Difficulty
Easy
Steps
5
Time Required
5 - 10 minutes
Sections
1
- Sew a Ladder Stitch
- 5 steps
Flags
Worn Wear
Patagonia and iFixit are celebrating the stories we wear by collaborating to provide guides for Patagonia’s most popular apparel repairs.
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Introduction
What you need
Step 1
Sew a Ladder Stitch
- Thread your needle and tie a knot in the end.
- We’re using contrasting thread for visibility, but when it comes time for your repair, you’ll want to use matching thread.
- Drive the needle from the back of the material, just before where the tear starts.
- Pull the thread taut.
Thread your needle and tie a knot in the end.
We’re using contrasting thread for visibility, but when it comes time for your repair, you’ll want to use matching thread.
Drive the needle from the back of the material, just before where the tear starts.
Pull the thread taut.
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Step 2
- Take a small stitch, going in and out of the material, on one side of the tear only.
- Pull the thread taut.
Take a small stitch, going in and out of the material, on one side of the tear only.
Step 3
- Take a small stitch, going in and out of the material, on the other side of the tear, directly opposite of the stitch you just took.
- Pull the thread taut. This should cinch the material together.
- If your material bunches, try taking smaller stitches, while ensuring that you line up the stitches on either side of the material.
Take a small stitch, going in and out of the material, on the other side of the tear, directly opposite of the stitch you just took.
Pull the thread taut. This should cinch the material together.
If your material bunches, try taking smaller stitches, while ensuring that you line up the stitches on either side of the material.
Step 4
- Continue stitching, switching from side to side as described in step 2 and 3 of this guide, pulling the thread taut after each stitch.
- Stitch until you come to the end of the tear.
Continue stitching, switching from side to side as described in step 2 and 3 of this guide, pulling the thread taut after each stitch.
Stitch until you come to the end of the tear.
Step 5
- One the last stitch, drive the needle through both sides of the fabric, taking as small of a stitch as possible.
- Slowly pull the thread. As you pull, a loop will form. Draw the needle through this loop, and pull the thread taut.
- Repeat this step, taking a tiny stitch, drawing the needle through the loop, and pulling taut.
- Ensure that the stitches are tight, and cut any excess threads.
One the last stitch, drive the needle through both sides of the fabric, taking as small of a stitch as possible.
Slowly pull the thread. As you pull, a loop will form. Draw the needle through this loop, and pull the thread taut.
Repeat this step, taking a tiny stitch, drawing the needle through the loop, and pulling taut.
Ensure that the stitches are tight, and cut any excess threads.
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Author
with 3 other contributors
Brittany McCrigler
Member since: 03/05/2012
87,796 Reputation
132 Guides authored
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bobhunter50023 - Jan 29, 2019
Reply
Have you seen this product? “fixmytear”. It’s a repair tape which sticks very well to vinyl, canvas, rubber, leather and most other surfaces. Absolutely life saving tape.
