How to Fix Lace Curtains That Snag

Lace curtains provide light and privacy.

Lace curtains give your home privacy while allowing light in. The popularity of lace window treatments dates to the 1850s, when machine-made lace revolutionized curtain fashions. The delicate structure that provides filtered light makes these curtains prone to snags. Learning how to fix lace curtains that snag helps you keep your lace curtains looking their best. A crochet hook can help you repair snagged lace -- even if you know nothing about crocheting. If a serious snag causes a tear in the lace, you can fix it with the right sewing method.

Things You'll Need

• Small crochet hook
• Needle, if needed
• Mending thread that matches the curtain, if needed

Instructions

Lace Curtain Snags

1. 

   A small crochet hook can help to fix snagged lace.

   Pull the lace on each side of the snag gently to help pull the snagged threads back into position. A snag in lace can cause a gathered effect in the material or leave a loop of excess threads. Work the lace very carefully back and forth with both hands to make the tension even on the pulled threads.

2. Insert a small crochet hook through the lace from the reverse side. Use a very fine hook if the lace is tightly woven, to avoid creating a hole.

3. Catch the pulled threads with the crochet hook and pull them through to the reverse side of the lace curtain. This restores the smooth look of the lace in the front, without damaging the curtain.

Mending a Lace Curtain

1. Thread a needle with thread that matches the lace. Don't double the thread. Insert the needle from the back of the lace so the knot will be on the reverse side of the curtain. Hold the lace carefully, with the edges of the rip meeting.

2. Stitch the lace together with small, even stitches from one side of the rip to the other -- as though sewing up a wound -- taking care not to overlap the lace. By stitching the edges together as neatly as possible without overlapping the lace, the repair will show less.

3. Keep the thread tension even and finish sewing up the rip. Even tension helps to avoid puckers that would show in the lace. Keeping the stitches flat and not too tight helps the lace curtain to fall naturally. Take three to four stitches at the end of the rip, each on top of the other, to fasten the stitching securely. Stick the needle through the lace to the back side of the curtain and carefully cut the thread.

Tips & Warnings

• The head of a needle or a needle-threader -- a small tool with a fine wire eye that fits through a needle -- will work to poke a snag through the lace. Retailers that specialize in fabric and sewing supplies sell snag repair tools. If possible, take the lace curtains down if they require sewing. Work near a window or in good light to see the lace clearly and avoid eyestrain. Laying the lace over a surface with a contrasting color, such as a lap desk or cushions makes it easier to work on. "Mending thread" is a fine thread suitable for mending lace.

• Satisfactory repairs to antique lace may require an expert.

References

• Smithsonian Institution Library: Le Garde-meuble