This morning, while walking the dog, my coat caught on a fence and acquired a big rip in the right arm. This coat was bought second hand and I could have just let it go, but if you’ve been following along you will know that I’m a fan of repurposing and reusing.

So I dug through my fabric stash and found some lightweight polyester that I thought would make a nice patch. This is a big hole in a prominent place so there was no way I was going to hide it, I decided to own it.

I almost always use heat Bond when I apply a patch, it keeps the fabric in place while I sew it and also improves the strength of the patch itself. Generally, after sticking down the patch with the heat bond, I just zig zag around the outside of the patch with my sewing machine. You can skip the sewing and the patch will last pretty well but I usually sew mine as well to increase the longevity. Because this is a down jacket I can’t do it on the sewing machine, that would ruin the loft and take away any insulation benefits. I use a simple blanket stitch around the outside of the patch, sewing by hand, and it worked out fine.

Frankly I rather think the jacket is improved by the mishap. While I won’t rip it again on purpose I don’t regret this morning’s misstep.

…try new things, fix stuff, get your hands dirty, read about everything and live life the most that you possibly can while still being as kind as possible – to people and to the world around you.