SewHQ: Your Online Sewing Club

Access 1,000+ sewing patterns and become a part of our sewing community!
JOIN FROM JUST £4.99!

NO COMMITMENTS. CANCEL ANYTIME

Fix a Frayed Pocket
Fix a Frayed Pocket

A quick fashion fix with Amanda Bowden's classic miracle mend. The dread of torn stitching can be traumatic. Pockets are a common site of injury for catching on things, to say nothing of natural wear and tear as hands go in and out, and even the continued

Fix a Frayed Pocket Fix a Frayed Pocket Fix a Frayed Pocket
  1. Find a circle of fusible interfacing in a suitable colour to match your fabric. This needs to be 2cm bigger that the area that has ripped in order to strengthen the surrounding fabric when applied.

  2. Apply the interfacing to the back of the material using an iron, placing the rough or sparkly side on the wrong side of the main fabric. You only need to remove the pocket if the damage is more than a quarter of the perimeter.

  3. Reinforce the stitching by creating a triangle or box with a cross in the corner to minimise the risk of further damage. If you notice the other corner of the pocket is weakened, repeat the procedure. Voila, pocket perfection!

Share this  

More Helpful Tips...

Shape Up Your Sleeves

Shape Up Your Sleeves

Give extra shape to frocks and tops with this handy sleeve enhancement. You can easily add interest to the head of the sleeve, and how it travels over the top of the arm, simply by using tucks, gathers, pleats and darts. Each of these will require a sligh

Improve Your Rolled Hems

Improve Your Rolled Hems

Guarantee flowing hemlines that hang like a dream. Keen dressmaker Sarah Greeff has colourful memories of her first attempts at making a rolled hem. “I was first asked to make rolled hems for a colleague at Fenwick of Bond Street"

Know Your Overlocking

Know Your Overlocking

Get to grips with the best overlocking finishes for everyday stitching. The overlocker has a different feel to a regular sewing machine. The trick is to let the feed dog guide the fabric. Use your right hand to support the edge of the material, taking car

Master French Seams

Master French Seams

Get to grips with a clever seam favourite for a continental finish! French seams are common in clothes for children, where the skin is extra sensitive, as the inside is completely smooth.

Create Perfect Darts

Create Perfect Darts

Doyenne of DIY dressmaking, Sarah Greeff, on the perfect dart. I recently visited Bath and spent the morning at the Fashion Museum, my nose pressed against the glass, as I gawped at the construction of some of the more historical pieces. On closer inspect