by Barbara Guess

Created on: November 24, 2011   Last Updated: November 28, 2011

A split seam can be the result of a toy that has been just too well loved and handled, or it can be the result of poor manufacturing and your repair will need to be geared towards the finished result you desire.

First examine the split. Has the line of machine stitches come undone and left the fabric in a firm undamaged condition? If this is the case, then the seam needs to be re-sewn. To do this properly you need to work from the inside of the toy. Search the seams of the toy for the final sewing up point. This will be a short seam of two or three inches where the machine stitching is on the outside of the toy. This is where the toy was turned through to the right side after machining the basic construction seams. It is usually the centre back or between the legs or underarms.

Unpick the stitching carefully and remove the stuffing, so that you can reach the split seam, from the inside. Use strong button thread in the correct colour to sew the damaged seam. Hold the two raw edges together and pin then tack to prevent movement whilst machining. If the fabric is damaged on the line to machine, then you will need to include a firm piece of new material into the seams, otherwise the split will reoccur. Try to find fabric that is a similar colour. Then the toy will need to be turned back through and re-stuffed, finishing with the outside seam.

If you can’t find a way into the toy because maybe the construction is very complicated than the repair will need to be done from the out side. Again you will need to judge how strong the material is at the repair site. If it seems strong then using button thread in the same colour as the toy and a short needle make two small stitches, one on top of the other in the seam allowance at the edge of the split. Then push your needle through the seam line to the right side of the fabric, where the split starts. Make a small stitch in the seam line of one side of the split and then the next stitch in the seam line of the opposite side of the split. As you work across the split the hole will close and the stitches, if kept small enough will not be noticeable on the right side. If you require a firmer seam, then work back along the same stitches, giving you a double line. Fasten off carefully leaving a long end inside the toy, by pushing the needle through the toy and cutting off from the other side.

If the seam is very thin then it is worth considering including a piece of new material that will give your toy extended life. Choose firm material of a similar colour so that it does not show too badly through any thin places. Remove some of the stuffing from the split seam, so that it is easier to handle and then position the new piece of material into position under the worn patches. Work small stitches to keep it in position. Then replace the stuffing and sew up as previously instructed, but making the stitches through both pieces of material.

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