Make do and mend: Best online tutorials on repairing clothes
With many of us staying in more than ever before, there has never been a better time to get around to reviving forgotten skills or learning new ones.
To begin, how about a little “make do and mend”?
Many of us have never learnt to alter or repair our own clothes.
I’m as guilty as anyone else, despite instruction as a child from my grandmother, as I’ve forgotten everything she taught me.
But now is a great time to teach ourselves.
The internet is full of tutorials from people showing us how to do everything from threading a needle to salvaging moth-eaten knits.
In most cases, no sewing machine is required.
After much trawling through YouTube, these are the most useful I’ve found.
How to replace a button This is the fashion equivalent of English cook and TV presenter Delia Smith teaching us to boil an egg — it’ll become the foundation of your “make do and mend” skillset.
Wilson Oryema, in “How to sew on a button”, talks you through everything, from how much cotton to use to how to thread a needle.
The vibrant thread makes it easy to follow and shows us it’s OK to experiment with contrasting colours.
How to hem a skirt or trousers
Who better to show you how to take up a garment than a tailor?
In his video, expert pattern cutter and tailor Michael Hunt talks viewers through the measurements and prep required, to ironing and tacking the hem into place, to stitching it with a machine.
He makes it look easy, and the result is neat and professional.
How to patch a pair of jeans
Levi’s has its own masterclass on how to patch a pair of jeans, whether for practical or aesthetic reasons.
A tutorial from the brand’s master tailor considers viewers with and without a sewing machine.
I’ve patched black jeans with black fabric in the past, but am tempted to recreate an example in the video featuring a patch with multicoloured stripes.
How to repair a moth hole in cashmere
For a simple tutorial on repairing small moth holes, with which anyone who has owned a cashmere jersey will be familiar, search YouTube for “How to fix holes in cashmere cardigans.”
The presenter’s sensible advice includes pointers on finding the closest possible colour match in your thread and not pulling too hard on the item when you’re stitching the delicate yarn.
How to darn a worn sock Socks get a lot of wear, and the heels and soles are the first areas to thin.
Toes, no matter how well reinforced, easily get holes.
Darning these is more complex than I’d imagined, but manageable for a novice all the same.
A video titled “How to darn your socks” shows you how to make the sock easier to work with by putting a ball inside it and features two different, effective methods — darning and ladder stitch. —