Thanks Laura!)

July 3, 2009

How-To: Repair Burns on Carpet

If you have cigarette burns, soldering iron burns, or other spot-based burns on your carpet, instructables user west49rules has a solution!

April 20, 2009

Mending Kit Pattern from Craft Leftovers

Kristin at Craft Leftovers has put together a simple tutorial for this sweet little mending kit. I love the idea of keeping a handmade mending kit handy as opposed to schlepping around a generic hotel version.

March 31, 2009

March Mending Month Recap

March Mending Month

Mendingmonth Week5
We hope you enjoyed Mending Month! We loved bringing you the projects and having a chance to mend our own pieces at the same time. Thank you dear readers for all the feedback, tips, and blog posts that you've sent in to us. Check the mending archives for all the posts we covered. Here's a recap of what we did this final week this month (aka these last 2 days).

Week 5:

Natalie has a quick tip on a special mending tool: clear nail polish!

Becky illustrates how you can mend your stretched or ripped button holes.

How-To: Mend Your Umbrella

I've forgotten what my umbrella looks like while living here in Phoenix, but I know not everybody is so fortunate, and it's really frustrating when they break. BurdaStyle has a tutorial up for repairing the break illustrated above.

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