Darning a hole in a kilt

**plaid preacher** · 2nd November 16, 01:49 PM

Greetings Ladies and Laddies, I am currently stalking a kilt on ... you know where. IT has a small hole in the apron. How difficult is this to have repaired? Where would you take it?

Thank you all.

Robert

**Todd Bradshaw** · 2nd November 16, 02:35 PM

Do a search for "French Weaving" or "invisible reweaving". A good reweaver can do pretty amazing repairs. I've done a couple on coarse tweeds (like Harris Tweeds) from watching YouTube videos, but something complex like tartan really needs to go to somebody who knows what they are doing.

**The Wizard of BC** · 2nd November 16, 02:35 PM

First of all - Are you sure that the disclosed hole is the only one? The reason I ask is that in my experience if there is one hole, there is another.

The problem with darning and re-weaving is that you have to have some of the original fabric to use to match. Re-weaving will usually take a piece of fabric with long yarns. Usually about four times longer than the hole is across.

So, to fix a small hole with limited excess fabric - find somewhere like inside an apron facing. Cut a small patch that will match the section of Tartan where the hole is. This patch only needs to be slightly larger than the hole. Sew this to the inside of the hole using the pick stitch you learned to sew the apron facings at the fringe. Align up the Tartan pattern just like you lined up the Fell Pleats.

Then find what are called felting needles. These have sharp barbs along the shaft. You put a piece of foam like a kitchen sponge behind your patch and repeatedly poke the felting needle through the original fabric hole edge and the patch underneath. This will make a very nice, practically invisible repair.

Total time involved about two-three hours. Lot's of money saved in labor to the shop that will probably do the exact same thing to fix the hole.

And you are now an expert hole fixer with your own felting needle tool. Win-win.