A Redditor was recently showing off their handiwork on r/Anticonsumption.
"First time darning on a second hand pair of overalls I've had since high school!" they wrote. "Hopefully I'll get several more years of wear out of them."
Darning is a sewing method of patching holes that aren't along a seam and where a patch would be uncomfortable, like a sock heel. The technique is effectively weaving new fabric directly into the clothes. Some specialty equipment is available to help with this work. For instance, one commenter suggested a hoop to help with repair.
"Looks good!" they said. "If you have an embroidery hoop, you can use that for the next time to get the fabric more taut so it's easier to darn the hole. I do this for all my clothes that have holes."
Darning eggs and mushrooms are also used to keep the fabric taut while repairing, but they maintain the curvature of the fabric. Darning needles are blunter than regular sewing needles in order to prevent tearing any more fabric. If you want to go all out, darning looms can streamline the process even further.
Clothing manufacturing has a massive impact on our climate, so repairing the clothes you have helps to extend their life and stem the need to buy anything new. That's not only good for the environment, but for your budget, too. If you want to get started with this habit, check out our guide on clothing repair.
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The original poster gets bonus points for shopping secondhand as well. Clothing does not decompose gracefully in landfills, so if we can keep usable items out of it, all the better, even if it takes a little bit of elbow grease to repair.
Take a look at TCD's starter's guide to thrift shopping so you can start finding hidden treasures — many of which won't even need repair.
Commenters were keen to share some interesting thread options when darning.
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Should it be illegal to throw away old clothes?
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Heck yes 👍 Another commenter reminisced about how they used to darn: "My old punk friends taught me to use fishing line that stuff is tough as nails."
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"Dental floss was the OG method I was taught," replied another.
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