How to Sew a Ripped Seam

Whether it is a pair of denim jeans or a silk blouse, the weakest point on any garment is the seam where two fabrics are joined. To maintain your wardrobe, it's important to know how to repair popped or ripped seams. With basic sewing skills under your belt, you can attack the mending basket with confidence.

Instructions

Prepare to Repair the Seam

1. Examine the ripped seam to determine the amount of damage that has occurred. If the fabric surrounding the seam is largely undamaged, you can proceed without having to patch the fabric or reinforce it with a fusible interfacing.

2. Identify the kind of seam that has been ripped open. Each of the different seam types, including flatfell, French and straight seams will require a different approach to repair.

3. Determine whether you can manipulate the garment sufficiently to use a sewing machine. If your machine is equipped with a sleeve or pants arm, you may be able to perform the majority of repairs with it.

Stitch Up the Ripped Seam

1. Repair a flatfell seam in a pair of jeans or trousers by pressing the ripped portion under, following the line of the unaffected areas.

2. Topstitch next to the pressing line, inserting your needle along at least 1/4 inch before the existing stitching line ends.

3. Repeat your top-stitching about 1/8 to 1/4 inch to the side of the first stitching line, staying in line with any stitching still present in the seam.

4. Sew up a French seam by following the existing stitching line. Since French seams are generally used with more delicate fabrics such as silk, you may need to reinforce any ripped fabric before attempting to close the seam.

5. Mend a small section of a ripped straight seam by hand. You should have your needle prepared with a single length of matching thread before proceeding.

6. Sew a backstitch seam by inserting your needle along the stitching line and taking a stitch behind the initial point of insertion.

7. Repeat the backstitch, taking small stitches all along the seam line, until you have sewn at least 1/4 inch over any pre-existing stitching.

8. Encase the raw edge of a ripped seam when you sew using a looping hand stitch or use bias binding to encase any frayed edges.

Tips & Warnings

• Do preventative maintenance on clothes, such as reinforcing seams and double stitching buttons before the damage occurs, especially where children's garments are concerned. You can cut down your mending time and reduce your clothing budget at the same time.