Practical Guide to Mending: Techniques and Tips for Repairing Fabrics

Darning is the process of mending or repairing a knitted or woven article by weaving thread into fabric to replace or strengthen torn or worn threads.

Darning is a sewing technique for repairing holes or worn areas in fabric or knitting using needle and thread alone. It is often done by hand and especially by houseives.

What are the general guidelines for mending?

General guidelines for darning:

1. Choose a suitable thread which matches the garment in colour, texture and thickness.

2. Work all darns on the wrong side of the article.

3. Use a long fine darning needle.

4. Draw or pull the edges of the tear together with herring-bone stitch before darning.

5. Darn along the selvedge direction first. Then weave in the weft threads.

6. Ensure that the darn covers the tear or hole and all the worn area surrounding it.

Mending of tears and cuts

1. Darning a tear or cut:

- a tear can be on the straight grain or across the grain. Draw the edges together using herringbone stitch.

- using matching thread, darn first in the selvedge direction then in that of the weft thread.

- leave loops of thread at the end of each row to allow for shrinkage.
2. Hedge tear darn (or L-shaped tear):

- draw the edges of the tear together using herringbone stitches.

- mark about 10 mm around the tear with chalk.

- work the darn starting in the selvedge direction and cover the marked area.

- form an L-shaped darn.

- leave loops in each row to allow for shrinkage.