I Went Old School and Mended My Own Rip

Have you ever torn an article of clothing bad enough that you debate whether it's worth the effort trying to mend or go to a tailor at all? That maybe in today's consumer-driven economy, you just want to go buy a new one?

I'm here to tell you - don't do it! I ripped the corner of my favorite LLBean jacket on my bathroom door jam and it tore clean apart. 

Throwing it out was not an option because I absolutely love the jacket and I got it on a steep clearance sale from LL Bean. For a while I secured it with safety pins but I looked like someone who had just walked out of Frankenstein's lab. I was also nervous it would catch on something again and rip beyond recognition.

This week, I decided to suck it up and mend it myself. I dug through my closet and pulled out a needle and thread. I doubled up the thread, knotted the end and lined up the rip just so:

I started at one corner, criss-crossing over the rip and staying as close to the edge as I could so as not to create giant afore-mentioned Frankenstein stitches.

After slowly stitching back and forth, keeping the thread taught and my stitched as even as I could, I ended up with this:

It's not flawless, but it's hidden enough to not be noticeable and the tear won't get worse, which makes me feel much better about wearing my coat out and not worrying about where my pocket is at any given moment. Give it a try!