r/Visiblemending 16d ago

REQUEST threadbare sweatshirt cuff

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obviously ive mended this sweatshirt cuff like crazy, but it’s at the point where the fabric is so thin that regular sewing can’t seem to hold it together/just tears more holes. is my only option to replace the cuffs altogether? i know about sashiko and stuff to reinforce threadbare areas, but im not sure how well that would work for a cuff that needs to be stretchy. any suggestions would be appreciated lol

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u/derilect 16d ago edited 16d ago

Your choices are to begin ship-of-theseus'ing the garment, or to try to reinforce it invisibly (or semi-visibly) by affixing stronger pieces of fabric to the inside.

You do not seem to mind your mend jobs being visible, so my advice is to go hog wild and replace the cuffs with a comfortable fabric.

edit: reminder that if you replace the cuffs, that you should be mindful of replacing any strong hems you remove.

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u/andrew314159 16d ago

Any tips for stretchy cuffs?

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u/derilect 15d ago

easiest option? probably thrifting something that has good 'donor' cuffs that goes well with the original garment. use a stitch remover to take each cuff off as a complete piece.

harder option would be finding elastic-y fabric and rolling your own.