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Q&A
By Marla Stefanelli
I have a mattress with an L-shaped tear on the side. The fabric is taut and not very thick. If I hand sew the tear, will the stitches rip out? Is there a better way to mend the tear?
Tom F.,
e-mail
There are a couple ways you might try to fix the tear. One method is to place a piece of fabric a little larger than the tear behind the opening. Then hand stitch the tear edges together, catching the underlayer.
The other method would be to patch the tear. There are patches at the fabric store for fixing holes in garment elbows and knees. Or use paper-backed fusible web to create your own patch.
Before adding the patch, baste the tear edges together with a diagonal basting stitch, without pulling or distorting the fabric (1). Also test the iron heat on a small portion of the mattress fabric; adjust as needed and use a press cloth when fusing.
To create your own patch, fuse one side of the fusible web to a coordinating cotton fabric, remove the paper backing, and fuse the patch over the tear. For extra security, baste the patch edges to the mattress.
When fusing a purchased patch, follow the manufacturer's instructions.
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