Gear Pro Repairing a Tear in Fleece

Question:

What is the best way to repair a tear in my fleece?

Submitted by – Barry: W. Bridgewater, MA

Answer:

I’ll be honest, Barry. I suck at sewing. I tried to sew a button back on my son’s school uniform not too long ago, and it fell off again with a few weeks.

But, I’m an OK researcher, so I went back to my friends at Rainy Pass Repairs (rainypass.com) to get the scoop from the pros. All the sewing-speak may as well be Chinese factory slang to me, but sewers will know exactly what Bob Upton, president of RPR, advises for a torn fleece:

“It depends on the type of tear,” he says. “Simple hand sewing should work on most fleece items, but we rely on machine stitching. For straight cuts or tears: Sew from the inside, right sides together, machine stitch (lock stitch) with a sufficient seam allowance to close the tear. Taper the seam allowance to zero at the beginning and end. For “L” or irregularly shaped tears: zig-zag stitch along the tear, joining the two edges together. Use a color-matched thread, as this repair is more visible than the seaming method above. An extra piece of fabric can be placed underneath if needed to reinforce the repair.”

So have at it, if you have the skills, or send your fleece to RPR, who will do a perfect job for a reasonable fee (starting at $16).