Seams rip out with no warning. Holes happen with alarming frequency. Scissors slip and gash for no sane reason. The fruit punch always lands on the whitest fabric. There are a million ugly stories in the naked sewing rooms of Maine.

These, my friends, are sewing emergencies that have you frantically looking around for an EMT – emergency mending technician. Look no further because now you have one, and it’s Barbara Deckert’s “Sewing 911: Practical and Creative Rescues for Sewing Emergencies.” Section titles in her book are fraught with the sewing violence that stalks those who wear clothing, or sew it: “Accidental Fabric Injuries,” “Wounded Welts,” “Bungled Buttonholes” and “Rips and Snips.”

She writes: “As in any emergency, when we make a sewing mistake, it’s easy to succumb to panic and exasperation. For common medical problems, like a sprained ankle or a bout with the flu, most of us are prepared with a little basic knowledge of first aid, know the use of elastic bandages, and the healing properties of canned chicken soup.”

For those who sew, this book is a first-aid manual. Deckert’s remedy for fabric flaws and holes is pretty much what you’d do with any puncture wound. Put a patch on it. But not just any patch. She suggests purchased appliques that complement the garment. Or peekaboos, which are simply holes finished to make them look as if you put them there to make a design statement. Hole edges are faced and turned back. A piece of lace or contrasting fabric is placed across the hole to fill it and stitched in place. Embellishments such as beads or sequins may be added.

Bungled the buttonhole when the seam ripper got away from you and slashed the bar tacking? Suture it using small stitches and thread to match the fabric. Then, sew a sprinkle of matching beads over the mend. Bead the rest of the non-bungled buttonholes the same way – instant chic and the scar will never show.

Pulled seams are a dreaded and common fabric injury. This is when the threads of the cloth separate along the seam line. One enthusiastic bend and a lot of bare facts could become hideously evident. Clever bandaging is the answer – sticky stuff in the form of fusible interfacing. This operation requires a “spit and scratch maneuver” and an iron. It’s best if your SMD – sewing and mending dexterity – is well honed.

These are but a few of the solutions to sewing emergencies Deckert offers in her 154-page book. Four appendices also are included: “Troubleshooting Your Sewing Machine,” “Emergency Supplies: The First Aid Kit for the Sewer,” “Stain Removal” and “Burn Testing for Fiber Content.” The book also will tell you how to make a boning finger, a godet, a gusset – and what they are – and how to work with “finicky fibers and weary weaves.”

Deckert is the author of “Sewing for Plus Sizes” and is a regular contributor to Threads magazine.

To obtain information about the book, e-mail tp@taunton.com, call your local bookseller or visit your local library.

Snippets

Pittsfield librarian Lyn Smith is seeking information from libraries that have knitting groups. E-mail her at lsmith@pittsfield.lib.me.us to learn about her quest.

Ardeana Hamlin may be reached at 990-8153, or e-mail ahamlin@bangordailynews.net.