I think we have all experienced finding a small hole in our clothes. It may be that the garment has been torn by something sharp or pointed we have caught. The zip may have caught the knit sweater. Other times you just do not know how it happened, but you suddenly notice a hole in the sweater. And it is always the favourite sweater it happens to. The lovely sweater you have just bought is now ruined. Or is it?
How to repair holes in your clothes with fusible interfacing
If they are smaller holes, I have had good results patching the sweater from the inside with a piece of fusible interfacing (Vlieseline). Interfacing is a backing fabric with glue on one side that adheres when it is ironed onto another fabric. By ironing the interfacing onto the inside of the garment over the hole, you can hold it together so it becomes less visible and does not widen further. You will need an iron, some interfacing and a pair of scissors.
- Turn the garment inside out. If the fabric is creased you can iron or steam it with a garment steamer so it is completely smooth. That makes the next steps easier.
- Next, place the garment on an ironing board or a flat surface, and push the threads around the hole together so it closes.
- Cut out a suitable piece of interfacing, and place it with the adhesive side down so it covers the hole.
- Heat the iron and now iron the interfacing on. When the interfacing is heated, the glue is activated so it adheres to the garment and holds the hole together. If the hole is on a sleeve, place a piece of fabric or a thin towel in between so it does not stick to the right side.
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When the interfacing has cooled and the glue has bonded to the garment, you can now turn it over and check the result. It may take a little practice, but if it is not quite perfect, you can carefully peel the interfacing off and try again.
Here is how it looks. You can faintly make out the hole as the fabric is also a little worn at the elbow, but now the sweater can be used a little again.
I like making garments last a little longer, and a lot of clothing is thrown out even though it can still be used. If, for example, you have washed your wool garment at too high a heat so it has shrunk, you can use our guide to save a shrunken wool sweater.
If your wool garment has become pilled, you can freshen it up with a wool comb that can remove pilling from the garment.