Repairing holes in clothing - darning..?

[Speicher]

In your local sewing supplies shop, you should be able to easily find small quantities of darning "wool" in lots of different shades. If you take the garment with you, a good shop will be happy to help.

 

[Speicher]

Or wool/nylon
https://www.sewinggem.co.uk/collections/darning-and-mending

 

[cougie uk]

I've clearly been doing my darning all wrong. I just use cotton with one of those pre threaded needles.

 

[I like Skol]

I've clearly been doing my darning all wrong. I just use cotton with one of those pre threaded needles.

Yep, almost the same here. Whatever thread is in the box of the closest colour and an old needle (Often bent for some reason? Must be due to all the other uses they get put to, like aligning car washer jets etc ). No specialist equipment required unless you want to.

 

[oldwheels]

Thanks all!

Since this has garned a fair few replies I'll forgo the individual responses; however broad strokes:

I was expecting to pay the going rate to have the item repaired to a decent standard - which neither of the options offered seemed to be. tbh I doubt this would cost more than the original value of the item as it wasn't cheap, but would pay over the odds within reason to stop it being written off.

In any case, I won't be throwing the base layer away as I hate our disposible / consumptive culture and am angry at myself for letting the damage happen in the first place.

I'm not keen on iron-on patches as I think they look messy, plus the garment is 20% synthetic so not sure how viable they'd be.

As always being tight, picky and mistrusting of others I'd far rather do the repair myself; however I have zero experience of such work and most days can barely summon enough motivation / concentration to wipe my own arse; let alone learn a whole new skill for a job that's reasonably time-sensitive.

We do have a family sewing machine, however it's an ancient Singer item I've saved from the chopping block numerous times purely because it's such a nice old thing, and I doubt it's sophisticated enough to do what I need.


As it stands, as usual it looks like a case of "if you want it doing properly (or at all) do it yourself".. irritatingly after leaving the tailors I passed a sewing supplies place and could have popped in to try and colour-match some thread. Maybe I'll go in at the end of the week when I go to collect my other repair (a far more straightforward stitching job) and let them guide me re. appropriate threads and needles - although tbh my trust in people who "should know what they're doing" grows ever-more thin by the day..

Tbh darning's something I've long wanted to be able to do; maybe this will be enough to push me over the edge (whether that's the edge of learning a new skill or a tall building remains to be seen).

Can anyone advise as to what sort of thread I should be using? The base layer's a wool / synthetic mix, but I assume there's no need (and limited ability) to match it and just a basic cotton is probably the way forward..?

Again, thanks for the constructive responses

I think synthetic would be best but since it is a base layer then exact colour match is not so important. Best to get something about the same thickness as that used in the garment. We used to sell ready to use packs for darning and any decent haberdashery shop should stock such things. To get a smooth exterior finish best to turn the garment inside out when darning.

 

[oldwheels]

I'd have thought if the existing yarn has any stretch to it you'd need similar in the replacement yarn. I'd go for something of a similar thickness/weight too.

I've never used one but I think darning is easier with a mushroom

A mushroom is only really useful for socks or a small hole in any other garment.

 

[annedonnelly]

A mushroom is only really useful for socks or a small hole in any other garment.

I think @wafter has a couple of small holes in his top.

 

[fossyant]

I'm always repairing cycling kit. I can't sew, but sewing/darning gloves, leggings etc back together isn't hard. Needle and thread. Hard to see unless you look up close, and no-body looks that close.

 

[I like Skol]

I'm always repairing cycling kit.

That's because you keep falling off!

 

[fossyant]

That's because you keep falling off!

Harsh, but true. But we do call it 'having a little lie down'. Repaired my Spesh road gloves yesterday as I left the caravan, saw a hole in the top, so patched them with some thread. That reminds me, I've worn holes in some other gloves !

 

[slowmotion]

How about one of these?.....

https://www.kneepillow.co.uk/produc...MI07qQ8s3cgAMVVvHtCh2J3gg6EAQYBiABEgItt_D_BwE

 

[fossyant]

Just repaired two holes in my MTB gloves.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Just repaired two holes in my MTB gloves.

That’s where your hands go in!

 

[fossyant]

That’s where your hands go in!

Oh heck !

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I've never used one but I think darning is easier with a mushroom

We had one of those when I was a kid, but it was called sewing egg

A mushroom is only really useful for socks or a small hole in any other garment.

Very true!
I was shown the basics of darning when I was at school, never took an interest, but in dire straits I could do a visible repair
Didn't know about the iron on patches: I don't really rip my clothes, apart from some leggings that the cats knead on.
Wouldn't dream of repairing them, more time efficient to relegate them to gardening duties.