General

Sewing buttonholes

I've got a post on how to sew buttonholes that contains tutorials for both sewing them by hand and by machine.

If you ever need a refresher on buttons, I've got a post on that too.

Regardless of what approach you take, start out by measuring your buttons and outlining where you want your buttonholes to sit on your fabric. This will help to keep them even.

Both techniques take some practice to get right, so try them on scrap fabric first before tackling your project.

Machine-sewn buttonholes:

Buttonholes sewn by machine are pretty strong. You sew the stitches around the hole first before cutting the fabric: this helps to avoid any unravelling. Use a seam ripper to carefully open up the hole. Put a pin at the end of your buttonhole first to make sure your seam ripper doesn't go through the end of your hole.

Most modern machines have a buttonhole function. You'll need a buttonhole foot for your machine. You could also try to make buttonholes without one, but a buttonhole foot will make this task much easier.

(Image source) [ID: a buttonhole has been sewn on white fabric with black thread. A pin sits in at one end of the buttonhole, perpendicular to the stitches. A seam ripper is in progress of opening up the hole.]

Hand-sewn buttonholes:

Hand-sewn buttonholes take the opposite approach: cut the hole first, then finish off the raw edges.

Once you've decided on your buttonhole's placement, stitch some running stitches around it. This will both minimise unravelling and help to keep your stitches even. Now carefully cut a slit the size of your buttonhole, and finish off the raw edges with a buttonhole stitch.

(Image source) [ID: a buttonhole in progress of being sewn on beige canvas fabric. Pink chalk has been used to outline the buttonhole. Green running stitches outline the edges of the buttonhole. A slit has been cut in the middle of the outline and is in progress of being finished with green buttonhole stitches.]

Resources:

Here's a few more in-depth guides to sewing buttonholes.

How to sew a buttonhole

Machine-sewn buttonholes

How to use a buttonhole foot

Machine-sewn buttonholes without a buttonhole foot

Hand-sewn buttonholes

The buttonhole stitch

Medieval buttonholes

Tiny T-shirt holes

You'll find tutorials on how to fix holes like these in my T-shirt mending post, mainly in my post on visible mending on T-shirts.

If they're really teeny tiny holes, you can often sew them shut again without any real issues. The fabric might pucker a bit, but you can always cover that up with some embroidery.

Darning's also an option, and so is fusible interfacing if you can find some that's suitable for jersey fabric.

THRIFT FLIP: Use My Simple Trick to Upsize Your Sweatshirt this Weekend! (Confessions of a Refashionista)

Check out this tutorial on how to upsize a sweatshirt by inserting front and back panels to add more width.

The person in the video reused fabric from the same sweatshirt, but this would also be a great way to upcycle an old shirt you don't wear any more. A contrasting colour or print could be a great way to add a personal touch.

Sewing on buttons

Buttons take a lot of tension: we pull on them every time we button our pants. That means we need to take extra care when sewing them on.

I've got a post on sewing on buttons that'll show you how to do it.

Make sure to use strong high-quality thread, and double up if need be. Don't forget to secure your stitches, too. Details like these can have a big effect on the strength of your mend.

Mending holes in knit fabric

The thing about knitting is that it's basically a collection of loops. If one loop gives in, the rest of the fabric risks unravelling, too. That's why this person mentioned "catching" all the stitches: if you miss one, your sweater might continue unravelling.

(Image source) [ID: a woven fabric (plain weave) versus a knit fabric (stockinette stitch).]

That probably sounds super stressful, but don't worry! There's different ways to fix knitting. Some are easier, and some are harder. Let's take a look.

Swiss darning:

The cleanest and most invisible fix is Swiss darning. This type of mending requires you to thread through the loops of the hole, and use those to knit new stitches. Swiss darning is probably the trickiest way to mend knits mentioned in this post.

If you've got a really small hole, you could also try duplicate stitch which doesn't require threading. This technique can also be used to reinforce worn-out spots in knitting, or even for embroidery.

Check out Patty Lyons' written guides on Swiss darning and duplicate stitch to see how it's done, or these YouTube guides on Swiss darning and duplicate stitch by Heather Storta and Stuart Moores Textiles.

(Image source) [ID: a black and white image showing how to do Swiss darning on a piece of knitting with a hole in it. Threads have been threaded between the loose knit loops, and a tapestry needle is weaving new knit stitches along these threads. Text: "Fig.3."]

(Image source) [ID: example of a hole in a gray piece of knitting that's been mended with the duplicate stitch. Six stitches have been mended with yellow yarn. Text: "Ta Da, a brand new section of knitting with no bulk - Swiss Darning Magic. PattyLyons."]

Woven darning:

If you don't feel like recreating knit stitches, you can also do woven darning on knit fabrics. The technique's the same as you would use for a woven item.

Note that a darned patch like this is not stretchy, unlike its surrounding fabric. You can somewhat remediate this by darning diagonally, but it'll still be less stretchy than actual knit fabric.

(Image source) [ID: close-up on a hole in a swatch of beige knitting that's been patched with a woven darn in light blue, dark blue, red, pink, and yellow yarn.]

(Image source) [ID: vintage instructions on how to darn a hole.]

Knitting over the hole:

You can also knit a patch and sew it across the hole, or pick up stitches around your hole and knit over it. Don't forget to finish off the loose stitches at the edge of the hole on the wrong side. Loop your yarn through them, making sure to catch them all, and secure them.

This YouTube video by VeryPink Knits will show you how to knit across a hole. If you're more of a written tutorial person, take a look at this Berroco article on knit patches.

(Image source) [ID: a gray sweater on which a red knit patch has been added to cover up a hole.]

Crochet:

If you're an avid crocheter, crochet's also an option to fix holes in knits.

(Image source) [ID: close-up on the shoulder of a blue knit sleeveless top with a hood. A hole has been mended with crochet, using red and brown thread. Text: "Cucicucicoo".]

Picking up dropped stitches:

If just one line of stitches was damaged, you could try picking up the dropped stitches with a crochet hook.

Fabric patches:

If you'd rather not knit or crochet anything, you could just sew a patch over the hole. First sew around the hole to stabilise the stitches, then sew a piece of fabric over or under the hole. Sandwich the hole between two pieces of fabric for extra security.

Use stretchy fabric and a stitch that allows for stretch to retain the stretch of the original knit material. If you do use a patch of woven fabric, note that this will effect the material's stretchiness.

(Image source) [ID: close-up on the neckline of a gray knit sweater. A hole has been mended with a green patch of fabric and sashiko stitching in yellow thread.]

(Image source) [ID: close-up on the elbow of a black and white knit sweater. The elbow has been patched with a heart-shaped scrap of red fabric with white polkadots and sewn on with a whipstitch.]

Conclusion:

This list is not exhaustive, but will give you some ideas on how to get started. You can go as visible or invisible as you want with these techniques.

The world is seeing record temperatures again. A lot of people find little comfort in their summer wardrobe these days, so it's important to be aware of how fabric types can influence your well-being in hot weather.

The following list of fabrics is by no means exhaustive, but it covers the basics.

Some of the fabrics mentioned below are expensive when bought new. You'll often find them for cheap in second-hand shops and on thrifting platforms though. I'm literally wearing a €5 linen underskirt, a €1 silk top, and a €7 silk summer dress right now, just to give an example.

General notes:

If you don't know where to start, try to stick to light-weight fabrics made of natural fibres. Look for light colours and open weaves.

You might be tempted to cover as little skin as possible in order to keep cool, but this leaves your skin vulnerable to sunburn. A thin layer of linen will often be more efficient at keeping you cool than leaving your skin bare.

Don't forget to wear sunscreen! Even if your skin type doesn't burn easily, it will still lower your chances of skin cancer. Look into sunscreens for children if you have sensory issues: they tend to be more sensory-friendly.

(Image source 1) [ID 1: a gray linen fabric with a tight weave.] / (Image source 2) [ID 2: a gray linen fabric with a loose weave.]

Polyester (to avoid):

Are your summer clothes making you ridiculously sweaty? Check the tag: you're probably wearing polyester.

Polyester is a synthetic fabric derived from petroleum: it's basically a plastic. It's strong, cheap, and stain resistant, which makes it a popular fabric. Even though a lot of summer clothes are made out of polyester, it's one of the worst fabrics to wear in summer.

Polyester is neither absorbent nor breathable, and captures heat. It traps sweat between your skin and your clothes, and it won't let you cool down. This leaves you feeling sticky and overheated. It can also cause static cling, which can be uncomfortable.

Not all synthetic fabrics are bad in summer: a lot of UV-blocking clothes are made of synthetics for example and can be a real life saver if you're sensitive to the sun. Try to avoid polyester if you can, though.

(Image source) [ID: close-up on a blue tightly woven polyester fabric that folds into a swirl at its centre.]

Cotton:

Cotton is a natural fibre that makes for a soft, durable, and breathable fabric. It allows air to circulate around your body which helps to keep you cool and get rid of sweat. It's a good basic choice.

Cotton has one downside: it's very absorbent, but takes a while to dry. If the weather's making you sweat excessively, the sweat can pool into the fabric of your cotton clothes. This will make them wet, resulting in visible sweat stains that can feel uncomfortable and will take a long time to dry.

If you can't stand how cotton feels, check out chambray weaves or bamboo textiles. They have similar properties to plain-weave cotton, but tend to be more sensory-friendly.

(Image source) [ID: close-up on a faded yellow tightly woven cotton fabric that folds into a swirl at its centre.]

Linen:

Linen is the absolute king of hot weather fabrics. It's strong, absorbent, dries quickly, and is very breathable. It cools you down, but won't make you feel sticky because any sweat it absorbs will evaporate fast.

I frequently layer multiple thin loose-fitting linen garments when it's hot. Loose layers allow for air to circulate between your clothes while protecting your skin from the sun. It almost functions as a wearable air-conditioner.

Note that linen is prone to wrinkling. If this bothers you, know that linen requires extra effort during laundry to avoid this.

(Image source) [ID: close-up on a gray woven linen fabric that folds into a swirl at its centre.]

Silk:

Silk is yet another natural fibre that makes for a strong, quick-drying, and pretty breathable fabric. It's soft and cool to the touch, which makes it a great sensory choice.

Silk is not as breathable as cotton or linen, but dries very quickly. This means it might make you sweat more than cotton or linen does, but once the fabric's moist it will dry faster.

Note that sweat stains on silk tend to be pretty visible. Silk's also prone to static cling.

Sometimes you're stuck with a sweater you just don't wear any more. Maybe it shrunk or became felted in the wash, or maybe you outgrew it. When this happens, there's a variety of ways you could upcycle your sweater into something new.

Knitting:

Do you like knitting? One way to recycle your sweater is to unravel it into a skein of yarn. This way, you can reknit your sweater into a garment you actually wear. This process takes a lot of patience, but if you particularly like the material your sweater's made from, it's well worth it.

Refashioning:

If your sweater has become too small, you could try to upsize it by adding in extra pieces of fabric. You could knit your own, use scrap fabric, or sacrifice a second sweater to cut out panels or gores from.

(Image source) [ID: a gray knit cabled sweater with gores made of floral pink fabric sewn to the bottom, starting at the waist.]

Sweaters that are too big are pretty easy to downsize, too. If your sweater's made of a natural fibre, you could try shrinking it in the wash. Otherwise you'll have to tailor it. Add in darts with the ladder stitch, or resize the sides by using a fitted sweater as a template.

Your sweater doesn't have to stay a sweater! If the shoulders bother you, then remove the sleeves and turn it into a sweater vest. Chest too tight? Cut open the front and turn it into a cardigan. Top not fitting right? Cut off the bottom and make yourself a skirt or a pencil skirt.

(Image source) [ID: a before and after picture of a gray sweater being turned into a cardigan.]

Reusing:

There are many ways to upcycle a sweater. In the end, your sweater is just fabric/yarn in a sweater-shape. You can reuse it however you want. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Sweater mittens

Cozy hat

Scarves, mittens, arm warmers, hats

Pillow case

Basket

Blanket

Socks

Leg warmers

Infinity scarf

Gift bags

Tote bag

Slouchy boots

Sweater rug

Pet bed

Plushies

Pot holders

Basket with handles

Box bag

Jewellery

Cat ears hat

Hot water bottle cozy

(Image source) [ID: three sweater diagrams showing how to turn a sweater into an ear warmer, fingerless gloves, infinity scarf, arm warmer, slouch hat, cowl scarf, traditional scarf mittens, and a beanie hat. Text: "© Jenuinemom.com".]

Conclusion:

There's no need to throw away a sweater if you don't wear it any more or if it doesn't fit you any longer. You can always resize, alter, or upcycle it into something new.

Thank you for your suggestion! We all go through weight fluctuations in life, so it stands to reason our clothes should be able to fluctuate with us.

Resizing your clothes used to be a very common practice before the advent of fast fashion. Fast fashion sizing is extremely flawed, especially when it comes to plus size fashion, and we're stuck with a lot of vanity sizing, so it's a good skill to have regardless of whether you're looking to mend something old or buy something new.

How to upsize clothes:

Introduction:

There are many different ways to make a garment larger. The following list is not exhaustive, just a few ideas to get you started.

Grading patterns:

If you're making your own clothes, it's always useful to know how to modify a sewing pattern. The easiest way to adjust a pre-existing pattern to your size is slash and spread grading. First, you need to define which spots on the pattern need extra space. You then cut your pattern in that spot, and slide the resulting pattern pieces away from each other until you've got the size you need. Use paper to fill in the gaps. To ensure the resulting pattern makes for well-fitting clothes, make a mock-up and add, move, or remove darts where necessary to adapt it to your body type.

The image below shows potential slashing lines on a set of standard pattern blocks. Each line is a spot that allows you to add extra space. To read more about this process, check out the corresponding article by Threads Magazine.

(Image source) [ID: a diagram of slashing lines on a pattern block for a dress, bodice, skirt, sleeve, and a pair of pants.]

To make your clothes easier to let out in the future, make sure to provide ample seam allowance when cutting out your pattern pieces. This surplus fabric has several different uses, including giving you some wiggle room for when you need to size up your garment.

Now, let's take a look at pre-made garments.

Lengthening clothes:

A garment that's too short on you is easy to modify. Just add more material!

If it's a skirt or a dress, add ruffles to the bottom. Ruffles are easy to make by hand or with a sewing machine. You could also add lace, or wear the item with an underskirt.

For pants, let down your hem or sew on a new cuff. If this isn't enough, maybe consider turning your trousers into capri pants or shorts.

As for shirts, sewing an extra layer to the bottom edge is the easiest way to go, too. You could even combine two shirts into one to get an extra long shirt.

Another option is to cut your item in two and insert extra fabric between your separated garment parts.

(Image source) [ID: a pair of blue pants with cuffs sewn onto the bottom of the legs to lengthen them. The cuffs are made out of a fabric with a blue and brown geometric print.]

(Image source) [ID: a before and after picture of a red t-shirt that was lenghtened by adding in a patch of colourful fabric at the waist.]

Letting out seams/darts:

Remember how we made sure to have ample seam allowance earlier? When a garment has surplus fabric in the seams and you only need a little extra space, you can undo the seams of your garment and sew them back together again, this time with a smaller seam allowance than before. The Spruce Crafts has a pretty good tutorial on how to let out seams. You won't be able to make major size changes using this technique, but if you only need a few centimetres, this is a good way to go.

A lot of garments also have darts. Darts are fabric folds that are sewn down in strategic places to help the fabric follow the body's curves. If a dart doesn't fit you the way you want it to, then unpick the dart and try on the garment. Either leave the dart open, or pin the dart in place however you want it, then take off the garment again and sew the dart back together.

Be careful not to rip the fabric when using a seam ripper. Also note that removing entire darts may change the garment's fit.

You can also add custom darts to achieve a better fit, but that's a topic for another time.

(Image source) [ID: twelve different types of darts on a feminine bodice block.]

Adding extra fabric to your garment:

If we need to add more room than seam allowance or darts can provide us with, we need to add extra material. Remember those slashing lines we looked at earlier? If you're working with a pre-existing garment rather than a pattern, those are the perfect places to chop up your clothes and add in extra fabric.

Check your sewing stash for fabric that's similar in weight and material to your original garment, or go thrift shopping for an item you could use to upsize your garment. Long skirts and maxi dresses are a great source of fabric for alterations like these!

Lace inserts are also a fun choice to add some room, and if you're working with a knit item, you could even knit or crochet your own custom insert.

Define the area where you want to add extra fabric on your item, and measure how much you need. Draw a straight line on your garment with chalk/soap. Make sure the line doesn't cross any important structural or functional parts of your garment like darts or button holes: refer to the slashing diagram we saw earlier if you're not sure what spot to pick. Cut the line open (or unpick the seam if it's situated on a seam), and add in your extra fabric. Finish off your new seams so they don't unravel later on, and you're done!

You can add straight strips of fabric for extra width or length, or you could use flared panels or even godets to make your item flair out.

Want to see this technique in action? Check out this video by Break n Remake:

Some ideas:

This Pinterest user cut a straight line down the front of a t-shirt and inserted a lace panel to add extra width in the front of the garment.

(Image source) [ID: a blue t-shirt with a panel of dark blue lace added in at the centre front.]

Busy Geemaw cut open the side seams of a shirt and used flared panels to add some extra width in the bust and hip area.

(Image source) [ID: a green and white long-sleeved shirt with a striped flared panel in matching colours inserted at the side seam.]

This person added a panel to the sides of a pair of jeans to give them more space in the hip area. You could easily use a long straight panel or a panel that flares at the bottom to resize the entire garment instead of just the hips, or use a wide piece of elastic for extra stretch.

(Image source) [ID: a side view of a pair of light blue jeans with a dark blue wedge-shaped denim insert running down from the waist and ending above the knee.]

This person added a godet in the back of their shirt in order to get more space in the back.

(Image source) [ID: a blue and white plaid shirt with a white lace godet inserted in the back.]

Blue Corduroy enlarged a pair of shorts by opening up the side seams and adding in strips of fabric.

(Image source) [ID: blue denim shorts with a floral fabric insert at the side seams.]

You don't need to resize the entire garment if you don't want to. For example, One Brown Mom turned this ankle-length skirt with a too small waistband into a well-fitting knee-length skirt by taking advantage of the skirt's flared shape.

(Image source) [ID: a woman wearing a black shirt and a brown tartan knee-length skirt.]

Conclusion:

Throughout our lives, our weight will fluctuate and our bodies will change. There's no shame in this: it's just a fact of life. Therefore, knowing how to upsize an item that is too small for you is a useful skill to learn.

Introduction:

Visible mending is a decorative way to fix up an item. Instead of trying to make your mend as invisible as possible, the idea is to make it part of the garment's design.

Visual mending is not a single technique: it's more of a mindset. If you've got an item you love, it deserves to be mended, and if you're going to put that love into stitches, why not show them off?

That being said, there are some specific techniques that are popular with visible menders. Let's take a look!

Sashiko:

Sashiko is a type of traditional Japanese embroidery that is used to both decorate and reinforce fabric. In visible mending, sashiko is often used to cover up holes with patches or to reinforce thinning fabric. This technique uses a variation on the running stitch.

(Image source) [ID: sashiko stitch diagram: the distance between each stitch is 1/2 stitch in length.]

Some resources on sashiko:

SashiCo on YouTube: sashiko livestreams and information on the cultural aspect of sashiko.

Written tutorial by Upcycle Stitches.

Free sashiko templates by TheSpruceCrafts.

Fixing jeans with sashiko by Soluna Collective.

(Image source) [ID: three examples of sashiko embroidery on jeans fabric.]

(Image source) [ID: sashiko embroidery with white thread on blue jeans fabric.]

Embroidery:

Regular embroidery is also a popular technique to accentuate your mends. Check out my embroidery 101 post to learn how to get started. You can embroider patches, or use embroidery to hide or accentuate any stitches you've made to fix holes. Embroidery's also a great way to cover up stains.

(Image source) [ID: colourful embroidery floss covers a worn sleeve edge of a jeans jacket]

(Image source) [ID: colourful flower embroidery surrounds a hole in a pair of dark gray jeans. Fabric with a red and black flower print peaks out of the hole.]

Patches:

There are many ways to add patches to a garment. My tutorial on patches is a good place to start if you want to make custom-shaped patches to sew on top of your fabric. You can also sew your patch on the inside of your garment and have it peek out from beneath the hole you're trying to fix. Fun ideas for this are lace or superheroes.

(Image source) [ID: Spiderman peaking out of a rip in a pair of blue jeans.]

(Source) [ID: a red flannel heart-shaped elbow patch on a gray knitted sweater.]

Darning:

Darning is a technique used to repair holes in fabric by using running stitches to weave extra fabric over the hole as to fill it up again. While traditionally darning is done in an invisible way by using the same colour of thread as your fabric, you can also use contrasting colours to accentuate your fix. Check out this written tutorial on darning by TheSpruceCrafts.

(Image source) [ID: vintage instructions on how to darn a hole.]

(Image source) [ID: four examples of darning on blue fabric with colourful contrasting thread.]

Conclusion:

Visible mending is a creative way to fix up your clothes and give them some personality at the same time.

You should be proud of the fact that you took the time and learned the necessary skills needed to mend your clothes! Show off what you did!

A fun side effect of wearing these obvious mends is that people will notice them. They'll remember your fixes the next time they're faced with a hole in their wardrobe, and it will make them more likely to try it for themselves.