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March 23, 2009

How-To: Crochet Patches

March Mending Month

Crochet Patches
By Andrea Dunlap

A few years ago when I was working on a documentary in Peru, I only had a few pairs of nice hiking socks with me and one of them got a hole. I didn't have a sewing needle or thread, but I did have a set of crochet hooks and access to some beautiful, hand-spun alpaca yarn. I developed a method of patching that typically considerably outlasts the machine-made life of the rest of the garment.

I wouldn't call myself a great crafter, though I enjoy it; to be honest, the idea of following a pattern to crochet, say, a sweater really sends me running (all that counting!). If there are any experts out there who have ideas for improving the technique, please leave ideas in the comments!

As for me, I find it encouraging not to follow a pattern, to just throw myself at this hole problem headlong and come out with a glorious piece of art. I patched an old thermal my boyfriend had and it became his favorite shirt. When I was broke after I came back from filming my documentary, a friend paid me to patch every item of clothing he owned that had holes in it.

To start, you need a pair of scissors, a crochet hook that fits your yarn approximately, yarn (a gauge close to that of your garment is good but not necessary), and a hole.

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How-To: Mend Broken Jewelry

(Photo by: Burcu Avsar + Zach DeSar from the book, Button It Up)

How to Mend Broken Jewelry
By Susan Beal

Mending your own jewelry can be easy to do. If a pendant chain snaps, a clasp comes off a necklace, or you need to replace an earring wire, a few basic techniques can get your favorite pieces right back into heavy rotation. Make sure you have some basic tools and materials on hand, and you're all set to fix things up!

Here are a few simple techniques to try, depending on the way your piece has broken.

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How-To: Mend Peeling Sandals

Shoes fall apart, sometimes before their time. Instructables user sk8ter20art made a guide to repairing sandals with a peeling footbed.

March 21, 2009

Week 3 of Mending Month

Header Mendingmonth
Week3 Mendingmonth
Here's a roundup of this week's Mending Month posts. Stay tuned! We aren't even done yet. There's lots more mending to come next week as well.

Susan Beal shows you how to mend a bed sheet.
Learn how to mend torn upholstery in Diane Gilleland's tutorial.
Arwen's Patch 101 goes over the many ways you can cover up those unsightly tears.
Shawn teaches us that kids can sign the darnedest things with her pants patching how-to.
Becky shows you how to mend your ripped jeans with stylish stitches.

How-To: Patching Pants with Stylish Stitches

Here's yet another way to patch a hole in a pair of pants. I was inspired by a pair of jeans I saw on my friend Gina, and I asked her, "did you do that?" She said, "no, I bought them this way." So here's a way to use lots of zigzag stitches to patch up a hole in a pair of pants. Read on for the complete tutorial!

More:

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March 19, 2009

Mending a Moth-Eaten Cardigan

I love the sweet, delicate feel of this revamped cardigan posted on thimbly things. It ties in beautifully with our Mending Month.

I can't afford to buy a new wardrobe each season (or even each year). But I can fix and/or refashion what I have and make clothes from scratch.

With a small scrap of fabric and a little stitching, the moth-eaten cardigan has taken on a new life.

[ via Feeling Stitchy ]

How-To: Add Flair to Your Pants with Patches

March Mending Month

Here's an embarrassing story that should in no way deter from you using this easy fix to extend the life of your clothes. Several years ago I used a small purple flower to patch a hole in a pair of my favorite pants. The tear was at the spot where your upper thigh meets your buttocks. OK, on the butt; I think I sat down on a nail or something.

Anyway, fast-forward a few years. I now have an almost 2-year-old to whom we're teaching sign language. The "sign" for flower is unfortunately made by scrunching up your nose and sniffing. Arlo learned this sign quite easily and showed his mastery of it by following me around sniffing loudly and sometimes pointing at my behind whenever I wore my patched pants. Imagine walking around in Safeway with a toddler following behind you at butt level, pointing and sniffing. Years later, the entire family sniffs and points whenever I wear any pants with a patch on them. Hilarious. Nonetheless, I do not waiver in my love of the well-placed patch. Patches make cheap (and small) souvenirs, and I often use cloth flowers and stars I find in the scrapbook section.

On a recent family trip, Arlo picked out a couple of patches as souvenirs. Then a fabulous Girl Scout badge emblazoned with Maker Faire showed up at the office, and I knew it was time to repair the knees in some torn jeans. Such an easy way to get that thrill of accomplishment while saving money and personalizing your clothes!

Heat your iron to cotton setting. Grab an old hand towel or dust rag to help with the process.

Put your patch, face side down, inside the piece of clothing, which is turned inside out. Center the patch under the hole you want to cover, so that you're looking at the sticky backside of the patch through the hole or tear.

Lay the towel over the hole, making sure to cover the entire area of the patch. Press the hot iron onto the towel, but don't move it side to side. Pick up and press down the hot iron repeatedly for about 5 minutes. Some people recommend ironing the patch in this way for up to 15 minutes, but I don't have the patience, and 5 minutes seems to work.

Turn the pants right side out and do the same on this side — cover the patch with a towel and iron for 5 minutes. Take care to focus on the edges and corners to really push them down.

Pick up the towel and check to see that your patch is attached to your pants. If it looks secure, you're done. If not, stitch a few small stitches at strategic spots around the patch for added security. I've done this at the tips of a 5-point star and at the 4 corners of a square souvenir patch, and it's always held up nicely.

If, after several washes, the edges of the patch starts to curl up, you can repeat the ironing process and then add some strategic stitches.

How-To: Repair Ripped Out Slipcover Seams

Curblykarin Scushioncover 007A.Jpg

Mending is catching on everywhere these days as ModHomeEcTeacher on Curbly shows you how to repair ripped out slipcover seams.

See more related mending posts in our Mending Month archives.

March 18, 2009

Patch 101

March Mending Month

Patching is a great way to extend the life of an item of clothing that had a run-in with a nail or is simply getting a little worn out. While a really great piece of fabric or store-bought patch can rescue something headed for the scrap pile, sometimes you want a little more subtlety. In this how-to, I'll show you how to repair two types of holes from the back: a tear and a worn-out hole. (Funnily enough, I noticed that all of my husband's pants in need of repair have tears, and all of mine are worn through. Read into that what you will about how we spend our leisure time!)

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March 17, 2009

How-To: Mend Torn Upholstery

March Mending Month

How-To: Mend Torn Upholstery
By Diane Gilleland

If you have a sofa or chair with a rip in the cushion, don't despair! Torn upholstery can be simple to fix with the right tools and a little care.

Materials:
Use a very strong nylon thread for this project, and a curved needle. This kind of needle is usually packaged as a "mattress needle" or "upholstery needle." The curved shape allows you to sew easily on a flat surface, like a sofa cushion.

You can also make your own curved needle by bending a crewel embroidery needle with needlenose pliers. It won't be perfect, but it will do the job.

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March 16, 2009

How-To: Mend a Bed Sheet

March Mending Month

How to Mend a Bed Sheet By Susan Beal

If a sheet, comforter cover, or pillowcase gets torn, you can mend it by hand quickly and easily with a series of tiny stitches. Just grab a needle and thread and a pair of sharp scissors, and in just a few minutes you'll have a neatly mended sheet ready to go right back in the linen closet!

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March 15, 2009

How-To: Resize an 80's Sweater

Julie at Julie-Bird resizes an 80's sweater in five easy steps by using a sewing machine. It's a great way to mend those worn out large sweaters you have to keep them going!

March 14, 2009

Week 2 of March Mending Month

March Mending Month

This week we continued our Mending Month projects where Becky and Rachel went mano-a-mano in the "Wash Off". It's been great for all of us to see all the fun comments and sugesstions on how to get those pesky stains out of our shirts. Thank you!

In case you missed any of it, here's a roundup of all the mending posts this week:

Wash Off 2009: Becky tried to get out stains with baking soda while Rachel works wonders with Oxy Clean.
Arwen has some stain removal tips.
Tiffany Threadgould covers up her skirt stain with fabric yo-yos.
Arwen posts up some extra upholstery tricks from a previous CRAFT 101 on upholstery.
Becky's Ask CRAFT helps a Laura with her cat scratched couch.
Cathy Callahan reminisces about those 70's iron-on patches in her Old School column.

Wash-Off: Fighting Sweat Stains with OxiClean

March Mending Month

As fellow online editor Becky Stern pointed out on Monday, she and I are both "sweaty ladies in hot climates." In fact, though I adore living in Austin, Texas, I dread when the temperatures start creeping up, because I know it means my shirts are going to take a beating from all the perspiration.

Becky started tackling the yellowed underarms of her shirts with baking soda, and had minimal success. She received loads of great comments and suggestions, though, and is investigating several of them and will report back soon.

Now it was my turn to hit the pits, and my weapon is none other than OxiClean, which actually was commented on in Becky's original post. I just took a cup of warm water and scooped a bit of OxiClean powder in, and stirred it with an old toothbrush until it was dissolved.

I first scrubbed one underarm of a white T-shirt. It's hard to get a picture of the yellowing, but trust me it was there. I scrubbed the solution into the fabric for a few minutes, and let it sit a few minutes longer. I also scrubbed the underarms of a dark T-shirt that had become discolored and hardened from deodorant residue.

After some scrubbing and sitting, I popped the shirts into the wash and washed them as I normally would. The results were pretty impressive. On the white shirt, it cleared most of the yellowing. I imagine if I'd let it sit a little longer, or perhaps let it soak overnight in the washing machine (which a friend suggested after I'd tried this) it may have come out completely. In the picture below, you can see the difference between one underarm and the other — this is on the same shirt, but I just did one underarm.

The clearest results, though, came on the dark T-shirt. That unsightly darkened and hardened patch was completely gone. I was ecstatic! This is a shirt I'd banned to just wearing around the house because it looked so gross. Now it's back to normal. Hurrah!

I'm still interested in trying to clean some other stuff with the OxiClean. Several friends swear by pretreating and then soaking in OxiClean overnight for amazing results. My kids have some seriously stained clothes, so I'm eyeing them next. Have you had similar results with OxiClean or other specialty detergents? Leave them in the comments!

How-To: Stitch Broken Plastic Bins

Instructables user MechEngineerMike writes:

Have you ever had a broken/ cracked recycling bin or other large palatic storage bin? Of course you have! SO pay attention to learn how to get more use out of your stuff and keep it out of the LANDFILL. (ewww) This instructible will show you how to "stitch" a broken plastic box back together!

More:

How-To: Strengthen and Enhance a Recycle Bin

March 11, 2009

Ask CRAFT: Cat-Scratched Couch

Dear Becky,

I have something I would like to mend this month (and it is Mending Month) -- my sofa. My awesome and sweet cat, Flaquita, has spent years scratching at the upholstery. On the back corners you can see some stuffing and framing. I plan to keep my sofa, but I really would like to cover up the corners that my cat has macked. I am not a slipcover girl and my sewing skills leave something to be desired but I can always try.

Laura
New York, N.Y.
http://ladylulu.wordpress.com

Laura, it happens to us all. Here's mine:

Sweet Beatrice just loves this chair so much, she tears it to shreds. I can show you how to mend it if you can get the pieces of fabric to line up, but yours looks a little further gone. Use the tips and sewing technique below, but you're going to have to use an inset piece of matching fabric. Maybe there's an extra piece you could cannibalize from another part of the couch (under the cushion, perhaps?). Otherwise, snip off part of the fraying bit as a swatch and go hunting for a match. Since you live in NYC, see if the folks at Mood can help you find the right one. Once you find it, cut off the damaged bits from the couch and patch it using an invisible stitch. This method doesn't make the patch sit above the base fabric, but lay flat with it, so you should hardly notice when you're done. Read on to see how!

If you have a crafty question, send it to me at becky@craftzine.com. You can record a video, send me pictures, or use just text; ask any way you like! Check out this post about Ask CRAFT for more info.

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Stain Removal Tips

March Mending Month

A few years ago, I wrote a stain removal article for our sibling publication, MAKE magazine, and I thought I'd re-post it here with some updated tricks in the spirit of Mending Month!

Both absent-minded and a klutz, I have had my fair share of debilitating stains over the years, and have had to cultivate every stain tip I could get my hands on, even trying tricks from old, dusty, out-of-print books. Growing up, my dad always had the answers, often passed down from my grandmother, but calling home every time I spilled started to get ridiculous. The internet has made all this hugely easier, so now every time I run into something new, I go online and see which tips make the most sense to me. I still remember the awe of watching blackberry juice vanish as if it had never been under a stream of boiling water, or nervously dousing a splotch of olive oil with talcum powder on my favorite shirt and having it come clean in the wash the next day. Removing stains doesn't have to be hard; usually it's just a question of knowing the right chemistry.

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Fabric Yo-Yo Cover-Up

March Mending Month

Fabric Yo-Yo Cover-Up
Give that skirt another go with scrap fabric yo-yos.

By Tiffany Threadgould

Have a stain on your favorite skirt? Give it a pick-me-up and make it better with interchangeable fabric yo-yos. Fabric yo-yos were popular in the 19th century as a way to reuse scraps of fabric. Now they can be used as a playful addition to cover up stains and holes. Mix them, match them, and get ready to yo-yo.

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March 10, 2009

Cathy Callahan's Old School: Iron-On Patches

I just hated it when my mom used iron-on patches to "fix" my clothes. I was so embarrassed to wear something that had been patched in that manner: the patches were hard and scratchy (especially when applied inside a garment) and usually ended up falling off. As soon as I was old enough to do my own mending, I stitched on embroidered appliques (like a turtle or a daisy) that I purchased at the fabric shop using my allowance. Heck, I loved those things so much I even stitched them on things that didn't need mending.

Pictured above are a few packages of iron-on patches I found at my mom's house. I actually think she might have used the drawing on that Sturdy Brand package as a style guide for the way she dressed me. There are pictures of me dressed in almost that exact same outfit. I absolutely adore the graphic design, color palette, and illustrations. Wouldn't you just love to walk into Jo-Ann's today and see a whole rack of packages that looked like these?

I am actually kind of fascinated by the Plasti-Stitch corduroy patches. Were they meant to blend in seamlessly and look like you never had a hole in your pants? Or could you go wild and do a little mixing and matching? Perhaps you could tone down your plaid pants a bit by adding a little gray corduroy patch. The back of the package lists purple, olive green, maroo,n and gold as other available colors. Wow!

Let's take a closer look at the Touch O' Magic package: "Use on new jeans for longer wear..." I love their approach to "preventative" patching. But why not wait until you actually have a hole? And isn't the very nature of denim its strength? Iron-on patch sales must have been down in 1968, so those folks at Sandrew, Inc. (makers of Touch O' Magic) of Streetsboro, Ohio, had to come up with new ways to sell their product.

Since my father (a warehouse worker) and I (a klutz) were deemed to be "hard" on our clothes, there was always a stockpile of iron-on patches in my mom's sewing room. Don't get me wrong — it's not that I'm suggesting that my mom was not skilled at mending (she was an amazing seamstress); I rather think she liked the convenience they afforded and was probably swayed by their marketing. Who wouldn't be? How easy to just plug in the iron, cut the patch to size, and press for 40 seconds.

And they were GUARANTEED.

Then why did they often fall off? At least then you could try to put another one on. But the worst was when the adhesive gave out only around the edges (and yes this still did happen even when you rounded the corners) and they curled up. Once that happened, the garment was history because the center of the patch was now stuck on the hole and you couldn't get it up to put a new one on without making a bigger rip. Well I guess you could have just used another, bigger patch.

"This Sturdy Brand Patch is guaranteed to last for the life of the garment to which it is applied. If unsatisfactory, return package and unused portion to manufacturer for replacement or refund."

That must have been why my mom saved all of these Iron-on patch packages. She didn't want to void her warranty.

About the author:
Cathy Callahan is a crafter and window dresser who draws inspiration from vintage crafts. She blogs about 1960s and 1970s crafts at cathyofcalifornia.typepad.com.

Cathy on MARTHA 3/11:
Set your DVRs! Cathy Callahan will be on MARTHA tomorrow, March 11th. She will be showing Martha Stewart how to make vintage flower loom flowers. The main theme of the show is the 50th anniversary of Lily Pulitzer. Check your local listings for show times.

Tourniquet Patch

CRAFT reader Ingrid points us to Turkey Feathers' Tourniquet Patch for March Mending Month. I love the quote she writes for it, "A fashion statement for the new economy." You'll also want to catch her post before this on her ripped jeans.

< Previous | Mending Home | Next >

Craft:

How-To: Crochet Patches

How-To: Mend Broken Jewelry

How-To: Mend Peeling Sandals

Week 3 of Mending Month

How-To: Patching Pants with Stylish Stitches

Mending a Moth-Eaten Cardigan

How-To: Add Flair to Your Pants with Patches

How-To: Repair Ripped Out Slipcover Seams

Patch 101

How-To: Mend Torn Upholstery

How-To: Mend a Bed Sheet

How-To: Resize an 80's Sweater

Week 2 of March Mending Month

Wash-Off: Fighting Sweat Stains with OxiClean

How-To: Stitch Broken Plastic Bins

Ask CRAFT: Cat-Scratched Couch

Stain Removal Tips

Fabric Yo-Yo Cover-Up

Fabric Yo-Yo Cover-Up
Give that skirt another go with scrap fabric yo-yos.

Cathy Callahan's Old School: Iron-On Patches

Tourniquet Patch

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Fabric Yo-Yo Cover-Up Give that skirt another go with scrap fabric yo-yos.

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Fabric Yo-Yo Cover-Up
Give that skirt another go with scrap fabric yo-yos.