You don’t have to be a seamstress or even very good at the sewing machine to mend clothing and household linens.
Darning socks, replacing elastic and buttons, re-sewing seams and creative patching can keep clothes going and going while saving money for more important things.
To begin a patch, trim away threads from the edge of the hole and cut out strangely shaped corners or areas that would be hard to sew into. A square hole is easier to patch than a ragged one. Snip a tiny piece at the center of each corner.
If the area is small, you may find enough material inside a hem or lining. If not, you will need to find material that matches or contrasts – just make it something you can live with.
There are two methods of patching:
 Behind the hole. When the hole is prepared and you have a piece of material, put the material behind the hole and baste it into place. Turn the edge of the material under and begin sewing it to the patching material with small stitches.
When you have it sewn down all the way around, turn the garment and turn the patch under on the wrong side and put a simple hem in it to keep it from raveling. Press and you are done.
 Over the hole. This works basically the same way, but you put the patch over the top of the hole and baste around it to keep it in place, then turn under the edge of the patch and sew it into place. When it is finished, turn the garment and finish the inside edges of the hole to keep it from raveling.
 Creative mending. It’s not hard to iron on creative patches or embroider a cover-up, or even learn to applique. You will find these patches in fabric stores or in the craft/notion department of big-box stores.
Put frogs, teddy bears, stars and flowers on the kids’ pants when the knees go out – or cover a stain on your favorite around-the-house shirt.
Before you give up on a piece of clothing, take a look at it creatively. Can you cover the bad part with something? Can you change the garment to do away with the problem altogether?
There are other ways to save clothes from the rag bag:
 Learn to turn the collar on any shirt if it is worn. Take it off carefully, turn it over and sew it back on. The worn part is now hidden underneath.
 Cut off long sleeves when the cuffs become worn or stained or the elbows wear out to make the shirts short-sleeved.
Use a shirt you already have to measure and add a couple of inches for the hem.
If the shirt sleeve is in bad shape, consider making a light- weight vest from the shirt. Take the sleeves off at the shoulder seam and re-hem the whole thing.
You might have to take a few stitches out at the underarm to get enough slack to hem the armhole. Remove the collar if you wish.
 Straight-line dresses can be made into tops by cutting off the skirt and hemming. Men’s, women’s and kid’s pants with worn knees can easily be made into shorts for summer wear.
 When you do discard clothing, save buttons, zippers, and trims to use elsewhere.
Some quick ideas:
 All zippers can be reused as long as they are working. Metal zippers are heavier and hardier than the nylon ones, so save them for heavy-duty use, such as with bags and jackets.
 Buttons can be used for fasteners (with a loop) for handbags, baskets and other containers. Save the unusual ones to jazz up a plain blouse or dress, or make earrings or lapel pins with them.
 Odd bits of netting or lace or scraps of silky facing material can be used to make very elegant doll clothes, hankies or trim for hand towels.
If you discard something with a ruffle, cut it off a couple of inches from the seam. That will keep the ruffle intact and, depending on how you’re using it, you may be able to sew the whole thing into another garment.
While being practical arts, sewing, knitting and crocheting can give many hours of fun and satisfaction. Keep an eye out for classes at your local fabric store or community college.
BY THE N.C. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
source journalnow.com
