How to Darn a Shirt
The act of darning, or mending, has become a bit of a lost art over the years, though it was once considered an essential homemaking skill. Socks are most commonly darned, but holes in other items of clothing are mended in much the same way. Learning to darn a shirt is a bit like weaving. It requires a darning needle as well as thread, embroidery floss, or silk that matches the shirt and is typically completed in about 15 minutes.
Things You'll Need
- Darning needle
- Thread or embroidery floss in a color matching the shirt
Instructions
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1
Thread the darning needle and pull the thread so you have a double strand that's a comfortable length to work with.
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2
Begin on the wrong side of the fabric. Push the needle through the fabric about 1/4 inch from the hole on the lower left hand side. Leave at least an inch of thread for a tail, and do not tie a knot in the end.
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Pull the needle through the top of the hole and over. Make the next stitch by pushing the needle through the bottom of the hole and under it. Continue making stitches in this manner, side by side and close together, until you reach the end of the hole.
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4
Starting on the wrong side, push the needle through the lower right side, about 1/4 inch from the hole. Pull the needle up between the last two strands of thread, then down between the next two strands of thread, and repeat, weaving through all vertical strands of thread. When the last strand is woven, push the needle through the fabric on the left side of the hole.
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Repeat weaving each row, securing with a stitch on each side of the hole as you complete a row until the hole is fully woven. Cut the thread, and weave the end into the woven area to prevent unraveling.
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Tips & Warnings
Try to space all your rows evenly for the best possible results.
This method works well for sweaters, too.
References
- Photo Credit Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
