We pack and ship orders every day until 21:00

techniques

I will teach you five dummy proof repair techniques so you can renew and personalize all the woollens in your wardrobe

fuzz off

Wearing woollens will often cause small fibres to come loose. These little hairballs then stick to the garment. You can call them pilling, bobble, fuzz balls, lint, whatever you like. Although pilling is totally innocent, it can give your garb an unflattering worn-out appearance. Use the Pilling Comb to instantly remove pilling. Lay your garment down on a flat but soft surface and use light pressure to work the comb from top to bottom. Work out an orderly routine to cover all surfaces. It’s best to use the Pilling Comb right before washing the garment. (I’ll tell you how on the other side of this poster). The laundry process will ‘close’ up the open fibres. Pilling typically happens to newer garments with lots of loose fibres. Over the years you’ll note that the more spare fibres have been removed, the fewer fuzz occurs.

the magic of dry felting

The quickest and easiest way to repair a hole is through felting (it’s truly dummy proof). I’m still amazed by how the wool fibres become one cohesive material. You can use a dry felting technique to repair holes visibly or invisibly. Personally, I’m all for showing off your creativity. But, for invisible mending, mix your wool fibres to get the right colour. Pro tip: use the pilling comb to remove fluff from your garment, and then mix it together with the fibres to get as close to the right colour as possible.

1. first place the garment inside out with the hole over the brush
2. put on top a nice little patch of wool fibres that will basically work as a plaster
3. place the felt needle in the holder and start punching the needle into the fibres, the garment, and the brush
4. turn the garment outside in and work the needle into the materials some more
5. repeat this process from both sides until you have reached a sturdy closure of the hol

revive wovens with a brush

For the fancy pants among us, suits, skirts, dresses, and coats in a woven wool or cashmere can gain a lot from a good brush. Brushing removes dust, dirt, and hair but also delays the need for a wash or dry clean significantly. To keep them pristine, suits should ideally be brushed after every wear. Lay the garment on a flat surface and brush against the lie of the material first. Do so gently: a firm sweep is good, no pressure is needed. Then brush with the lie, to finish the look. If you want to refresh your garment or want to remove a stain you can dampen the brush before use.

remove snags

Repair a snag in knitted or woven fabric with the snag repair needle! Before starting, massage the fabric gently in all directions. This allows the thread to go back into place as much as possible. Continue until the fabric around the snag looks normal. Pick up the snag repair needle and stick the pointy end into the fabric as close to the snag as possible. Slowly push the needle through until the rough part of the needle approaches the fabric. Spin the needle around to pick up the snag with the grip texture. Then push the needle all the way through and take the snag along. Let go of the snag on the other side of the fabric. Massage the fabric a bit more until no trace of the snag is left.

darning

The wonderfully old craft of darning (repairing holes or strengthening worn-out areas) dates back centuries, and has been popular during many eras of shortage. In World War II, women were encouraged by the British Ministry of Information to darn as a patriotic act in times of rationing. Today, it’s sometimes considered a political act; protesting against fast fashion, throwaway culture and irresponsible mass production. Let your politics shine through and repair using your favourite contrasting bright colours. Over the years your garments become more and more colourfully decorated in honour of their long lasting service. There are many different darning techniques, but all you need are the mending macaron, needle, and yarn inside this kit. Wimpy will teach you two basic techniques – plain weave daring and the Swiss replicate stitch – and once you know them you can your use own fantasy to make variations.

plain weave darning

1. Clean up the hole by cutting away the yarn’s loose ends.
2. Stretch the fabric over the mending macaron and isolate the hole in the centre. Fasten the macaron with the rubber band.
3. Using the darning needle and the darning wool, begin a vertical running stitch on the side of the hole going up, then down. Stagger the stitches approaching the hole.
4. When you reach the hole, gently pull yarn across it. Keep the rows close together and the yarn tight, making sure to have the right tension.
5. Once you have covered the hole, continue with horizontal stitches to create a grid over it.
6. If it is still see through when you are done, keep sewing back and forth to create a denser weave.

swiss replicate darning

Darning can also be used to strengthen a wool fabric which is thinning from wear and tear. When you notice this happening, on the heel of a sock or the elbow of a jumper for example, you can strengthen it by replicating the v-stitches on top of the already existing stitches.
Start with step 1 & 2 as in plain weave darning.

3. Identify the area to replicate 4. Start on the bottom right side
5. Replicate a v-stitch first
6. Continue towards the left
7. Replicate all the loose v-stitches..
8. …Until the end of the row on the v-stitch
9. Continue to the row above
10. Repeat again, from left to right Continue sewing until the entire threadbare area is duplicated. At your last stitch, push the needle through to the underside of the garment, tie off and weave-in any loose tails.

These instructions are part of Wimpy.

Wimpy is a kit with tools, materials and manuals to make the woollens in your wardrobe last a lifetime… from removing pill and snags to fixing holes and best laundry practices.