How do I repair clothes without a sewing machine?
Hems, seams, holes and buttons by hand — four repairs that cover most of what goes wrong with clothing.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 30 min
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Four hand stitches cover almost everything: a running stitch for seams, a backstitch where strength is needed, a slip stitch for invisible hems, and a simple patch or darn for holes. All are learnable in an evening.
Most clothing failures are a seam, a hem, a button or a small hole. Each has a straightforward hand repair, and doing them extends the life of clothes considerably for the cost of a needle and thread.
What you'll need
- Needles
- Thread matching the garment
- Small scissors
- Iron-on patch (optional)
- Pins (optional)
Step by step
- Match the thread to the fabric colour and weight.A shade darker rather than lighter is less visible. Heavy thread on light fabric puckers; fine thread on denim breaks.
- Use a backstitch for anything under strain.Seams, trouser crotches, bag straps. Each stitch overlaps the last, which makes it far stronger than a running stitch.
- Use a slip stitch for hems.It catches only a thread or two of the outer fabric, so the stitching is invisible from the front. It is the standard hem repair.
- Repair a hole with a patch behind rather than pulling it closed.Pulling the edges together puckers the fabric and the hole reopens. A patch behind, stitched around, distributes the stress.
- Use iron-on patches for quick repairs on sturdy fabric.Effective on denim and cotton, and stronger if you also stitch around the edge. They lift eventually if not stitched.
- Darn a knitted hole rather than patching it.Weaving thread across the hole in both directions recreates the fabric. It is the appropriate repair for knitwear, where a patch would be stiff.
- Reinforce before it fails.A few stitches on a seam that is starting to go, or on a button before it comes off. Far quicker than the repair after.
- Finish with a secure knot and trim close.Several small stitches in the same place on the inside, then trim. A single knot works loose within a few washes.
Tips
- Keep the spare buttons and thread that come with garments. They are the exact match and they are impossible to find later.
- A visible mend done deliberately in a contrasting thread can look intentional and good, particularly on knitwear and denim.
- For anything valuable or complicated, an alteration shop is inexpensive and does a far better job than a first attempt.
Common mistakes
- Pulling a hole closed — It puckers the fabric and puts all the stress on the weakened edges, so it reopens larger. A patch behind distributes the load.
- Using a running stitch on a seam under strain — It is not strong enough and it fails at the first stress. Backstitch is what seams need.
- Finishing with a single knot — It works loose within a few washes and the whole repair unravels. Several small stitches in one place is what holds.
Questions people ask
What stitch should I use to repair a seam?
A backstitch. Each stitch overlaps the previous one, which makes it far stronger than a running stitch and appropriate for anything under strain.
How do I repair a hole in clothing?
Put a patch of similar fabric behind the hole and stitch around it, rather than pulling the edges together. For knitwear, darn by weaving thread across the hole in both directions.