How to Mend a Down Vest

The smaller, fluffier feathers in this picture are down feathers.

Down feathers are a smaller type of feather that do not come with the barbules and hooklets of flight feathers, so they're remarkably soft and fluffy. Just as down feathers insulate a bird, down feathers are used in bedding, jackets and vests to provide luxurious comfort and insulation. While a down vest can provide powerful padding and warmth, it's definitely not indestructible, and just like any substance with an outer shield made of cloth, it can rip, thus threatening to release all the expensive feathers inside. The best way to repair a down vest is with a needle and thread.

Things You'll Need

• Tape
• Cotton ball
• Nail polish remover
• Down packets
• Needle
• Thread
• Seam sealer

Instructions

1. Cut a small piece of tape and cover the rip so that you don't lose any more down feathers. Duct tape or its equivalent is best, but use whatever you have on hand.

2. Remove the tape carefully when you get home and assess whether or not there is any glue from the tape still sticking to the vest. Dab some nail-polish remover on a cotton ball and rub off any adhesive still clinging to the vest.

3. Buy more down feathers at a fabric, upholstery or sporting goods stores. Call ahead to make sure they carry packets of down.

4. Take small handfuls of down, about the size of an egg yolk and push them into the rip, until you have replaced all the down that you've lost.

5. Thread a needle with thread that matches the color of your vest exactly. Knot the thread at the end.

6. Pinch the rip together between your fingers. Insert the needle into the fabric a fraction of an inch before the rip begins. If the fabric has ripped along the seams then follow the stitches of the seams exactly. If the rip occurs elsewhere, use an over-stitch: loop the thread over each side of the pinched rip, pulling it tightly together.

7. Continue to sew a fraction of an inch after the rip ends. Knot your thread and cut away the excess thread.

8. Coat your stitches with a seam-sealer, such as Seam-Grip or Plastiseam. This will prevent your stitches from weakening when exposed to the elements. Allow the seam sealer to dry according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Tips & Warnings

• The smaller, tighter and closer together you make your stitches, the better.

References

• Earthlife: Feathers
• "Don't Forget the Duct Tape: Tips" Kristin Hostetter; 2007
• Get Outdoor Gear: Down Jackets