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Darning – The Best Way To Mend Your Clothes

Darning - The Best Way To Mend Your Clothes

Do you throw your clothes when they get damaged even when you don’t want to? If yes, then we have found a solution – Darning. You can simply learn this skill and restore your favourite clothes irrespective of how many holes they have or how torn they are.

Let’s know more about darning:

What is Darning

Darning is a process in which minor or major damage on clothes are mended using thread and needle. You can consider that darning helps in increasing the life of a garment as it helps in repairing clothes having holes or tears. The original fabric is recreated, rewoven, replicated or replaced in the process.

Darning is done using different types of stitching, some of which are:

Maidenhair stitch
Wheatear Stitch
Fern Stitch
Cast On Stitch
Basque Stitch
Long and Short Stitch
Trellis Stitch
Closed Feather Stitch
Satin stitch
Back stitch

In this article, we will see the basic darning stitches. But before that let’s quickly see when it should be done.

When to do darning on clothes

The best time to do darning is exactly when you notice a tiny hole or a slight tear in the garment. Do not give the tear or hole time to expand more.

How to do darning on clothes?

Thread your needle

Begin by threading your needle with your matching thread or yarn. Thread the thread or yarn through the eye of the needle, and then pull the thread or yarn through so that most of the thread is on one side and the other side only has a few inches (about 5cm). Grip the needle at the eye to prevent the thread from coming undone as you sew.

Keep the thread length right

Keep in mind that you will need more or less thread or yarn depending on the size of the hole. For example, a small hole may only require about 12” (30.5cm) of thread or yarn, while a large hole may require 24” (61cm) to cover it.[1] Thread your needle with more thread or yarn than you think you will need.

The size of the needle you use will depend on the item and type of yarn or thread you are using. Use a needle with a large enough eye to fit your thread through.

Turn the garment inside out

Turn the garment inside out or to the wrong side. It is important to work on the side of your project that will not be visible. If your item is a piece of clothing, then turn the clothing inside out. If your item is a flat piece of fabric, such as a blanket or tablecloth, then flip it over to the wrong side.

Stitch in one direction

Stitch across the hole going in one direction. Insert the needle about ½” (1.3cm) before the hole begins and stitch to ½” (1.3cm) beyond the hole. Then repeat this stitch going in the opposite direction. Make sure that you stitch ½” (1.3cm) beyond the edges of the hole on both sides to ensure that the hole is well covered.

Weave the thread through darning stitches

Weave the thread or yarn through the stitches. After you have covered the entire hole one time with stitches going in one direction, you will need to weave through these stitches to form a net. Insert your needle under the first stitch on one end going perpendicular (like you are forming “T” shape) to the stitches. Then, weave the thread or yarn over the next stitch. Keep going to the end of the stitch and then weave back in the opposite direction.

Secure your stitches

Tie a knot to secure the yarn or weave it through a few more times. When you have finished weaving through your first round of stitches, you can secure the thread or yarn to finish darning. Secure the thread by tying a knot through the last stitch, or by weaving the thread through the item a few more times

That’s it. This is how you can do basic darning stitches at home. While it may seem easy it is not a cakewalk. You will have to be careful with the needle.

Darning on knitted or woolen garments

The first darning stitch remains same as it is done on other clothes. However, the second stitch changes a bit. The direction of the second set of stitches is kept diagonal. You just have to keep repeating the set of stitching until you cover the area that you want to darn.

Do you want someone else to do darning for your clothes?

Why do you need professionals for darning clothes

The simplest reason why professionals are required to darning clothes is they have expertise. Darning is not a process that anyone can do. It takes lots of practice to learn to darn and it takes, even more, to darn properly. Many people consider it art because not everyone can darn clothes exceptionally well.

While you may learn basic darning, you may not be able to give a seamless finish to the garment. This is where the role of a professional becomes important:

They can mend almost all sorts of wear, tear and damage.
They know how to deal with delicate fabrics like silk.
They can create design-like patterns to cover the damage and give the garment a new look.

Last not least, but it will take a lot of time for you to learn to darn. Whereas, it is very easy and convenient to get your clothes repaired by professionals.

If you have some clothes that need darning, you can send them to our stores. We have expert professionals who can make your clothes wearable again.

For more information related to clothes, keep visiting Tumbledry.

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Darning - The Best Way To Mend Your Clothes

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