06/07/2022
I wanted to share this before ➡️ after of a repair I did recently.
I fixed this 30yr old backpack and logged it on who are trying to log 10,000 repairs by the end of the year. They're trying to spread the word about reusing and repairing outdoor clothing and equipment. Technical fabric and complicated designs make repairing outdoor kit intimidating, especially if you're trying to maintain a specific function, like 4 way stretch or waterproofness (real word). So sadly a lot of it is binned when it's damaged, and can't easily be recycled since there's a high proportion of man-made fibres and mixed materials (fabric, metal, plastic etc).
This was a relatively easy repair. I unpicked the seam between the cord channel and main body of the bag, trimmed the damaged parts and restitched the seam. It was fiddly but manageable. One section kept fraying away so I reinforced it with a bar tack and did a second line of stitching to try to minimise further fraying.
Hopefully it'll last another 30 years!
🤞🏻 ♻️
[Alt text: image 1 shows a red backpack with a biege cord channel that has frayed and come away from the body of the bag. It has been badly fixed with blue embroidery thread. Image 2 shows the 'after' - a repair done neatly with a bar tack and everything stitched back into place]
