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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to patch DS's jacket?

27 replies

HeartOfInk · 27/02/2021 12:14

He's ripped the back of his bright green down jacket. Doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing if that makes any difference. I can't stitch it back together but I could stick a patch over it. It's about 4 cm long horizontal rip, between the shoulder blades. I can't match the colour so it would have to be a skull/Star Wars etc patch. He has rejected the ugly gecko and shaun the sheep which are all I have left from his toddler destruction phase.

He is 11, regularly wears the jacket to school and, size wise, it should last him next year too. He thinks I should buy him a new one Hmm

OP posts:
PenguinLove1 · 27/02/2021 12:18

You could and use it for playing etc. But id still buy a new one for school and for good

Original poster
HeartOfInk · 27/02/2021 13:29

I can’t afford to replace every time he rips it though.

OP posts:
Disfordarkchocolate · 27/02/2021 13:31

Find someone who does invisible mending.

BashfulClam · 27/02/2021 13:35

Get some copydex and stick it together! My friend ripped her ski jacket style coat at school and her dad used this although she was a spoiled cow and refused to wear it. My mum would have shrugged and said ‘freeze’.

NotMeNoNo · 27/02/2021 13:36

Can you steal a small piece of matching fabric from inside the jacket- pocket, label etc?
If you can find some bondaweb you can make a small iron on patch, put it inside behind the rip, tack in place, sew the rip closed with matching thread and then iron the patch (carefully it being polyester) to reinforce.

WaltzForDebbie · 27/02/2021 13:36

I would prob get a parka off eBay. I think down jackets are really easy to rip as they are quite thin. I have one and a never wear it for country walks because it would rip easily if I caught it.

NotMeNoNo · 27/02/2021 13:38

Why can't you stitch it back together? Is it too torn or are you just not into sewing? In which case a dry cleaner/repair business.

redblonde · 27/02/2021 13:39

Gaffer tape is quite good for rips in down jackets. And might be “cooler” than a Shaun the sheep patch?

KettleWentBang · 27/02/2021 13:39

I couldn't let my son go out with a patch.. But that's me. Each to their own.
I'd use it for play.
My kids go through so many clothes. I just keep stained ones etc for garden and play.

WaltzForDebbie · 27/02/2021 13:40

H&m have a 12-13 parka reduced to £15 on their website. You would get free postage if you are a member.

WeeDangerousSpike · 27/02/2021 13:41

I very successfully sewed a rip in a suede jacket once. I used invisible thread and sewed so the needle came up through the fabric, into the rip (so not through the fabric at all), then up through the fabric on the other side of the rip, back down through the rip, up through on the other side, and so on. It sort of tucked the torn edges in under so they weren't on show. I don't know if it would work on a woven fabric that might unravel though.

I think a patch is fine, especially if it's something he's into - star wars / Minecraft / whatever.

If he doesn't want to wear it now it's ripped, he shouldn't be doing stuff he's not supposed to in his good coat, should he. Natural consequence and all that. Wink

Franpan · 27/02/2021 13:50

What was he doing?

Windchangeface · 27/02/2021 13:53

If it were a one off and he were devastated I’d buy new.

If it was a repetitive pattern of not looking after his things and obviously not understanding the value of money then no I would force him to wear the patched coat for at least a few weeks. The embarrassment will go a long way to teaching him to look after his possessions.

I would replace after a few weeks but only with a bog standard supermarket style one and would make it clear you won’t replace again if damaged!

kowari · 27/02/2021 13:53

Patch or second hand replacement if you can afford it. He damaged it and I'd expect a coat to last at least two years.

NotMeNoNo · 27/02/2021 14:05

Honestly it's a tiny sewing job to do a virtually invisible repair. I'm staggered people would throw away or gaffer tape a perfectly good jacket. How did we all get so helpless?

Original poster
HeartOfInk · 27/02/2021 14:38

What was he doing?
Climbing through a hole in the football fence...

I think if I tried to stitch it, I would make it look worse! The fabric is quite thin and I assumed the thread would make the fabric fray along the tear so wouldn't hold anyway.

OP posts:
Franpan · 27/02/2021 14:43

Climbing through a hole in the football fence...

Is that like trespassing on an astroturf or something? In that case I’d patch it until the autumn and buy a new one then.

NotMeNoNo · 27/02/2021 14:45

If you look on YouTube there are plenty of videos for applying a concealed patch from the inside, without sewing, seems to be the favoured method.

kowari · 27/02/2021 14:49

@HeartOfInk

What was he doing? Climbing through a hole in the football fence...

I think if I tried to stitch it, I would make it look worse! The fabric is quite thin and I assumed the thread would make the fabric fray along the tear so wouldn't hold anyway.

Can you put some tough fabric or a patch inside the tear and sew on top? Or that patch material you can use for the knees of school trousers. I tried to sew up a coat once and it just pulled holes in the fabric and ended up with a tear again.
StillCoughingandLaughing · 27/02/2021 14:55

@PenguinLove1

You could and use it for playing etc. But id still buy a new one for school and for good
Very easy to say when it’s not your money!
Original poster
HeartOfInk · 27/02/2021 15:00

Is that like trespassing
It wasn't trespassing, but it was something he shouldn't have been doing. He should have walked around the fence, not climbed through it. And he has been warned many times about being careful near the fence when playing.

OP posts:
Franpan · 27/02/2021 15:02

Oh okay. Well, you warned him. Same answer.

kowari · 27/02/2021 15:03

@PenguinLove1

You could and use it for playing etc. But id still buy a new one for school and for good
Why? What's wrong with a repaired coat? I'd wear repaired clothing as an adult.
Concestor · 27/02/2021 15:04

Sew it up in the way a previous poster has described. That will do it almost invisibly. Down jackets are made from the type of fabric that won't fray so it will look fine.

Notabove25 · 27/02/2021 15:06

I think most 11yos would go without a coat rather than wear a patched one.

The gaffer tape is actually a good idea.