How do I repair this fly sheet?

[Lord_Helpus]

I am not sure where to put this thread, but here seems as good as anywhere.

It is a brand new micromesh fly sheet. (I bought a zebra print because it has been proven that the black and white colors confuse flies, so they are less likely to land (and bite))

Petey snapped at Goober, who tried to kick Petey who bit Goober – and WHOOSH – there goes my new fly sheet.

Blanket repair people are not around in the summer…

Can anyone tell me how to fix it? I have a sewing machine, but I probably should not just overlap the two sides and sew it. So what else should I do?

http://i394.photobucket.com/albums/pp25/PeteyPuppy/zebra%20fix_zpskexpam01.jpg

[Puddin_Pie]

Put fray stop on each raw side. Let dry. Butt the edges together and use a zig zag stitch to sew. Not an overlap. In the past I have found a mesh type fabric to use behind the tear for added support and still have breath ability. No longer your pretty new sheet, but horses are horses!

[Lord_Helpus]

Thanks, PP. Where might I find a mesh fabric to use behind the tear? And would you use a hem glue or tape to hold it in place while I do a zig zag over it? Since it is a thin fly sheet, I am not sure that a zig zag stitch alone.will be enough.

[gumtree]

Duck Tape

sorry couldn’t resist

[Foxtrot_s]

I’ll up you - Gorilla glue.
Sorry, couldn’t resist.

[Winding_Down]

[QUOTE=gumtree;8701007]
Duck Tape

sorry couldn’t resist[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Foxtrot’s;8701062]I’ll up you - Gorilla glue.
Sorry, couldn’t resist.[/QUOTE]

Seriously, these would be my options. I would also consider Gorilla Tape, front and back.

[OAD_Cowgirl]

Luckily, one of my friends is a seamstress and she doesn’t bat an eye at anything I haul in for her to fix. One time when she was too behind to help me, she told me to call the local cleaners. They didn’t do as good a job as she does, and they charged a lot more, but the repair held.
Duct tape won’t stay on in humidity.

[Zu_Zu]

[B]Duct tape ~ on inside and outside so their ‘sticky’ sticks together ~ both cuts of scrim taped with separate duct tape strips ~ remove gently before washing / reapply when fly scrim is dry.

• this method of duct tape fly scrim repair has held in Midwest humidity for years …

easier and cheaper and handier than a seamstress …to each her own …[/B]

[Lord_Helpus]

Goober has to wear a full fly sheet/neck every day, so it gets washed 1 - 2x a week. Not sure that duct tape will be the answer.

[KBC]

That isn’t so bad, just sew the edges together and if needed reinforce with some more material, good use for old jeans, soft but tough.

I have just spent a couple of hours piecing together the front of madams expensive flysheet, because redheads are sensitive don’t you know, so I have to have the best.

“Oh and the first time it ripped, it wasn’t my fault because that bay mare looked at me funny again, and I had to sort her out, and thank you for fixing it that time.”

“This time? well there is no where near enough grass out here on the 20 acres that the 10 of us are out in, so I was trying to reach through the fence for a snack to stop me wasting away”

[Zu_Zu]

*Not necesaary to remove the duct tape for each washing … just when it finally curls at the edges…it will pucker a bit but will hold …til one decides to replace.

The duct tape method has always worked for my scrim accidents … which like with any blanket or scrim … the first day accidents make one want to puke !

I order my fly scrims from Radon / custom,measurements and thus when someone :eek: ruins one in the first ten minutes I almost lose my last working brain cell :eek: as well as my ‘lunch’ :lol: !

Good Luck !

[froglander]

I found this roll of approx 3" wide mesh stuff that has been very helpful for flysheet repairs. I found it in some sewing supplies that my mom gave me so I’m not sure what it’s called

[Puddin_Pie]

A decent fabric store , which is becoming harder to find, should have mesh fabric. Failing that, sew it, get some iron on patches -even Walmart has one. Iron it front and back, sandwiching over your repair and it will be the strongest point of the sheet.

[Lord_Helpus]

Thanks for all the good suggestions. I did duct tape it for last night, but I will be going to a fabric store today to do a more permanent job.

And it has to be a good job — The lady across the street told her 2 small children that “Miss Pam has a zebra”. The kids ooooh and aaaah every time they go past his pasture.

I guess the mom could tell them that the zebra had an operation and the Dr put the blue tape over the stitches.

[Beentheredonethat]

Use any old sheets or the jeans suggestion is good for a backing. Dental floss is the key. It is the BEST, strongest thing to repair tears with–the thick kind is best. If you want to super make it good, don’t just sew the tear closed, but sew across it, and then into the fabric a little further on each side, like a sewing machine. I repair this sort of thing all of the time.

Dental floss also works to repair leather.

[Scarlet_Gilia]

I try to have some light-weight polar fleece on hand for repairing fly sheets. Fleece doesn’t fray, is a bit stretchy, and is soft against their skin. For your repair, I’d cut out a square larger than the rip, put it on the wrong side of the sheet, and zigzag back and forth several times alongside and over the tear. Trim away the fleece close to the stitching. I usually use nylon upholstery thread and a jeans needle.

[Hermein]

I would use a whip stitch to close it and an iron-on patch on top of that. I also use dental floss for horse sewing. The polar fleece on the under side is a great idea. I use hand sewing to repair most rips on sheets and blankets because it’s tough to get all that unruly material in place to use a machine. Is there a secret to it?

Sigh, don’t they know how much these prom gowns cost? Do they think we’re made out of money? :grief:

[KBC]

[QUOTE=Beentheredonethat;8702188]
Use any old sheets or the jeans suggestion is good for a backing. Dental floss is the key. It is the BEST, strongest thing to repair tears with–the thick kind is best[/QUOTE]

Great tip, next time I will use floss…and of course there will be a next time

[aedhe]

Seconding dental floss. I don’t sew with a machine so I can’t help you there but I’ve previously done minor blanket repairs with dental floss instead of thread and it holds SO much better. I figure if it’s good enough for ballerinas’ shoes it’s good enough for the horses!