Allison Stroman - As clothes gain more wear, they can develop holes, worn areas, rips, and broken seams among other signs of wear and tear. Instead of throwing these clothes away, mending your own clothes restores them to wearable items that you can add personal touches to. These on-of-a-kind touches allow your favorite pieces to stay in your closet for longer or they can give new life to a piece that might get thrown out otherwise. Additionally, old clothes that are beyond mending can get a new life as material for patches which further increases the advantages of mending when it comes to taking a more environmentally conscious approach to your closet.
According to experts, learning how to mend your clothes does not require a long sewing background and there are ways to get started as a beginner with a few basic materials.
Mending is low stakes and you do not have to aim for perfection. The hardest hurdle to get over when starting to learn mending is the mindset switch. That is, shifting from throwing away clothing that has signs of wear and tear to instead looking at it as an opportunity for mending. For each mending project, an important starting point is determining how the garment got the hole or wear that you are trying to fix. Did it catch on a door? Is it a high wear area like an elbow or knee? This makes it easier to determine what kind of mending will work best for this specific item. When mending, basic hand sewing techniques are a perfect starting skill set that can go far in projects.
Two common categories in mending are patching and darning. Patching is a technique where you “sew another piece of fabric over or under a hole, rip or threadbare area” whereas darning is “more or less a patch you weave yourself, using thread or yarn”. The easiest stitch to start with is the running stitch which is the “classic dotted line made by just pushing the needle up and down in a straight line across the fabric”. The running stitch is easy to learn and gets better with practice. When starting out, perfection does not have to be the goal and imperfections can further personalize your garments. For both darning and patching, make sure to mend an area larger than whatever tear or break you are trying to fix.
For mending, there are some key resources to start with. Thread, needles, scrap fabric, and sewing pins are a great starter pack. For thread, you can use a mixture of regular thread and embroidery thread or add yarn for certain projects. The goal is to roughly match the materials on the item and the thread to ensure that the whole piece reacts to laundry similarly and the materials work well together to increase the lifespan of your mending. The same policy goes for scrap fabric for patches. This fabric can come from scrap bins or packs from fabric stores or online sellers, old clothing you own, or thrifted items. When it comes to needles, one embroidery needle for thicker thread, one sewing needle for thinner thread, and maybe one tapestry needle for yarn are all you need to get started. Sewing pins or safety pins hold your patches in place while you sew them onto your piece. There are other materials you can use that serve more advanced or specialized purposes.
When it comes to patching a garment, one way to simplify your work is to start when wear appears rather than waiting for a hole. In this case, you would select a patch larger than the worn area and stitch it on to reinforce the worn fabric. With patching, there are two choices for where to place it: over or under the hole or worn area. This choice mainly comes down to personal preference and the look you are going for. Another consideration is whether the patch reinforces the worn fabric more effectively if it is over the area or under it.
With darning and patching, the choice of whether to match the garment or provide contrast is up to you. Visible mending is a style in which each mending project is done to be seen and adds an extra customizable touch to your garments. This style “doesn’t require the accuracy of invisible mending, and anyone with very basic sewing skills can do it”. Starting with a plan for your project, you get to decide what colors and textures you create while considering that matching the materials will give you a longer lasting mend, especially in areas that get more wear. As you learn more stitches, you can add further ornamentation and style without needing to get too advanced, making it easy and fun to add special touches.
In addition to darning and mending, there are other simple techniques to fix other parts of your garments that can either have a more invisible or visible look.
When it comes to replacing buttons, there are three types: 4-hole, 2-hole, and shank. These new buttons do not have to match, but you can use the extra buttons that come with some clothing. The thread you are using also does not need to match, depending on what look you want. When you are starting, try to find where the original button was. Tie a knot on the end of your thread, line up your needle with the hole on the backside of the fabric, and bring the needle through to the front. Next, line up your button where it wants to go and take your needle from the front side to the back side through the other hole on a 2-hole button, through the loop on a shank button, or follow one diagonal on a 4-hole button. You will eventually create an x shape on the 4-hole button to ensure it is secure. Repeat this process up to 10 times and then either switch to the other diagonal on a 4-button or end with your needle on the back side of the fabric and tie a knot in the thread. For tying a knot, “[t]ake a couple threads from the fabric with your needle, and before you pull your needle all the way through, wrap your thread around the needle a few times (at least 3). Continue pulling the needle through and you should have a knot!”
Another common sign of wear and tear is a popped seam where the thread has broken. Using the broken thread as your guide, create stitches above and below the popped seam to reinforce your mending. This makes it last longer.
Mending can also cover stains or imperfections on your garments. In this case, the more visible or ornamental style gives an extra creative look to the finished mend. Even for these more ornamental projects, simple hand stitches are enough to get the look you want.
At Repurpose, we have an amazing upcycling team. In an interview with Miyu Shan, Upcycling Design Trainee Summer 2024, she spoke in depth about her design process, work in Upcycling, and advice to those wanting to start:
“Thank you for reaching out! I’m thrilled to hear about your interest in upcycling and mending. I’d be happy to answer your questions.
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
Before starting a project, I gather a lot of detailed design elements from the internet, nature, and vintage fashion. For designers, it's crucial to discover beauty and observe everything around us. We often find various elements in our daily lives that inspire us endlessly. When I start sketching, I try to use the accumulated materials and combine them with my imagination to plan each piece of clothing.
What do you most enjoy about upcycling clothing?
What I enjoy most about upcycling is the ability to transform something old or discarded into something new and beautiful. It’s incredibly satisfying to see a garment that might have ended up in a landfill become a unique, stylish piece that someone can cherish. Upcycling allows me to combine my passion for sustainability with my love for fashion, and it gives me a chance to experiment with different techniques and materials. I love embroidery and exquisite decorations. Seeing shiny beads makes my heart race as I imagine how they can adorn ordinary clothes in different ways. This process is fascinating, offering multiple solutions for each garment, each with a distinct style. For example, a suit can have many modification options, and after incorporating everyone's ideas, we chose the leftmost one. However, during the transformation process, we were always open to better detail treatments, ultimately presenting the effect on the right. So, for me, transforming clothes is a process of creating many possibilities, which is incredibly interesting.
What advice would you give to those wanting to start mending and upcycling their clothes?
This is a great question. During the modification process, I have many thoughts. First, it's easy to get immersed in one part, hoping it looks perfect, but neglecting the overall harmony. So, I suggest considering the overall harmony while perfecting the details. This way, each garment will be as perfect as possible. Second, flexible use of materials is also crucial. Before starting, I sketched each project, planned the details, and made a detailed material list. However, during material collection, I didn't always get what I expected but found unexpected materials. Flexibly using these materials to match the clothes is important for upcycling. Daily accumulation of materials is also essential, as designers need to have a sense of beauty and insight. Accumulating design materials has become part of my daily routine, and I enjoy it. Lastly, patience is very important. Embroidery requires a lot of time and patience, and a firm belief and confidence are crucial. I'm very grateful to my colleagues for their encouragement and support, which gives me strong confidence to be more bold and creative. Thank you all for your recognition!
Thank you again for the opportunity to share my thoughts. I look forward to reading your article!”
Have garments you want to give another life outside of your closet and interested in Miyu and our upcycling team's work? Donate your pre-loved luxury items to Repurpose to keep them in circulation. In addition to keeping your clothing out of landfills, Repurpose will use your items to help fund job readiness training and personal and professional development for the future workforce in the fashion and design industries through the RENEW Program.