Hole, pull or stain in fabric: can it be cut around?

Where a flaw can be lost

• In a seam allowance: the strip beyond the stitching at the sides, shoulders and sleeves is folded inside the garment. A stain there is never seen. A hole needs to sit clear of the stitching line, or it weakens the seam.
• Inside a hem or facing: the turn-up of a hem, the facing behind a neckline and the casing of a trouser waist are all folded out of sight.
• In the offcuts: the curves cut away at the neck and armholes, and the strips beside a tapered sleeve or trouser leg, are waste. A cutter can often shift a piece so the flaw falls there.
• Under something: a patch pocket, a neckline patch, a border or a line of lace can cover a stain or a small hole that has been reinforced.
• On a hidden part: pocket bags and facings can be cut from the flawed area on purpose.

Where it cannot

Some positions leave no room to move: the centre of the chest, the upper back, the middle of a sleeve, and anywhere on a front that is printed or embroidered to a set layout, since that piece cannot be shifted. A dupatta is hard too, because the whole piece is on show, unless the flaw is near one end and the dupatta can be made a little shorter.

When a flaw cannot be dodged, there are still choices.

• Change the design so a seam passes through it: a yoke line or a panel seam can swallow a flaw. See yokes and panels.
• Shorten the piece, with shorter sleeves or a shorter kameez, if the flaw is near an end.
• Swap roles, using the flawed length for the trousers, where it can sit on the inner leg.

Holes, pulls and stains are different problems

• A pull or snag: one thread has been drawn into a loop, leaving a tight line in the weave. Never cut the loop. It can often be eased back by gently stretching the fabric along the line and coaxing the loop through to the wrong side with a needle.
• A hole: threads are broken, and the hole will grow under strain. It has to be avoided, covered or reinforced.
• A stain: the cloth is sound, so the only question is whether it will show. Do not iron over it, since heat can set a mark. Washing one piece of a suit can also shift its colour against the others, so read pre-washing before stitching first.
• Not a flaw at all: thick threads and small knots are part of slub and handwoven-style cloth, as our guide to textured cottons explains.

Marking it so the cutter sees it

A pinhole you found in daylight is easy to lose again once the fabric is folded. Mark it on the right side with a few loose stitches of bright thread around the spot, or a small safety pin on firm cotton. Avoid pens, and avoid sticky tape on fine or brushed fabric, which can leave its own mark.

Then photograph each flaw with a tape measure showing its distance from the nearest edge and from the end of the piece, and say which piece it is on. Our guide to photographing fabric for a quote covers the other shots. For unstitched suit stitching, mention every flaw in your Stitching Only quote request. We look at the photos and tell you whether the design can avoid it before you post the fabric.