Fix Any Hole in Your Clothes Without a Trace, My Mother's Invisible Mending (The Mexican Way), by Bertha's House Hacks on YouTube. 12 min 43 s.
- Video length
- 12 min 43 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Turn the garment inside out and look at the hole. Small round holes low on the front of t-shirts come from a jeans button rubbing against counters, not from moths.
Slide something round and firm under the hole, like a wooden egg or an orange. It holds the fabric flat and stops you sewing the front to the back.
For a small t-shirt hole, thread a needle with matching cotton. Work small stitches in a circle around the hole, about 3 mm from the edge, going all the way around.
Pull the thread gently so the circle gathers shut like a little purse. Do not sew straight across the hole, which leaves a scar and a pucker.
For a jumper hole, find matching yarn first. Cut the spare length from the inside care tag, or pull a short strand from the bottom hem.
Pass one, the ladder: sew vertical threads across the hole, each anchored in solid fabric above and below. Space them evenly like the strings of a small harp.
Pass two, the weave: take the needle over and under the vertical threads, row by row, until the gap is filled. Pat each row down flat as you go.
Do not tie knots in the weave. Tuck the yarn ends into the solid fabric at the edges and trim them, because the weave holds itself.
Press the repair from the inside with a warm iron over a cloth. Check the spot in daylight before you call it done.
Tips and common mistakes
Practice the two-pass weave on an old sock before you touch a good jumper.
A hole bigger than a coin needs backing fabric or a tailor, not just a weave.
If you find one moth hole, check the whole drawer and freeze or air the rest.
Skip wire hangers for good knits and fold them instead, so the shoulders keep their shape.
Questions
Why did pulling my jumper hole shut leave a scar?
A hole in a knit is missing thread, so pulling the edges together bunches the fabric. The two-pass weave adds new thread and fills the gap instead.
Where do I get yarn that matches my jumper?
Use the spare yarn on the inside care tag, or cut a short length from the bottom hem. It matches because it is the same yarn.
Can I machine wash a garment after invisible mending?
Yes, once the ends are tucked in and the weave is flat. Wash it inside out on a gentle cycle and dry it flat.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
