Repair work advise! Need help with patching

NByers

NByers

Registered Guest
I found this 1920s dress in amazing condition, however right in the middle is the skirt there is an almost perfectly straight 1 inch split. The fabric is a crepe blend...most likely crepe silk based on feel. If I can patch it from the back the split will be nearly invisible. Does anyone have any tips and tricks for doing this or another way to repair it?? I am pretty experienced with repair work but haven't worked much with patching, especially on delicate fabric...please help!

Cheers! Nicole


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Dear Nicole,
I just noticed no one had answered your query. First, I would check the stability of the overall fabric. Such slits are often the beginning of shattering in silk fabric. Try gentle tugging on an inside seam. If the overall fabric seems sturdy, you could use an iron-on fabric strip to close the slit such as this sheer tricot type:

* TW10 - IRON-ON-FUSIBLE "HEATNBOND" TRICOT SHEER WEIGHT INTERFAVING, $4.00 per yard, carried by Lacis, a Berkeley, CA store/museum
http://www.lacis.com/catalog/

Do not use the stiff widely available cotton iron on tape.

You could also mend it from the inside with hand stitching. Older sewing books often have instructions with illustrations.

Nice dress, well worth mending.

Marian
 
Marian is right - the most important thing is to determine that there aren't any underlying fabric deterioration issues that have caused this split. Shattering affects weighted silks, heavier than yours so if there is a fabric issue it's more likely to be dry rot. You can read my blog post on dry rot here and shattering here.

I suspect your rip was caused by someone sitting down in the dress: is it around the seat area or just below? In which case, there will be more stress on the spot. I favour original repair techniques, so depending on where this rip was, I would either darn (as long as it's not in that spot that is stressed when you sit down) or sew a small seam to strengthen and hide it. The seam is still noticeable but less obvious than a darn on a plain fabric. The seam will need to be narrow so you're not affecting the evenness of the hem.

Personally, I don't like iron on patches because they can discolour fabrics and introduce chemicals, however it looks like the product Marian has recommended is used by museums, in which case it must be okay.
 
Hi! Omg thanks so much for the info, I was hoping someone would have some tips...the flaw is so strange to me because there is absolutely NO other flaws to the dress, the fabric is VERY strong and durable. Not at all deteriorating...it is horizontal right in the middle of the front of the skirt and almost perfectly straight, almost like someone cut it with a scissors haha!

Cheers! Nicole
 
Marian-
I like the patch idea, thanks for the link! So all I need to order is the interfacing? I don't need to order any other supplies to do it correct, and then I just iron is on...is it that simple so to speak? And it works with any fabrics correct?
 
All you need is sharp scissors and an iron. I have never used it on cotton. It works well on silks and rayons. I have even used it on net and lace. Good luck.
Marian
 
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