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Free DIY Patterns & Tutorials

How To Mend A Broken Seam

November 17, 2014 by Denise 2 Comments

A tutorial to show you how to fix broken stitches on a knit garment

When wearing knit garments it can happen quite often that the seams break, especially on areas that get a lot of wear and tear like around the neckline or on the bottom hem.

⇓ – – – – – –  PIN THIS – – – – – – – ⇓

How to mend a broken seam on knit garments. This tutorial shows step by step instructions with stitch info.

Colorful T-shirt

How To Mend A Broken Seam

One of my daughters’ pj top looked like this after I washed and dried it:

how to fix a broken seam on a knit garment With store bought clothes you will most always find a double stitched line on the outside of the garment. It does not only look great it also has the benefit of the stitches being (somewhat) stretchy. You can sew those double stitches on your home sewing machine by using a twin or stretch needle. how to fix a broken seam on a knit garment (350x235)Those needles come in different widths depending on how wide you want the distance between each row to be. I prefer the widest distance possible because it also allows for maximum stretch since the stitches criss/cross on the back of the garment.

Remove all your stitches and pieces of thread

Use your seam ripper and break the stitches about every inch or so.

how to fix a broken seam on a knit garment (350x235)

Then pull out the thread from everywhere. It is no problem to gently pull a bit harder in order to make the thread break up more.

how to fix a broken seam on a knit garment (350x235)

 

A great tip on how to remove tiny pieces of thread is using tape! I like my heavy duty packaging tape from Scotch and work in small areas. I place a piece of tape onto the area that I want the thread to be removed, I press in on with pressure and pull it off. Voila’, most of those pesky little thread pieces come off that way.

how to fix a broken seam on a knit garment

how to fix a broken seam on a knit garment (350x235)

All pieces of thread are removed

The hem on my knit t-shirt is nice and clean now and ready to be stitched again.

how to fix a broken seam on a knit garment

 

To set your machine to double row stitching

Select your thread color and wind 2 bobbins with enough thread to sew the area. Because some sewing machines don’t have an extra thread cone holder I use a second bobbin and let it run in a small cup or other container. For this project I used a candle lid! Hey, you have got to be inventive sometimes, right?

how to fix a broken seam on a knit garment

Replace your sewing machine needle with a twin needle and secure it well. Set your tension to 3-4 and your stitch length to 3-3.5. That will give you a nice, smooth and straight stitch when sewing with a twin needle.

how to fix a broken seam on a knit garment

Prepping your knit hem

Not everybody likes to use pins, I know I don’t. I always prick myself 🙄 I love using double sided tape for those types of projects. Not only because of the pins but also because double sided tape is perfect when sewing with knit fabric! It prevents the knit fabric to stretch out which is definitely not desired on a hem. I use Bohin’s double sided tape which is great to work with! It dissolves in the wash.

how to fix a broken seam on a knit garment

 

I cut it in sections and adhered it to the inside of the fold not to exceed the fabric edge when it is folded back in place. I pressed it down firmly and peeled the backing off. Then I continued with the remaining area.

how to fix a broken seam on a knit garment

Once it was all covered, my hem looked like this, nice and smooth:

how to fix a broken seam on a knit garment

It’s time to sew!

Place your hem onto your machine with the right up, your fold is facing down. Sew right over the original stitch holes or use your preferred way of gauging the seam allowance. When you are done, back stitch a few times to secure the threads. how to fix a broken seam on a knit garment Your knit hem is done!

how to fix a broken seam on a knit garment

Look from in the inside of the stitches:how to fix a broken seam on a knit garment Note: the seam is still stiff now but once you wash the shirt, the double sided tape will wash out and your shirt is ready to wear again!

Are you looking for great knit sewing patterns? Check out some of these:

  • knit ruffle leggings from Whimsy Couture
  • adult sweatshirt/top pattern from Sofilantjes
  • girls tank/top dress sewing pattern from Serger Pepper
  • or practice on a free pattern for a size 9 pajamas

Did you like this tutorial on how to mend broken seams? Please share it with your friends using the social media buttons on top. Leave me a comment ⇓ with your preferred way to fix broken seams!

 

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Denise
Hi! I'm a craft & sewing loving mom of 2 (+ 1 dog). When I am not crafting or sewing, you can find me playing with my kids and dogs! I am a slow cooker & coffee addict. My favorite color is any color and I have a degree in business management. Hope to inspire you to DIY with me!
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Comments

  1. Denise Knapp says

    November 17, 2014 at 9:33 pm

    i would LOVE to hear your tips and tricks for mending broken seams! Post below!

    Reply
  2. Harriet says

    November 21, 2014 at 12:37 pm

    Perfect timing! I have this oh so fun job waiting for me so great to have the reassurance of knowing I’ll be doing it right!

    Reply

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