A sewing tutorial for how to mend a down puffer jacket by hand!
It finally happened – my eldest is not only taller than me, but wearing adult size clothes! Very strange, when he fit in my belly not that long ago. Nevertheless, I dug into my “next size up thrift finds” bin as our temperatures dropped and was reminded why a $150 Eddie Bauer jacket ended up at the Goodwill Bins – it had several holes!
I love Noso patches (they act like permanent stickers) for mending ripstop nylon, outdoorsy stuff, but all of these holes were at awkward spots to use them and my son didn’t love any of the patches I had to choose from. One of the holes was big enough that it had been leaking down feathers and was pretty much empty – I honestly don’t think he would’ve noticed but it bothered me! Who wants a cold spot on their stomach.
So I continued to dig at the bins (where you pay by the pound) and found another down, ripstop nylon item that I could harvest from! This vest was beat up, lots of holes, and was incredibly thick. It simply doesn’t get that cold super often here in western North Carolina so my husband didn’t want it, and I decided to chop it up. I’ll share the steps I took below if anyone else wants to mend their own jacket too!
If you like this post, check out these others while you’re here!
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How to mend a down puffer jacket by hand
Supplies
- Hand sewing needles
- A ripstop nylon, down-filled garment to harvest from (or a ripstop nylon scrap & extra down if you’d rather)
- Hemostats (optional)
- Seam roller (optional)
- Coordinating thread
- Scissors and ruler or rotary cutter and ruler
Steps
Here is a ‘before’ shot that shows the biggest hole and empty down baffle. There is also a smaller hole in the baffle above that, on the side, and multiple on the other arm.
Step 1- First, I harvested some patch fabric and down! I just cut the top layer and scooped the down out. You may want to wear a face mask when working with down, it gets absolutely everywhere. I will finish cutting all the other fabric off and down out before discarding this sad vest husk, I don’t want to store it with down floating everywhere!
Step 2- Using hemostats makes refilling down super easy! You can also use a blunt pencil to gently shove it in. Then, this step isn’t pictured, but you can hand sew the rip shut if it is larger, I did with all of my tears just to be safe and give a double layer of protection.
Step 3- Use your ruler and cutting utensil to straighten out your ripstop patch. Remember it’s always easier to take some off than make it larger – check against your mending spot and don’t forget you need room for a seam allowance! You’re looking to match the size of the baffle when the seams are folded in – here you can see where I’m checking the vertical shape when I’ve already made sure of the horizontal length and marked a seam allowance for that direction.
Step 4- Once you feel good about the size, use a seam roller or your fingernail and mark some seam allowances! This fabric can be slippery – you could also use a glue stick to stick the hems down while you hand sew.
Step 5- Next you’re going to knot your thread and hide the end within the patch’s hem. You’ll secure it over your mending spot and take tiny bits of the patch along your fold line and then through the jacket, similar to a ladder stitch to close an opening. Mentally prepare yourself that feathers *will* come through with your needle sometimes! It’s unavoidable.
Step 6- Continue stitching all the way around your patch and then knot the thread to secure it. Gently take your needle and take a tiny stitch coming up through the patch – if you pull gently, you’ll feel a slight ‘pop’ as the knot is hidden and you can trim the end of the thread so it is invisible too. You’re done!
I think it would be fun to experiment with embroidering the down patches or even stamping them, but my son wanted something subtle. I followed the same methods for some smaller, square patches on the other arm and 3 baffle repairs on the lower front. This coat is refreshed and ready for more adventures, saved from the landfill!