Stitch and Doublestitch

Seven-year-old Christine pulled a dangling thread and the entire hem of her dress came unsewed. Her brother Richard pulled a thread and a button flipped off. We watched open-mouthed as our dentist pulled a thread and the sleeve of his uniform came unsewed from the jacket. These were all ready-made garments, not home sewn.

One of home sewing’s greatest merits can be minimizing future mending problems. Remember:

1. To avoid frayed seams, which eventually pull apart, run a row of machine stitching near the cut edge of each seam allowance then overcast by hand or zigzag machine stitching. If the fabric is quite firm, zigzag machine stitching will suffice.

2. To prevent seams from breaking in armholes and in the crotch of pants, use a slight zigzag stitch. If you do not have a zigzag machine, stitch the seam a second time about one-sixteenth of an inch beyond the seamline, using short stitches.

3. To reinforce seams on a one-piece sleeve and bodice, such as a kimono, use twill tape, a narrow strip of selvage, or woven-edge seam tape. Raglan sleeves can also be reinforced with narrow tape.

4. To prevent ripped-out dress hems, blind hem them by machine when the fabric type permits. On lightweight and sheer fabrics, a hidden slip stitch by hand will prevent wear of the thread.

5. To reinforce waist seams, sew woven-edge seam tape or a half-inch strip of selvage over the waistline seam, stitching the seam twice.

6. To prevent rips under buttons and around buttonholes, interface all facings with a sturdy, lightweight fabric. (Use zippers instead of buttons wherever possible, especially for blouse and dress backs.)

7. Sew buttons and snaps on by hand instead of by machine. The machine needle goes back through the fabric in the same place each time, thereby weakening that area.

8. Leave lined coats open at the bottom, even in ski-type jackets. Then you can get inside to mend the seams, particularly the armhole seams that are under the most stress.—Eva S. Nuffer, Aurora, Oregon