my first attempt at reweaving, and what kind of check is this?

I thought I'd show my first ever attempt at reweaving:

Before


After


It's not perfect, but I'm happy enough with it, for a first go.

Now, my question is, is this a kind of houndstooth check, or something else?

 

Thanks Gayle! It had a few holes, that was the biggest. I fixed them all!

 

That was very good work, Ruth!

 

I found it extremely satisfying! I don't often have time but I really got into it. Making the flaws almost disappear, and matching the threads to make it as unnoticeable as possible, remaking the pattern.

Being such a chunky loose weave, I think this was an easy fabric to start with. I have a hole on a much finer fabric I want to try next.

 

Yes when I get to it, I'll definitely do before and afters.

I'm going to start blogging at some point, so I'm photographing projects with that in mind.

 

I would agree with a kind of "wild" houndstooth as well.

 

Right - I didn't think it looked like a classic houndstooth, the shapes are different and it's made of at least two different shapes, rather than the single shape tessellation that the classic houndstooth is. But I see wikipedia says "houndstooth is a duotone textile pattern characterized by broken checks or abstract four-pointed shapes", so I think that covers it.

Thanks Linda - I'm not such an experienced sewer, and I really thought this kind of repair would be beyond me until I tried it. It's such a good feeling, saving something like this.

 

Melanie, it's pretty strong, because you anchor each thread you bring in, at the back of the work, by stitching it around another thread. They don't just hang loose, otherwise they don't stay tight and as you say they'd come apart with wear. And similar with the original broken threads around the hole. I'll have to show a pic of the back at some point.

I see what you mean about Isle of Man Legs!

Alice, yes exactly that, you pull threads from the inside, from the inside seams and facings, so they are a perfect match to the garment. The complicated thing with this one, was that I was recreating a pattern in the weave, not just a plain weave.

This technique is also called 'invisible mending', and you pay a fortune to have it done professionally. I just watched a youtube tutorial to learn this! My top tip is that you need good lighting. I sat by a window which made all the difference.

 

Ah, yes. I'm short-sighted, so my close vision is pretty good, which does help.