How (Not) To Fix Your Fishnets

In a tribute to Ice Mom, I thought I would try a post much like she does.

How To Fix Fishnets

It's not easy.

I tried to learn to fix them, because I was often in places (Japan for one) where you couldn't go out and buy an extra pair.

Let's back up for a second. Before I even started my first show, I headed to Europe with a pair of black fishnets. Who knew? My mom and I took a look at the "flesh" colored pair and thought nobody would wear this.

Just Google fishnets and you'll see. Black pairs everywhere ... I had to dig deep with the "flesh tone fishnet" query before I found this photo.

But that is exactly what we wore. And any good showgirl knows to save a brand new pair for a night you need to skate (and look) good.

Brand new = extra firm. Like Spanx that breathe!

So the first time I ripped a massive hole in the tights, I started to darn them up like my grandmother did when she darned socks. Big no no. It came out looking like a giant spiderweb attached to my thigh.

What I learned is to fix fishnets you shouldn't use a needle and thread. You should use a small safety pin and a long piece of fishnet thread carefully pulled from an old pair.

Don't worry, that veteran showgirl in the costume crate next to you has a couple of old pairs and she'll let you have a piece of fishnet thread if you pull her one off too.

This part takes a while. Try doing it over intermission or between shows. Then once you have a piece of thread that's long enough, tie one end to the safety pin. Take your fishnets that need repairing and pull them tight, so the hole is spread over the top of a hairspray can or some other large plastic cap. Now you have a an empty cavity to maneuver the safety pin as you wind the thread around and around the fishnets.

Start about two or three squares back from the hole for reinforcement. Now, start winding your thread around. Once you've come to the hole, stretch the thread across to the squares at the top end and wind the thread two or three more squares to make it strong. Keep doing this for as many times you need to fill in the squares again.

Still with me? Make any sense? I probably haven't explained it any better than I ucould fix them. That's why I also learned to pay the "Fishnet Gal" at the rate of fifty cents a square (about $1.50 today) to fix them.