Common darning mistakes and fixes

Puckering, stiff patches and new holes beside the old.

• Puckered darn: thread pulled too tight. Keep it relaxed, especially on knits.
• New hole beside the repair: the nearby fabric was thin too. Extend the darn into sound fabric.
• Darn ends in a hard line: make rows uneven in length.
• Hole too big for a darn: patch it first, then stitch over.

Sources

All checked November 1, 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.

1. SewMendStitch: Visible mending styles, materials and how to choose
2. Oxfam GB: How to darn a hole in your clothes
3. SewMendStitch: Mend a hole in denim from the inside