Posted on

is there problem fray check can’t solve?

20130327-232417.jpg

A friend of mine asked me to hem a pair of jeans for her. Last time I did this, I didn’t have to take them up too much, and I just tacked the extra material to the inside seam.

This pair needed to be taken up more than that, and there was quite a bit of denim leftover, making a giant cuff on the inside of the leg. My plan was to cut it off and serge the ends to keep it from fraying. When it came to the side seams, my serger had other plans. “No thank you,” it politely said as the denim refused to let go of the needle.

So I fell back on my tried and true method for raw edges: fray check. It feels a little stiff now, but I bet after one washing it will soften up.

Posted on

mending: sweater hole fixed

sweater mending

I’m pleased with how this project turned out. It was really hard to capture the black on black stitches, but you get the idea. It’s less noticeable than in the photo.

sweater mending

One thing I found helpful while navigating all those dark stitches was to thread a contrasting yarn through them to help me keep things straight. After finishing a row, I just pulled out the contrasting yarn and continued on until finished.

I don’t recommend using a fuzzy yarn like I did. The fibers made quite a mess!

Posted on

oh, darn! sweater edition

20130305-222432.jpg

This sweater was a lucky garage sale find a few years ago. I practically live in this thing during the winter. It’s made of cotten and is like wearing a cozy blanket around the house.

The elbows have been worn thin. I tried to fix it last year and didn’t do a very good job. The stitches were so stretched out and I just kind of winged it.

Darning those socks and watching the Knit Picks videos made me want to try again. So far, so good. The three rows above the needle are looking nice. I’ll post an after pic when I’m finished.

Posted on

mending: t-shirt holes

20130126-144605.jpg

I usually don’t spend time mending holes in my daughter’s shirts. She’s growing so fast that it doesn’t seem to make sense. However, sometimes holes happen to a favorite shirt — one we bought a little big so she could wear it a long time.

Usually, holes show up in sleeves and seams — easy places to hide a few stitches. This one was right in front. I was extra careful, but there was no hiding anything. So I decided to turn it into a decorative element.

I don’t do a lot of embroidery. I’m not the best at it, but I sewed a little daisy in matching thread. The result is actually kind of cute. I’ve seen people mend holes with a star stitch, but I think this is a little nicer. Of course, it would help if all of the petals turned out the same size!