When fabric or clothing that you own comes apart at a seam, you can fix it by mending the seam.
Table of Contents
Iron the Fabric
Before you mend the seam, iron the item to prevent wrinkles from being embedded in the seam as you mend. Before you iron, fold the fabric so that the right sides (the sides that will be visible) face each other and their edges align.
Pin the Seams
If the break in the seam is smaller than 4″, you can probably mend it without pinning the fabric. If the break is larger than 4″ or is in a spot that seems likely to shift as you work, you should pin the pieces of fabric together. To pin the seams:
- Pin the two pieces of fabric together so that the right sides face each other and the edges of the fabric align.
- At right angles to the edge of the fabric, insert pins at 1–2″ intervals through both pieces of fabric.
Mend the Seam
To mend the seam, follow these three steps:
- With a needle and knotted thread, bring the needle up through the two pieces of fabric joined by the seam just before the spot where the seam broke.
- Work the backstitch for the length of the open seam, removing pins as the stitching passes them.
- Take one or two additional stitches beyond the end of the torn seam. Tie the thread in a knot and clip the tail.
