Featured HELP!!! Need to repair my fur coat myself

Hi there! I recently got an amazing second hand mink and fox fur coat that this group helped me identify. I guess I was more rough with it than I thought I could be and I have lots of little holes around the top shoulder seams and neck seams. I have fallen so in love with the coat I could cry because I’m so scared about the damage. I can’t really afford a furrier and also couldn’t find one in New Orleans so I’m going to have to fix this myself. From the research I’ve done, I’m definitely nervous. Am I going to need to rip out the perfect lining? can I just try to hand stitch these to the best of my ability! Help and please tell me it’s possible! Fingers crossed and thanks in advance. Sorry for the dramatic post, but I am pretty upset as I’ve grown very attached to it.

 

just go at it from the front....the fur should hide the repair.....
or
find the right spot.....cut a small line in the lining...just enuf to get thru to the fur...sew it...then stitch up the lining..

 

Thank you thank you thank you! Okay I’m going to really really try so hard to do this, and do it well. Do you actually thing I need a special needle or thread? The skin doesn’t feel very thick on this one honestly. I’m worried because two of the spots are at the neck where 3 pieces meet. I guess I could cut the lining and try that tape if I can’t get it? If I have to go in from the lining I will definitely be YouTubing a lot on how to get the lining back without looking horrible. Haha thanks again ! Fingers crossed for me! I can do this!

 

i think a longer thin needle and cotton thread should do the trick..

 

Amazing. Thanks so much!!

 

Maybe you really do need a professional. Cheap to ask at least.

This is from their web page: "We also repair fur skins, reattach lining, and reline furs. There is a caveat that once the fur skins have dried out, repairs can be costly and futile. A fur can be repaired but if the skins are weak and dry, other seams will rip every time it is worn or cleaned. Please ask our team for advice concerning any repairs of furs, particularly furs that were exposed to heat at any time in the life of the fur."

In NOLA: https://deluxecleanersnola.wordpress.com/2013/04/23/we-store-clean-and-repair-furs/

 

Look at the condition of the fur. If it is in good condition it is one of the easiest things to repair. If it is dry and brittle, you will need to ask an expert.

Don't cut the lining, but cut the stitches at the bottom where the lining is stitched to the fur. Not all of them, just enough to get to the tear.
Then feel your way up to where the tear is, and repair it. When you're ready, just stitch the lining back on the fur.

 

I like Komo's idea of doing it from the outside.....the fur will hide the stitches, but AJ has very good thoughts on the condition of the fur.

Also, as she suggested, the lining has a blind hem at the bottom......undo those stitches and move the lining out of the way of the area(s) to be repaired.

The lining is easily hemmed once more.

It's a beautiful coat, you wear it well, and I hope it's repairable.

Storing it with a furrior during off season might be what you should do. They can best advise you on condition. Not sure of the $ cost.....................

I think you will need a leather needle and strong thread. Don't buy cheap thread.

 

A leather needle is for thick leather. With this kind of fur on a thin skin it is best to used a thin needle, as komo said. Mink are just little animals.

I used to work with leather and fur, btw.

 

TY AJ.......I was a bit hesitate to suggest a leather needle, as I do agree with you that a finer needle would pierce the skin more easily. Perhaps a STRONG needle should be said.

If one does not sew, then a needle is probably just a needle......any ole one will do.

Good to know we can now call on you for even more help.........sewing fur!!

You certainly are a wealth of information and you share so willingly.

 

I've had some experience with furs, have owned a few, both new and vintage. A great Norwegian Fox full length coat started to show its age after so many years. I had bought it new but, well, years go by. The coat started to have splits like @Lotto describes.

Dear Lotto: From the bottom of my heart and I hope it isn't so BUT, if your fur is quite dry which is common with vintage furs, do not try to stitch the skins together.

Each stitch will only make another hole and tear the skin around it. I e, you will make it worse.

What I did, successfully: I purchased a fabric known as interfacing in a fabric store [in my area, J-o-A-n-n-s]. This fabric comes with or without a glue surface on the back. I got the one with the glue backing. You want a lightweight preferably non-woven version of this interfacing. Ask advice of the friendly assistants in the store, they know.

After carefully with a pen marking the areas with the splits and holes I cut out pieces of the interfacing to cover them with generous margins around them.

Next, I proceeded to warm up my iron and carefully ironed the interfacing pieces onto the back of the skins over the holes, splits and tearing areas.

This takes a deft hand, Lotto. You need to read the instructions for the iron-on interfacing first, check the correct heat of iron.

Place the fur side of the coat on a clean and heatresistant large flat surface, preferably with a clean sheet or similar under the fur. Do a small test area first see how it comes out. If happy with it, keep going.

Caution: Do not make the cut-out interfacing pieces unnecessarily large. Use several small pieces instead.

Why? Because the glue on the interfacing will harden the fabric somewhat and thus also the back of the fur. You don't want to feel (or look!) as if there is cardboard in the coat; it'll be both ugly and uncomfortable. So proceed gently, a little piece at the time.

Of course, it goes without saying so I'll say it: You'd need to take out the stitches around the lining partly so you can get to the back of the fur. And then handstitch it back again after your repairs are finished.

Disclaimer: I have done this on several furs of mine with success. I do not however, warrant that it will work for all kinds of fur or that the result will be perfect for everyone who tries it.

Also, this is not a fix for all time. A vintage fur will keep getting even more dry as it ages. You might have to do it again. And when it no longer is worth doing and can't be worn it makes a great bed liner for a dog or cat!

P.S. My favorite adopted aunt (we adopted each other) was a widowed lady friend whose family had been in the fur business for generations. She showed me how they used to repair furs. They did not have gluebacked interfacing back in the early days but they used cotton or linen fabrics and coated it themselves with a liquid glue they mixed for this purpose and applied weights to make them stick evenly.

 

Gorgeous coat! I've made repairs to similar rips in vintage fur garments (but only if the hide hasn't become dry and brittle) using any lightweight but tightly woven cotton fabric as a backing adhered with a very thin coat of fabric glue that dries flexible (I use Beacon Fabri-Tac which is made for use on leather also). The rips are usually on a seam, so I first glue separate pieces of the fabric backing to each side of the rip (covering a slightly larger area than the rip itself), let it dry, then carefully whip stitch together making sure you're sewing through both the fabric and hide (I use the smallest size needle I can thread with a medium-weight cotton thread--using double thread). To keep the fur from getting caught in the repair, I tape it out of the way with a low-tack tape, or put the tape on my face first to reduce the tack. Since the rips on your coat are around the neck and shoulders, I'd recommend opening the lining at the shoulder and sleeve seams, maybe even the neck. Even if they're machine sewn they can be re-sewn by hand from the outside so they aren't terribly noticeable.

 

P.S. I think I sometimes used a small pair of pliers to pull the needle through the hide, depending on the thickness of the hide.

 

I really really appreciate this. I couldn’t find a place. I will definitely give them a shout, I hope they are still open. The places I found were now permanently closed.

 

Thank you so so much. So you think maybe from under the lining would be best? All of this is around the neck and shoulders. So I would need to snip the threads of the lining around the collar: it does make me nervous to do that. I need to learn how to restitch it properly. But man I just cant decide if I should try from the outside or inside! I love the coat so much! Thank you dearly

 

I meant to add that the condition of the fur and the skin is very good from what I can tell. I don’t think it’s too dry. Fingers crossed I’m right.

 

Heat and adhesives can be damaging to leather, so I would recommend avoiding those solutions. Can you tell if the seams have come apart because the thread has broken, or has the skin torn around the stitching? If it is just old thread, there is a better chance of a successful repair. If the skin has torn, then that is more problematic because it indicates the leather is becoming fragile and may not support additional stitches.

If it were mine, I would try to use some cotton bias tape (non-adhesive) to reinforce the torn seams. Center the tape underneath the seam (working from the front), and stitch (by hand) using a zig-zag stitch just beyond the original stitching line, catching the tape underneath with each stitch. So, pierce the needle down on one side of the seam through the leather and the tape, move diagonally underneath to the other side, come up through the tape and the leather, move across the top diagonally to the opposite side, and so forth. Depending on how close you can get your stitches you might want to return along the same seam, crossing the stitches in the opposite direction to form Xs.

 

Thank you. That makes sense! It appears that the stitching has just come undone!! I think the skin is in okay shape but I guess I’ll know more soon. So you think I should take the lining out to get the tape in there? Just wasn’t positive about that step. Thanks so much, I will be taking your advice. If I have issues then I will try to take to a furrier.

 

It depends on how dexterous you are.
Actually, to get the best repair you will probably want to open up the lining so you can reinforce the seams beyond the current holes. You will probably find that as you wear the coat, more seams will tear in the areas of most stress.

 

@Lotto @lizjewel
What a fun coat! I have to agree with lizjewel re: the repair. I have a coat I need to repair myself and that is essentially what I was going to try. I've never tried to repair fur before - however; the coat I have does have some dry spots which have created the holes. I know enough to know that it won't support sewing. It was gift from my Mother in Law who purchased it in the 40's at Sears (of all places) when she worked at the Chicago location. She wore it every Sunday and special occasion for years; and I've worn it also. It is a great color and very 40's looking; and has a great A-line shape so will fit a number of sizes. However, I'm not interested in restoring it as I would imagine neither of my daughters would be interested. But to be able to wear it from time to time without worry of it ripping more; would be nice.
Cheerio Leslie