513-226-4959  |  fabricrepairing@gmail.com

Edith Kovacs has spent over 25 years dealing with the consequences of moth holes, snags and burns. Ms. Kovacs is a reweaver. And every week, she makes holes and tears disappear on all types of garments. It requires patience, very fine motor skills, a hooked needle and a strong magnifying glass to perform the work; which sometimes is just miraculous.

A good re-weaver  can repair holes in a variety of fabrics so meticulously that it is impossible to find the original damage.  One reason that good reweaving seems invisible is that the work is done by hand and from the tread or fabric of the damaged garment. The reweaver uses threads or fabric from seams and hems. These fabrics in cases of larger holes, treads in small holes are woven into the existing fabric to match the design to the last tread. The only problem occurs when the garment's outer threads have faded and the fabric or tread to use for the repair is the of the original unfaded color. 

Any kind of fabric with threads that can be pulled is usually a good candidate for reweaving;  larger weaves are better than fine ones. Cashmere, camel hair and fine wool repair excellent.

Colors can occasionally create problems, as well. Dark and medium colors hide the repair well,  but the process can sometimes show on light-colored fabrics. The method can work equally well for solid and patterned fabrics. Gabardine will show no matter what. 

Some fabrics like satin, corduroy, velvet, rain coats, trench coats and finely woven shirts can't be rewoven, because of the fineness and the tightness of the weave. Simply the needle can't penetrate the fabric.

Ms. Kovacs learned the lost art of reweaving in Pittsburgh from a master reweaver, and eventually took over the shop when her mentor retired. She now has created this online business that she runs from her home, reweaving all sorts of items, from sweaters and jackets to pants, coats and even upholstery. 

Fabric Repairing

by Edith Kovacs