How do you repair small hole on fabric that requires cool iron?
 

My husbands shirt is made of 70% polyester and 30% Modal fabric. The care instructions say to use a cool iron. There is a very small hole (about the size of head of a pin - the old fashion kind). I'm at a loss on how to repair it since my first go to is to use fusible web and fabric.

Thanks for your help!!

I'm no expert, but if it were my shirt with that kind of tiny hole, I'd rub my fingernail across it to see if the fibers would relax and fill the hole. Instead of a real hole in the fabric, maybe the fibers are just a little out of place. It seems like to me, any repair would make the hole much more noticeable and possibly even more serious. Remember, I'm no expert!

My first thought would be to use something like Fray Check or Fray Block on the hole.

If you do decide to use it, test it on/in an inconspicuous place. It might dry stiff or discolor the fabric or dissolve the fabric.


I've used it to seal the edges of burn holes on my husband's shirts - one was wool and one was chamois cotton flannel.

Maybe Bo Nash would work. Can't remember if you need to iron that stuff or not.

There are low temp fusibles out there that you could use. But I'm kind of with Susan, if it's that small I'd try to push the fibers into place to cover it first.

For me it would depend where the hole was. It sounds really tiny. One thing I have done is using two or three tiny stitches in a tiny zig-zag, then gently tugging the hole closed, then tying it off in the back.

Try to find the same color thread as the shirt and darn it like it was a sock, take tiny little stitches. I tried fray check on one of my husbands shirts and it did keep the hole from getting bigger. His hole was a bit bigger than the head of a pin so I needed to sew it closed.

Yes, you iron Bo Nash. It is stiff when finished and if anything get on top of what you are patching, it is shiny.

Another trick - that I personally have not tried but only read about - has to do with carpet but might be okay for this situation?? If you have seams in the shirt that you could clip some threads; make a pile about double the size of the hole. Take some glue - probably fabric type in this case (Elmer's was what was recommended in the carpet example) and make a mix of the glue and fabric clippings. Put the mixture over the hole and press. I would probably use a press cloth or piece of wax/freezer paper or both in this case. Supposedly mends the hole. Good luck!

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I took small stitches as Anniedeb suggested and then (after testing) I put a few dots of fray check front and back. There is evidence of a snag on the front, but hopefully it won't be too noticeable.