A small hole or tear in lawn: how to mend it neatly

Look at the damage before choosing a method

Lawn is a fine, closely woven cotton, so a repair has to be small and light to blend in. What kind of damage you have decides the method:

• A clean tear, straight or L-shaped from a snag, where no fabric is missing: stitch it closed.
• A small hole, where a few threads have gone, such as from a moth or a cigarette ash burn: darn it, or back it.
• A thin, worn patch that is starting to open: back it, and consider whether the cloth has much life left. Our article on the signs a kurta is worn out helps you judge.

Closing a clean tear

Use the finest needle you have and a single strand of thread close to the background colour of the fabric. All-purpose polyester thread is strong; one strand separated from embroidery floss gives a softer finish on cotton. On a print, match the main ground colour, not the pattern.

• Trim any long frayed threads, but do not cut into the edges.
• Work from the wrong side. Line the two edges up so they just meet, without overlapping.
• Bring the needle up a couple of threads away from one edge and down the same distance from the other, so the stitches cross the tear.
• Keep the stitches tiny and close together, and carry them a few millimetres past each end of the tear.
• Do not pull the thread tight, or the fabric will pucker. Finish with a few small stitches on the spot and press from the back.

Darning or backing a small hole

Darning rebuilds the cloth with thread. Stitch a row of parallel threads across the hole in one direction, anchored in sound fabric a little beyond it, then weave a second set over and under them at right angles. On lawn, use the finest thread you can find. A good darn is very durable, though it shows as a slightly denser patch.

Backing supports the hole from behind. Cut a piece of very lightweight fusible interfacing, or a scrap of lawn from a seam allowance or hem, a little larger than the hole with rounded corners. Fuse or stitch it on the inside, pressing through a cloth, then catch the edges of the hole down to it with tiny stitches. Test any fusible on a scrap first, as some leave a glossy mark that shows through fine cotton.

Iron-on patches made for denim or children’s knees are too heavy for lawn. They feel stiff, show as a block through the fabric and often start to peel after washing.

Covering the mend, and how repairs hold up

Where a mend will show, you can make it look intended. Stitch a small flower or a few French knots over it, extend a printed motif with thread, or add a matching motif on the other side so the pair looks planned. These are home sewing ideas rather than something we take on, as we make new outfits rather than repair existing ones.

Hand stitching and darns survive washing well if the ends are secured. Fused backing alone may lift over time, so stitch around its edge too. Fabric glue stiffens lawn and can wash out, so it is best kept off anything visible. Wash mended pieces inside out on a gentle cycle; washing machine settings for kurtas covers the details.

If the damage is in the middle of the front, a new kameez may be the better answer. With Stitching Only we cut and stitch your own unstitched suit to your measurements once we have confirmed the fabric is suitable. Ask for a quote with photos of your fabric.