How to Repair a Denim Comforter
Denim comforters tend to be pretty durable, so learning how to make minor repairs on denim should let you keep the comforter in working shape for a long time. Here’s how to repair a denim comforter with minor sewing tips.
Search for Denim Fabric
Buy light or medium fabric, unless you have a heavy sewing machine. Heavy denim tends to be stiff, so it can gum up many home sewing machines.
Wash the Denim Comforter
Before making repair, consider washing the comforter to remove any residual stains on the fabric. Denim is tough enough to take multiple washes, so you might as well start with a fresh and clean comforter.
Check stains before you dry the denim comforter, though. If you have tough stains, it might pay to take your favorite comforter to the dry cleaners.
Pre-Washing Denim
Pre-wash the denim fabric, before you saw it onto your denim comforter. Treat this denim like it’s any other colored wash item. Dry your replacement denim the same way.
If the first wash doesn’t appear to do the trick, rewash some 2-3 times to soften your fabric, before patching.
Place Heavy Needle on Sewing Machine
If you plan on sewing over thick denim seams on your comforter, place a heavy sewing needle onto the machine. This keeps you needle from bending or breaking while you patch the denim.
Cut Your Denim Patch
Cut the fabric with a pair of scissors. For especially heavy or difficult denim fabric, consider cutting one layer of denim at a time. Flip your pattern over to cut the second piece.
Sewing Your Blue Jeans Comforter
Once it comes time to sew, sew flat-felled seams, which are 3 stitch lines, with 2 securing multiple layers of fabric. Here’s how you sew a flat-felled seam.
Stitch a standard 5/8-inch seam with wrong sides together. Trim one side of the seam allowance to one-eighth of an inch. Next, press the seam allowance to one side, keeping the longer side on top.
Next, fold the untreated edge under your trimmed edge, then press it into place. Then saw a stitch line to close this fold.
Routine Repairs on a Denim Comforter
Sometimes, you may not need to make such radical repairs to your denim. Instead you can re-stitch seams that have pulled out with a sewing machine. In fact, you can use a fabric hoop to make small enough stitches to stick your denim comforter by hand.
Another option is to add bright patches you buy at the store, instead of similarly colored denim. If you have multiple holes to repair, this could give your comforter a whole new look. In either case, while you’re making repairs, check for weaknesses in the denim fabric, so you can add a reinforcing patch, to head off repairs at a later time.
Finally, check the edging all the way around your denim comforter. This is a common place for stitches to unravel, because this is the part of the blanket likely to drag across the floor as you carry it, so check and make any preventive maintenance to keep your denim comforter intact.
Repairing Denim Comforters
As you see, learning how to repair a denim comforter requires a little bit of sewing skill, but not too much. Be careful, if you aren’t used to sewing with a machine. Making sure you don’t hurt yourself is much more important than making sure you place a patch on your denim comforter.