How to Repair a Ripped Seam

Repair a ripped seam either by hand or by machine. Both methods can be done quickly and easily.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dressmaker Pins
• Fabric-marking Pens
• Ironing Boards
• Irons
• Sewing Kits
• Sewing Machine
• Sewing Needles
• Sewing Supplies
• Scissors
• Scissors

Hand-Sewing a Ripped Seam

1. Turn the garment inside out and trim any loose threads from around the ripped seam.

2. 
    

   Press the seam flat so that the fabric edges meet and the existing stitching line is clear.

3. Line up the fabric edges so that they're even, and mark a stitching line along the damaged seam with a fabric marking pen or chalk. Your marked stitching line should follow the previous stitching line. Use undamaged stitches on either side of the rip as your guide.

4. 
    

   Secure the fabric by pinning the fabric layers together along the length of the damaged area. Pins should be at right angles to the fabric edges.

5. Thread a needle with a color of thread that closely matches that used in your garment, and knot the end.

6. 
    

   Begin hand-stitching the damaged seam by bringing your needle up through existing stitches on one side of the damaged area, several stitches ahead of the start of the tear.

7. 
    

   Backstitch along the marked seam line and over several existing stitches on the other side of the tear. Make your stitches the same length as existing stitches and keep the stitch tension even.

8. Secure the stitching by taking several small backstitches over each other. Trim the excess thread and press the seam.

Machine Stitching a Ripped Seam

9. Turn the garment inside out and trim any loose threads from around the ripped seam.

10. Press the seam flat so that the fabric edges meet and the existing stitching line is clear.

11. Line up the fabric edges so that they're even, and mark a stitching line along the damaged seam with a fabric marking pen or chalk. Your marked stitching line should follow the previous stitching line. Use undamaged stitches on either side of the rip as your guide.

12. Secure the fabric by pinning the fabric layers together along the length of the damaged area. Pins should be at right angles to the fabric edges.

13. Thread your sewing machine with a color of thread that closely matches that used in your garment.

14. Experiment with stitch length and tension settings by stitching on some scrap fabric. You want your machine stitches to match the existing stitches as closely as possible.

15. Position the fabric on the sewing machine and insert the needle on the existing stitching line, a few stitches ahead of where the rip begins. Stitch along the marked stitching line and into the stitches on the other side of the ripped area.

Tips & Warnings

• Do a backstitch by bringing the needle up from the underside of the fabric and making a short backstitch. Bring the needle up again one stitch ahead. Put the needle in through the end of the first stitch and out a stitch ahead. Repeat as needed.
• Protect yourself when hand-sewing by using a thimble.