Basic sewing: buttons, hems and small tears

Sewing on a button or fixing a dropped hem takes about ten minutes and saves you from throwing out good clothes. You only need a small kit and a little practice.

A mini sewing kit

• Hand-sewing needles in a few sizes, and a needle threader if you find threading hard.
• Thread in black, white, navy, grey and a neutral beige, which covers most clothes.
• Small sharp scissors, a few pins, a tape measure and a handful of spare buttons (many clothes come with a spare on the label).
• Safety pins for emergencies, such as a broken strap or a hem that drops just before you go out.

Getting started

• Cut about 45 to 60 cm of thread (the University of Arkansas guide says 18 to 24 inches). Longer pieces tangle.
• Thread the needle and tie a knot at the end. For buttons, the University of Idaho guide suggests doubling the thread so each pass uses more strands and you need fewer passes.
• Match the thread colour to the fabric unless you want a contrast.
• Work in good light on a flat surface, and turn the garment inside out for hems.

Sewing on a flat button

• 1. Mark the spot: line the button up with its buttonhole so the garment closes neatly.
• 2. For thicker fabrics, lay a pin across the top of the button so the stitches go over it. This leaves slack for a shank.
• 3. Bring the needle up from the back through one hole and down through the opposite hole. For a four-hole button, make a cross or two parallel bars.
• 4. Repeat 3 to 4 times for each pair of holes, as the University of Arkansas guide advises.
• 5. Remove the pin, bring the needle up between the button and fabric, and wrap the thread around the stitches under the button 3 to 5 times to make a shank.
• 6. Push the needle to the back, tie a small knot, stitch through once more, make a second knot and snip the extra thread.

Three hand stitches worth knowing

• Running stitch: weave the needle in and out in a straight line. The Sewing and Craft Alliance recommends short, even stitches of about 6 mm for close control, and finishing with a backstitch to secure.
• Backstitch: a strong stitch for split seams. Bring the needle up, go back 1.5 to 3 mm behind where the thread came out, then come up the same distance in front, and repeat.
• Slipstitch: a nearly invisible stitch for hems. Bring the needle up through the fold of the hem, catch one or two threads of the garment directly opposite, then slide through the fold about 6 mm along and repeat.

Fixing a dropped hem, step by step

• 1. Turn the garment inside out and pin the hem back into place along its original fold line.
• 2. Check from the right side that the hem is level before you start.
• 3. Start just inside the undamaged part with a knot hidden inside the fold.
• 4. Use a slipstitch or blindstitch, catching only one or two threads of the outer fabric so stitches barely show on the right side.
• 5. Do not pull the thread tight (the Sewing and Craft Alliance warns against this for blindstitch hems), or the hem may pucker.
• 6. Finish a little past the gap into the old stitching and secure with a small knot inside the fold.

When to get help

• Split seams along a straight line are easy with backstitch, but tears in the middle of fabric are harder to hide.
• Broken zips, shortening trousers with a lot of fabric and anything on a tailored jacket are often better done by a tailor or alterations shop.
• Ask your university or local community about repair cafés or sewing workshops, where volunteers often help for free.