Mending What the Dog Chewed Up (Part One)

A customer brought me 2 Vera Bradley bags (purses) that her dog chewed up and asked me if I could repair them.

She really didn’t have high expectations; she figured anything I could do was better than what they looked like.

But, she didn’t know that I have a favorite mending technique that earns rave reviews every time I use it.

This is some of the damage to one strap on the first bag:

 

 

To fix this, select thread that matches the bag and thread your machine and bobbin with it.

Now, switch your machine to a zig zag stitch.

Select the widest width of zig zag that you have.

The stitch length should be set at zero. (If you start sewing and the machine does not move forward, then move the stitch length lever just a smidge and try it there. You certainly don’t want it at “1″. The goal here is to have the stitches as close together as possible.)

Begin stitching along the edge of the strap like this:

 

 

You may need to go over it a couple of times.

This is how it turned out:

 

 

See how good that looks?

Most people won’t even notice that the bag was in shreds a few minutes ago.

Here’s another example of damage to the middle of the bag:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what it looks like after the mend:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This technique has many applications.

I use it to mend jeans, jackets, sleeping bags and many other items around the house.

It only takes a couple of minutes and the right color of thread and you’ve got an instant solution to lots of problems.