How to Repair Heirloom Dress

Repair an heirloom dress

An heirloom dress has special meaning for the family as well as the person wearing it and whether it is a christening gown, a first communion dress or even a beloved wedding gown. As it gets passed down and used by various generations there are bound to be mishaps, accidents and normal wear and tear. As the fabric ages, it may rip in spots and show unsightly holes and how to repair the heirloom dress naturally is on the minds of those charged with preserving this much loved family tradition. There are several options open to you when considering how to go about repairing an heirloom dress and depending on the extent of the damage and the sum total of your skill, you may have to rely on a professional for the brunt of the project.

Things You'll Need

• Fine needle
• Thread (dyed if necessary)
• Original button
• Liquid thread
• Seamstress or weaver

Instructions

1. Use a fine needle and a double length of thread to replace a snapped off button. The color of the thread must match the color of the dress completely and in some cases you may need to dye the thread to make it match absolutely. The Rit dye website (see Resources) offers great advice on achieving amazing color combinations.

2. Gently hold the original button in place and carefully sew it back onto the garment by inserting the needle into the still visible holes from where the button used to be attached. Look at the other buttons on your heirloom dress as an example to copy how often to pass through the button shank or whether or not to cross the thread on a flat button.

3. Apply small drops of liquid thread fabric glue to the top and the bottom of unraveling lace or other tears of an heirloom dress that get worse each time the garment is moved. This glue will halt the process and unless you apply the heat of an iron to the glue, it can be washed out when you have figured how what to do to repair the heirloom dress—or after the trip to the seamstress.

4. Know when to throw in the towel and call in a professional. If you are well versed with needle and thread, this may be later rather than sooner but for those whose expertise begins and ends at sewing on a button, failure to stop and turn over the heirloom dress to a professional may very well result in the loss of precious fabric and in some cases may actually jeopardize the integrity of the garment altogether.

5. Choose a seamstress who has a varied repertoire and does not shy away from conducting repair on an heirloom dress. Do not simply rely on the lady doing the alterations at the local dry cleaner’s but instead seek out someone who is actually a trained tailor or dressmaker and who understands the weak spots of the garment as well as the extent of work needed to have it looking like new.

6. Contact professional weavers to repair a woven heirloom dress that has fallen victim to the voracious appetite of moths. The French weave method is used by experts and it truly requires intricate knowledge of the procedure to make this repair look seamless.

Tips & Warnings

• Repair a popped button with the original thread whenever possible. It may take some time carefully pulling loose the thread, but it is well worth the effort.

• Do not substitute another button for the original one. Instead, discuss with a seamstress what your options are.

Resources

• Visit the RitDye.com website for instructions on creating custom colors that will come in handy when dyeing thread to match your heirloom dress.
• Liquid thread is available from the Save-On-Crafts.com website.
• TheFrenchReWeavers.com is the website for those needing to have a woven garment professionally restored.