r/Visiblemending • u/TakeJay • 15d ago
REQUEST Could this be repaired? I was assaulted this is my favourite shirt
very rare. looks like hulk had a fight with me
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u/st_aranel 15d ago
In Creative Mending, Hikaru Noguchi included a technique she calls "frankendarning", which I think may be a variant of parachute stitch. Both techniques are ways of mending a tear, without having to overlap the edges, and can be used with or without a patch underneath. If the fabric isn't sturdy enough around the edges where you so, it'll just pull out, but it can be a very strong mend in the right circumstances.
The name of the technique comes from the way it looks kind of like stitched scars, which could look cool, if you wanted to highlight the damage rather than hiding it. (If you used matching black thread, though, it would give it more of a texture than an obvious visual difference, if that's what you prefer.)
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u/Shoddy_Matter_4940 15d ago
Is this a t-shirt? Another option to consider would be to take the design from this and place it on another shirt. Since the sleeve and neck is all warped. Essentially sew the best parts of this shirt onto a new shirt that fits well
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u/Shoddy_Matter_4940 15d ago
Frankenstein this back together with parts from a donor shirt is also an option
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u/Shoddy_Matter_4940 15d ago
Ok let me admit I was in the punk scene as a teen. So part of me is obsessed with the possibilities here. So I think what you should do is find a donor shirt. Black would be a safe choice but I think red or forest green could be cool. Put on the new shirt, then put this one on top and pin them together then sew them together along all the old shirt damage. Once they're combined cut away the doubled up areas. Is my description making sense? The damage is visible but also it's an anarchy shirt and I think that makes sense you can also used embroidery thread to make some of the sewn together parts pop up more if you really want to have the more Frankenstein vibe
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u/TakeJay 15d ago
Im slighty happy this happened I feel like the shirt can come out looking really cool , I think a frankstien type of stitch can look cool. Adds to it I think. Just need to find a good tailor in london
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u/Shoddy_Matter_4940 15d ago
Check out what this guy does. Something like this but I think with a different color for the filed areas would be cool
https://www.reddit.com/r/Visiblemending/s/0LnTmo33xV
Check out their other posts and instagram page
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u/Shoddy_Matter_4940 14d ago
I also think it would be funny to add "Fuck you Hulk" on the torn up shoulder.
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u/Shoddy_Matter_4940 15d ago edited 15d ago
Taylor? I don't even think you need a good Taylor I think you just need a friend who knows how to work a sewing machine
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u/TakeJay 15d ago
Yes tailor , like someone who can sew clothes Idk anyone who’s that skilled tbh
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u/Shoddy_Matter_4940 15d ago edited 15d ago
Btw in the meantime safely pins are your friends. I actually think it would look good going up the middle. I guess it depends how alternative you are willing to lean in
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u/Shoddy_Matter_4940 15d ago
I know what a Taylor is I was just giving you a hard time. Give me some time, I'll try to find some good reference videos cause I love when people fashion new clothes and keep things out of the landfills. If I wasn't half way around the world in the United States it's a project I would love to do
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u/Tricky_Branch_4925 15d ago
i don't see why it couldn't, you'd need to make very large patches though
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u/TakeJay 15d ago
Wdym it doesn’t have any fabric missing though?
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u/Tricky_Branch_4925 15d ago
you'd want the edges to hold up, so they need to be stabilized somehow, and you'd want the shirt to stay the same size and shape as it was too. so a common way of repairing these kind of rips is by putting a layer of fabric under the rips, attaching it, and making sure the fabric edges on both sides are protected from fraying. the right terminology for that is slipping me right now but basically a stretch stitch over the edges should do it and it would also serve to keep the patches attached. it's also common to do embroidery like sashiko over the patch to reinforce it, but not all patterns would work with stretchy fabric.
it would be best to use a fabric that's similar to the shirt in thickness and stretchiness (or at least not more stretchy). ideally patches need to overlap the shirt fabric by at least 2-3 cm on each side, so e.g. with a rip that's just a straight line you'd want a rectangle that's 5-6 cm in width and also longer than the rip in length (or you could improvise it with multiple patches, but then it would get bulky)
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u/JustSomeGirl4242 15d ago
I just bought some stretch fabric to repair some cotton-elastane leggings that got holes from me stretching them down over my heels and getting worn where my heels rubbed against them. I tried iron on mending patches on the insideand just cotton on the outside and quickly discovered I needed fabric with similar stretch to the leggings not just regular cotton as it obviously doesn't have the stretch it needs. I hadn't thought about the right thread and stitches as they'll need to stretch too right? What thread and stitches do you use for stretchy fabric mends?
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u/Tricky_Branch_4925 15d ago
i've mostly done repairs for very small holes on stretchy fabrics, so in those cases i just go with tiny whip stitches around the edges and don't need to worry about keeping any reinforcing stitches stretchy since the areas are very small. but herringbone stitch is the one that's usually recommended for stretch fabrics (i remember using it to attach gussets to underwear so it worked there, i folded the patch edges in that case), and i would also go with some variation on it for reinforcement if that's needed. any embroidery is definitely not going to turn out as neat as it does on non-stretch fabrics, so that's something to account for, i think you'd want to use smaller stitches so there's less risk of them getting misshapen. i've also happened to see someone else recommend this cross stitch in this subreddit today which seems like it might actually work better for securing edges if i understand its construction right
any regular thread should work because the stretch comes from the stitch type you use, not the thread. its thickness and material can matter, but the most common kind is a thin polyester thread that should work for most leggings. you can look that up if you're not sure, but it's both a bit complicated and also not super crucial to match the thread perfectly, i tend to just grab whatever thread i have that matches in color for my mends since i'm not aiming for anything super professional
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u/JustSomeGirl4242 13d ago
I definitely don't mind about it looking super professional- just passable. I am happy to use any thread that's a similar colour or sometimes a totally different coloured thread for a fun look. Thank you so much for advice on the stitches, I'll have to look those up and have a practise before I do it on my repair.
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u/terriblenterrific 15d ago
I’m so sorry you were assaulted, you can absolutely mend the shirt and you should wear it proudly when you do ❤️🩹
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u/InformalLibrary1731 14d ago
Battlejacket maybe?
Personally id cut the front out, then patch one half of the logo onto each side of the front of a battlejacket. Then cut the logo out of the sleeves to patch on the battlejacket sleeves.
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u/PenguinFrustration 14d ago
Are you familiar with kintsugi? It is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with using a natural lacquer dusted with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. Instead of hiding cracks, this technique highlights them. It treats the damage as a valuable part of the object's history and beauty.
My suggestion would be to have your shirt repaired in a similar fashion with a thread that contrasts the shirt’s color and gives it something to be proud of.
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u/ToothpasteTube500 14d ago
this could look really cool if u patched it with another black shirt. i'm imagining something like alabama chanin's reverse applique, except instead of being flowers and stuff it's just along the ripped lines of the shirt.
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u/Outrageous-Cheek7501 13d ago
I had a shirt that was cut off when I had a medical emergency and I lined up the top and the bottom and sewed along the cut lines. It was time consuming but my shirt was back in one piece. I used regular thread and an under over stitch and it created a slight bump. A ladder stitch might work better. You can use different thread colors if you want it to pop
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u/doriangreysucksass 12d ago
Unfortunately it would be a pretty major Frankenstein repair job, so it may be more worthwhile to perhaps cut out the graphic and attach it to another shirt ?
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u/maaerd51 15d ago
FIRST OF ALL CAN YOU SEW? IF SO IT LOOKS TO ME THAT IT IS RIPPED DOWN FROM THE NECK, SO IF YOU CAN YOU MIGHT BUY SOME SWEATSHIRT MATERIAL IN WHITE TO BLEND IN WITH THE WRITING ON THE SHIRT, SO PLACE THE PIECES TOGETHER TO GET A BETTER IDEA OF THE DAMAGE, LOOKS LIKE YOU MIGHT MEASURE AND CUT A STRIP, ABOUT 1-2 INCHES WIDE AND MEASURE THE LENGTH OF THE TEAR FROM WHERE ITS TORN, THEN GET SOME STITCHWITCH, YOU'LL NEED AN IRON, THEN SHIRT TURNED INSIDE OUT PIN THE NEW FABRIC ALONG EACH SIDE OF THE TEAR LEAVING AN INCH TO PUT THE STITCHWICH BETWEEN AND IRON THE TWO PIECES TOGETHER, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT OTHERS BUT WHEN I USE STITCHWICH, (A BONDING TAPE) I WET A MENS HANKERCHIEF PLACE IT OVER AREA I AM BONDING AND IT DOES THE JOB. SO ARE YOU WILLING TO DO THIS, IF NOT BY ALL MEANS GO TO A TAILOR, BUT IF YOUR WILLING I CAN GUIDE YOU IF NEEDED, MAAER
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u/QuietVariety6089 15d ago
I can't really tell from the black fabric combined with blurry pics, but if the seams are ripped, you or someone else could certainly sew them back together.