Mending clothes by hand

Not hard. If it's a broken seam, you'll want to know how to do backstitch,
which is just called "stitching" in this 1893 hand sewing textbook:
http://vintagesewing.info/19th/1892-sn/sn-02.html#stitching

Joy and Olwyn Mary are probably among the most experienced here with hand
patching fabrics -- I mostly just applique a patch into place by hand
or mend on a sewing machine.
http://video.about.com/teenfashion/How-To-Patch-a-Hole-in-Jeans.htm
Applique methods I'm most likely to use:
Needleturn and reverse:
http://www.nmia.com/~mgdesign/qor/begin/applique.htm -- of course, you don't
need to applique fancy shapes... squares and rectangles work just fine.

Kay

Posted by The Wanderer on April 21, 2008, 2:49 am

On 21 Apr 2008 02:42:03 GMT, Kay Lancaster wrote:

>> How hard is it to learn how to sew by hand? I want to mend some of my

>> work clothes without bying a sewing machine.

> Not hard.

I'll second that, but it does help to get decent needles matched to what
you're trying to do/sew.

I have several needles that are a few decades(!) old, They are fairly thin
and I find them very easy to use. The needle length also affects whatever
you're trying to do. I use a slightly longer needle for back stitching, a
shorter needle if I'm overstitching along an edge.

I've been looking around recently trying to find some modern replacements,
the cheap readily available needles are all quite noticeably thicker than
my old needles. May be OK if you're stitching fairly thick materials but
not so good if the material is quite fine or delicate.

Don't be tempted to pull off loooong lengths of thread, it'll knot and
tangle and you'll very quickly lose patience!

--
Richard - The older I get, the better I used to be!

the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

Posted by Mary Fisher on April 21, 2008, 4:55 am

> On 21 Apr 2008 02:42:03 GMT, Kay Lancaster wrote:

>>>

>>> How hard is it to learn how to sew by hand? I want to mend some of my

>>> work clothes without bying a sewing machine.

>> Not hard.

> I'll second that, but it does help to get decent needles matched to what

> you're trying to do/sew.

Agreed.

> Don't be tempted to pull off loooong lengths of thread, it'll knot and

> tangle and you'll very quickly lose patience!

That's the best piece of advice, most beginners (and some more experienced!)
think that it will same time if they use a long length of thread. My rule
when teaching is never more than 18".

I only sew by hand and thoroughly enjoy it, machine sewing is boring as well
as noisy!

Cue for members to claim they have silent machines :-)

Mary

> --

> Richard - The older I get, the better I used to be!

> the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

Posted by Pogonip on April 21, 2008, 5:06 am

Mary Fisher wrote:

> Cue for members to claim they have silent machines :-)

> Mary

My treadle machines make a very soothing clickety-clack.
--
Joanne
stitches @ singerlady.reno.nv.us.earth.milky-way.com
http://members.tripod.com/~bernardschopen/

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