Restoration: when making repairs …

September 2021

Don’t sweat it!

Just Take Your Time!

I recently repaired this 1950s crepe patio dress, with great success. I even surprised myself. I wasn’t sure if I could do it, so I decided to just put on some music and take my time. The dress had a small rip on the side near the waistband and an actual hole in the skirt.

I knew I couldn’t use any kind of iron-on patch because the material was too sheer. So, I cut strips of fabric from the seams and basted them on the inside under the rips to hold the edges together.

Once I had the edges anchored in place, I over-stitched the edges together in a modified darning technique, then removed the basting stitches. It worked beautifully.