Repaired webbing suitcase side handle sewn on and re-attached sewn on plastic handle cover. Photo by Angela Lansbury.
You can see from one black hand-sewn stitch where I sewed up the centre of the handle, underneath the plastic cover. You can also tell the the slightly untidy black stitching on the black plastic cover had been hand sewn. This does not show when the handle is at knee height on the side of the small wheel-on suitcase which has a long handle at the top.
When we first looked at the broken handle, we wondered whether we needed to repair it. Could the handle be removed, and the holes left covered with small round patches? Maybe we would break the case by pulling out the handle.
Could it have been covered with fabric or plastic to look tidy, but not strong enough to use? My husband said that although he rarely used the side handle, it was occasionally used to hoist the suitcase into the boot of the car. (Americans say the trunk of the automobile.)
Broken Suitcase Handle
The small handle on the side of a little, red, wheel-on suitcase was damaged. The red webbing had torn off the metal ring on one side of the handle.
My husband cut off the black synthetic covering over the centre of the handle. We looked at the damaged red webbing.
He asked me, "Can you replace this? Do you have any thick ribbon? Can you sew it?"
Replacment Ribbon Or Tape
I looked in my sewing boxes. I found a reel of red tape, which was pink. It was thinner than the canvas style red wedding. I considered doubling or tripling it until it was thick enough and strong enough.
Shiting The Webbing
I then checked the cut-off red webbing. I tried to fold it back on to see how long it needed to be and how many times it was folded. Then it occurred to me that I could sew it back in a different position, with an intact part folded over the two rings. In the middle it could be stuck together or sewn together, the untidy join hidden from view by the black plastic covering.
Needles
I needed a strong needle. I had one. Many years ago I had bought a set of needles of larger sizes than needed for everyday sewing. For about forty years I had no need of any of these large needles. Now I needed them!
I watched a YouTube video on repairing a suitcase handle. Most videos are made by craft workers or DIYers on remote farms or rich and practical semi-professional DIYers with glue guns and sanding machines and industrial strength sewing machines which can oversew thick leather and sailcloth.
Making A New Hole
One tip I did pick up from the YouTube videos. You can make a hole in leather, plastic or strong fabrics with an awl.
Re-Using The Existing Holes
My handle's black plastic cover already had large holes. I am not a neat sewer. Therefore, for me, the trick to a smart looking handle was to sew the cover with the holes on the top of the handle, then turn the sewn part of the black plastic cover to the underside by rotating it.
However, I had sewn it tightly. Pulling it risked pulling out or weakening the stitching. At least with the stitching on top, you could see if it was still firm, and rescue it if it ever became loose.
So we adopted the alternative, leave the sewn part visible. Just make sure that the thread did not rub through to be loose or break. I needed to oversew it carefully. I also needed to end the cotton with back stitching as well as firm knots inside the black plastic handle or underneath.
How To Press the Needle Through Thick Fabric
The question remaining was, could I force the needle though two or three thicknesses of the red webbing? It turned out that I could. One way was to go slowly, one level of thickness at a time of the triple-folded webbing.
The other trick was to force the needle though by putting pressure on the eyelet end of the needle. Place it against the top of the suitcase. Force the thick fabric down slowly, making sure to keep your fingertips and hands well to the sides so as to not hurt yourself with the tip of the needle.
Thick Cotton
I could not find my strong button cotton. So I doubled the thickness of the cotton by threading the needle and then tying the ends of the cotton together. You need to decide the length of cotton you want to sew with and then double it, to save having to re-thread the needle.
Threading The Needle
The needle was so large that it was easy to thread the cotton through the large eye. However, I also had a small silver-colour needle threader with a diamond-shape wire.
Successful Suitcase Handle Repair
I was very pleased with my result. I had repaired a handy small suitcase. I had saved sending something to clutter up the environment. I had earned brownie points, like a girl guide, credits in the family.
The suitcase with the replaced clip on zip tab (also called a zip pull). Photo by Angela Lansbury.
I had originally made the temporary repiar with the white twist tie on a bendable wire which you see in the picture. The slider has a metal loop on top for the pull tab. If the slider's hoop is intact, you can add anything which is large enough to go around the metal hoop.
The Broken Zip Needed Repairing
The suitcase, and several others, had a broken zip. I had had some small zip pulls or tabs. However, my husband bought a set of strong ones suitable for the heavier zips on suitcases.
These zip tabs had an almost invisible push-in point on the arched top. It took only a second to push on the tab. In one or two cases, the zip was broken so that there was no intact ring for the tab.
To make a matching pair, if you have two tabs which can be padlocked together for security, you might have to break off the second tab. However, we were happy to replace only those tabs which were broken.
We now had both the zip and handle repaired on one case. The zips were repaired on other cases, We had had a very successful day. We We had not travelled anywhere, except to go shopping for zip pulls, but we were now well equipped to travel.
Useful Websites soon.
From Amazon, 8 zip pulls in assorted colours, in UK currency 4.99 pounds sterling, plus postage. Your computer location and delivery address will convert the prices for the items and postage, but you can change these in setting if you are travelling when you break the zip and want the repair kits send to your own home address.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASTER-Replacement-Detachable-Universal-Backpack/dp/B09JSDWJ61/ref=asc_df_B09JSDWJ61/?tag=googshop
Many sets of household needles including one set from Ebay.
Here's one set from Amazon which combines the needles and strong thread, for 13.99 pounds sterling in UK currency in December 2022.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Household-Needles-Upholstery-SourceTon-Leather/dp/B07QBY6WTH/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3SPHPWW7QLDRE&keywords=household+needles&qid=1672500804&s=kitchen&sprefix=household+needles%2Ckitchen%2C120&sr=1-7
Photos soon.
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