Any ideas how to repair this?

[Demented]

I have been having a really bad day today. I think the icing on the cake was this and I wonder if anyone can help me work out how to repair it.

On Wednesday I treated myself to a couple of new things from per una at M & S. DH was not too impressed at me spending so I dutifully put them back in the bag to return. I planned to return them today so I chucked them in the bottom of the pram and ran down the road with DS1 and 2 to the playgroup (running late so I didn't pay too much attention). When I arrived at the playgroup I noticed that the bag had slipped off the parcel tray and was now caught on the wheel of the pram. When I took the items out of the bag one of the tops (only £15 thankfully, but still too much to waste) has torn or become worn away on the upper part of the arm. The tear/worn bit is about 1 inch long and 1cm wide although there are strings of fabric across the 1cm wide bit, if that makes any sense.

I wondered if anyone would have any ideas as to how to repair this as obviously I cannot take it back to M & S now but would like to get some use out of it. I wondered if you could get anything that you could iron on and repair that way, the top is black, t-shirt type material and I thought if something could be ironed on the back of the hole/worn bit it might not look so bad.

If anyone knows of anything I would love to know or if anyone has any other suggestions.

The worst bit is DH came home at lunch time and I told him my tale (expecting him to be really annoyed) and he said that he hadn't said I had to return them he just hadn't been too impressed that I had bought them the other day!!! Grrrr!

[Twink]

Get some iron-on Violine (know that's not spelt right, sorry) and cut a piece to fit the damaged area. Then put an old hanky (or any bit of cotton fabric) down on your ironing board. Arrange the top on it with the Violene underneath the damaged area(make sure you get it the right way up, I had a disaster once...) and make it look as neat as poss. Then I'd cover it with another bit of material and iron according to the packet instructions.

The stuff is also called magic web or something and is quite pricey but has loads of uses, especially for mending kids clothes, costumes, emergency hem repairs etc.

HTH

[jodee]

I'm afraid I can't sew for toffee but I have the perfect solution - next time, don't tell him!

[Scatterbrain]

I agree - I find the "what this old thing I've had it years - don't you remember it ?" routine works every single time !!

Naughty - but we girls have to get our kicks some way or other !

[Demented]

Thanks Twink, do you know if the Violene stuff or magic web comes in different colours as I don't have any spare material to stick on the top, there is quite a bit of material there and when you put it all together you can't really see the holes, I just need something to keep it together. The top is black so if something could be ironed underneath the same colour then I don't think it would be noticable.

jodee and Scatterbrain, I'm afraid no chance of that DH is an accountant (although not a fully qualified one, so not a fully paid one, hence the mumping the money) and I am a SAHM so no chance of sneaking something through, home accounts come under great scrutiny.

[SoupDragon]

WonderWeb would glue all the material together when ironed. It's very fine spiderswebby ribbon that you can use for hemming things.

[Dixie]

another sneaky alterative is to still return said item to M&S and tell them that when u got home & tried them on you found the top was damaged....

very naughty I know but could be worth considering...

[XAusted]

I've used that stuff that Twink mentioned and it's easy to use. Just iron it on! It's black and as your top's black it won't show. I think you can get it in supermarkets, Woollies, etc.

[Demented]

Dixie, I'm afraid my conscience wouldn't let me do that. I will however try to track down this violine stuff tomorrow, if it is not too expensive I will give it a try. Mental note mind you, never put clothes in the bottom of the pram again!

[Demented]

Meant to say (brain aint working tonight). Thanks everyone!!!