Repairing Stretchy Fabric

Hey everyone,

I've been repairing my own gear for years, and have known how to sew since I was about 10 years old, yet I have never worked with anything with significant stretch.

After a year and a half of hard use, my Patagonia Rock Crafts have a hole worn in the back pocket. Patagonia is dropping some fabric scraps in the mail so I can patch it myself.

Anyone know of good/best practices for patchign stretcy fabric, especially in a place that sees a lot of stretching? I'd be afriad the stitching would limit the stretch, tear out, and make the hole bigger.

Any thoughts?

John Marsella wrote:Decent machines have special stitches for stretchy fabrics. I suppose you need to pay attention to the direction of the stretch, too?

Yeah, with wear it is it'd be a pain with my machine...

I guess I'll just try to do a zig-zag stitch by hand like my machine does.... god it'll be ugly, hah.

Sometimes you can get away with using a straight stitch but stretching the material as you sew it. Thicker materials tend to work better with this technique.

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I guess I should tear the pocket off, repair it, and so it back on with the same stitching that Patagonia used at the factory.

If I'm lucky, they'll send me a scrap big enough to just sew on a new pocket.

I know how to sew... might as well do it right?

Sew it up! Major props to you for making the effort and saving some frogskins! I'd think of it like sewing up a 5.10 handcrack on lead. Use your rope to hook it together but remember about drag! Sewing isn't much different than leading from a theoretical point of view when dealing with stretchy stuff. Except for the danger factor. Wheee!

I'm not a seamstress, but I am married to one.
Mrs. Erectus suggests finding someone with a serger.
The stitching works well with streatchy fabrics such as fleece.
And match the fabric's streatch as John mentioned.

Tom-o Erectus wrote:I'm not a seamstress, but I am married to one. Mrs. Erectus suggests finding someone with a serger. The stitching works well with streatchy fabrics such as fleece. And match the fabric's streatch as John mentioned.

Thanks for the tips-- Patagonia sent enough fabric to replace the pocket, I might drop 'em off at the alterations place that's done some of my gear repair in the past. It's in such a high-wear area I might as well have it done right the first time.