A tear in the netting of a dress is annoying and may interfere with how the dress hangs or flows. Luckily, it is possible to repair netting without replacing all of it. Inspect the netting to determine the size of the damage. If the tear is a clean tear, with an even tear line, then you can sew the netting. If the tear has jagged edges or looks uneven, then gluing may be a better option. For holes, a netting patch is necessary to repair the netting.
Sewing
Iron the netting using a warm iron and press cloth to flatten the netting and prepare it for repair.
Pull the two sides of the netting close together, matching the broken ends of the netting. Thread the needle with a single thickness of thread.
Push the needle through the netting from the top side. Pull the needle under the other side of the netting and pull it back through to the top. Pull the thread all the way through and enter the netting from the top side again. This is the overhand stitch, which is the best stitch for repairing netting. Loop the thread several times around the stitch and the surrounding netting holes to secure the end of the thread, since a traditional knot will not hold.
- Iron the netting using a warm iron and press cloth to flatten the netting and prepare it for repair.
- Pull the needle under the other side of the netting and pull it back through to the top.
Keep using the overhand stitch and pulling the thread tight until you have finished the repair. Finish your stitch in the same manner as you started it to hold the seam.
Gluing
Cut a piece of paper a little larger than the size of the jagged tear. Iron the netting with a press cloth to flatten the netting.
Pull the two sides of the tear together so they align properly. Tape the piece of paper to the back side of the netting with masking tape to hold the two sides of the tear together.
Apply fabric repair glue along the edges of the tear. Allow the glue to dry for 48 hours before removing the paper. The glue should stick to the cloth but not the paper. The glue will form a flexible patch between the two sides of the tear.
- Cut a piece of paper a little larger than the size of the jagged tear.
- The glue will form a flexible patch between the two sides of the tear.
Patching
Cut a piece of netting about 2.5 cm (1 inch) larger than the tear on all sides. Round the edges of the patch to prevent pulling.
Thread a needle with a double thickness of thread and tie a knot in the end.
Lay the patch over the hole and sew the patch to the netting using the overhand stitch. Finish the repair with another knot in the thread.
- Cut a piece of netting about 2.5 cm (1 inch) larger than the tear on all sides.
- Lay the patch over the hole and sew the patch to the netting using the overhand stitch.