Repairing sunshirts?

Off Course
#1

Just pulled a sunshirt out of the wash and noticed a hole in the back of it. The hole is about the size of a dime and there are two pinprick holes next to it. It looks like a mouse chewed it but more likely it got caught on a zipper or something. Has anyone had any luck repairing these? I am comfortable handsewing and doing small repairs-- ugly but functional. Tricks or creative repair ideas appreciated.

It’s BRIGHT orange and perfect for trail riding where orange is required so even with the hole or if I can’t repair I will continue to wear it.

#2

Disclaimer: While I once made fancy crafty things on a sewing machine years ago, I am not by any means a “seamstress”… :smile:

I’d turn the sunshirt inside out and carefully pin the edges together into a line as best as possible. Depending on where it’s located on your back, the line can run vertical or horizontal. I’d just like the fixed area to be able to flex and stretch with you as you move, to keep it from pulling apart. Then use a thin needle with matching thread. Be sure you get a thread that’s made for stretch fabric! Then just make small stitches in the manner of the loop-de-loops. (See, I don’t even remember the name for that type of stitch!).

It’ll probably look like Frankenstein on the inside but from the outside it’ll be fine.

#3

they make patching products for fabric. It is an iron on patch.

cut a small disc to slightly larger size than needed. Place on inside of the shirt and iron to set the product.

you could then put an embroidery patch over the spot, but if it is just a shirt for trail rides etc, I would probably not care about appearance

#4

You could try lightweight fusible interfacing, cut out two pieces slightly larger than the hole, place one inside and one outside the garment covering the hole and iron on.
I suggest not using the dryer after this as the heat will sometimes lift the interfacing.

#5

I would just use a hot glue gun as I suspect the garment is not one that is of high fashion

#6

It’s a Kastel sunshirt, so a $70 shirt though it is a few years old. Probably not a candidate for hot glue.

#7

I think this might be the way to go, especially if I can color match. Otherwise I’ll probably try @Paint_Party’s suggestion. That’s my usual method of repair.

#8

Forgot about the iron-on fabric patches! I used one to patch a jacket last year that I’d snagged on a pine tree. With a sunshirt, though, I’d suggest testing a small, discreet area with the iron first, to see how the fabric responds to heat. You don’t want to end up with a puckered area next to your patch. Or maybe you do. Could be a fashion trend! :laughing:

#9

Do you know how to darn? Darning is awesome. That is how I repair my knitted items and most t-shirts. I can’t explain it very well but YouTube has a bunch of good tutorials for a bunch of different fabrics.

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#10

Look on the bottom of the shirt in front and see if where the ends fold is enough extra material framing the edge inside to cut a bit of it, enough to make a patch, since is such a little hole.
Then sew that patch on the hole with very small similar colored thread.
That may keep the hole from growing and may not hardly show.

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#11

This is a great idea, thanks!

#12

Darning??? I learned how to darn for a Girl Scout badge ca. 1959. They told us we needed to learn how to do but it was for old socks. New modern socks wouldn’t get holes that need to be darned. That’s when I learned to ride horses, which we were encouraged to continue. :racehorse:

I was going to say when you look for an iron-on patch find a lightweight one. The ones for jeans are too heavy. Then the ever-practical and informative Bluey :star_struck: comes along and says why not make the patch out of part of the shirt. Then sew it on with thread.

My finger and small tool dexterity were tested and I’m in the left end of the bell-shaped curve where it meets the line on the bottom. My mother was at the other end. She was always making something with her hands. When we were kids she would knit in the car in the dark on a 5-hour drive to Cape Cod unless it was a complicated pattern. When my heavy-duty Viking machine bit the dust I swore off sewing anything by hand or machine. I use local resources. It only cost $5 to get the bottom part of the zipper sewn back on my favorite Horseware fleece jacket. :upside_down_face:

#13

I grew up where we didn’t have made up clothes, we learned to make our own.
From underwear, to nightwear, to street clothes, all was hand made.
In school we had sewing classes, still have some of those sets of embroidered tea mantel and napkins and other somewhere around.

Like you, I was not the best at sewing, in fact was caught in sewing class hiding a book behind all the cloth around my desk, reading away.
I didn’t think anyone would notice …
Once the sewing teacher told my mother I wielded a needle like a sword. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

I think the op will have enough to go by now to fix her air conditioned sun shirt. :innocent:

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