Tailoring Tricks: Turn Rags Into Zombie Armor in PZ
In Project Zomboid, you can repair and fortify your clothes to turn rags into lifesaving armor. All it takes is a needle, some thread, and a bit of practice. This guide will teach you how to patch up clothing, level your Tailoring skill fast, and exploit every armor mechanic in Builds 41 and 42. New to tailoring? Quick answer: right-click a clothing item, Inspect it, then use a Needle + Thread with fabric to Patch Holes or add padding โ boom, your worn shirt becomes zombie-resistant. High tailoring levels dramatically boost these defenses (up to +20% scratch protection per leather patch!). If you're in a rush to fix that shredded jacket right now, jump to the Quick Start for a rapid rundown. For comprehensive skill development, check our complete skills guide.
โก Quick Start: Repairing Clothes in a Pinch
Want to fix up your clothing immediately? Here's a bite-sized quick start:
- Loot a Needle & Thread: Check bathrooms, bedrooms, and sewing kits. The needle never breaks, and thread is consumed per patch.
- Get Some Fabric: Right-click spare clothing and select "Rip Clothing" for Ripped Sheets. Use scissors on denim/leather for stronger patches.
- Inspect Your Clothing: Right-click the clothing item and select "Inspect." A panel shows a silhouette with body parts. Red text indicates holes.
- Patch the Hole: In the Inspect panel, right-click the body part with a hole and choose "Patch Hole" โ [Material]. Your character will spend time sewing.
- Check Protection: The hole is now patched! The Inspect panel will show the patch and its protection bonus.
- Rinse and Repeat: Patch all holes. Even without holes, you can "Add Padding" to bolster weak spots. Each patch uses 1 thread and fabric.
Carry a needle and a few threads in your kit. After any zombie fight, inspect your outfit and patch new holes immediately โ a patched hole could be the reason the next scratch only tears your coat instead of your flesh! For treating injuries when armor fails, see our first aid guide.
๐งต Tailoring Basics 101: How Clothing Repair Works
Before you found that sewing kit, a zombie's scratch might have been a death sentence. Now, with tailoring, your clothes become your armor. Let's cover the fundamentals:
What Tailoring Does
The Tailoring skill lets you repair and reinforce clothing. Holes in clothes (caused by zombie attacks or wear) expose you to injury. By sewing on patches, you restore some protection. Even if clothing has no holes, you can pad it to boost its scratch/bite resistance. High tailoring = stronger protection bonuses per patch.
Required Tools
Needle
Your primary tool โ needles are indestructible in PZ. Find in sewing kits, house drawers, or craft a Bone Needle with Carving skill in Build 42. For more crafting guides, see our complete tailoring guide.
Thread
Consumable โ 1 unit per patch. Find in houses or craft in Build 42 using an Awl or Spinning Wheel. Each spool has multiple uses.
Patches
Ripped Sheets (cloth), Denim Strips, or Leather Strips. Each material offers different protection levels.
Each material differs in protection quality: leather strips give the best protection, denim medium, sheets the least. Use scissors for better yields when cutting fabric.
Using the Inspect Menu
To tailor, you must use the clothing Inspect function:
- Right-click a garment and choose Inspect
- A window pops up listing each body part that clothing covers
- Right-click a body part in that menu:
- If there's a hole: you get Patch Hole options
- If no hole: you get Add Padding options
- Click the option with your preferred material, and your character will sew the patch
The clothing Inspect UI โ showing a Leather Jacket with patches. Each body part shows Scratch/Bite defense; patched sections list their material and improved protection.
Patching Holes vs. Adding Padding
Patching Holes
Removes the "hole" status and restores some of the clothing's defense for that spot. Fixes a broken condition.
Adding Padding
Can be done even on intact clothing โ adds an extra layer for increased protection. Doesn't fix holes or broken condition.
Material Protection Values
| Material | Level 0 Protection | Level 5 Protection | Level 10 Protection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ripped Sheets | +1% Scratch / 0% Bite | +3% Scratch / 0% Bite | +5% Scratch / 0% Bite |
| Denim Strips | +2% Scratch / +1% Bite | +6% Scratch / +3% Bite | +10% Scratch / +5% Bite |
| Leather Strips | +2% Scratch / +1% Bite | +10% Scratch / +5% Bite | +20% Scratch / +10% Bite |
Protection values are approximate and may vary slightly between game versions.
Clothing that Cannot be Repaired
Not every piece of gear is tailor-friendly. Notable exceptions:
- โ Shoes & Boots
- โ Helmets & Hats
- โ Military Bulletproof Vest
- โ Police Deputy Vest
- โ Firefighter Jackets (vanilla)
๐ Leveling Up Tailoring: From Rags to Reinforced Riches
So you've sewn a patch or two โ next you notice Tailoring is still level 0 with a tiny sliver of XP. How do we go from novice to master tailor efficiently?
XP Basics
Tailoring XP is earned per sewing action. Specifically, you gain XP when you:
- Add a patch or padding (~0.5 XP at level 0)
- Remove a patch (smaller XP amount)
You do not get XP for ripping clothing into sheets; only the actual sewing grants XP.
๐ Skill Books โ Multiply that XP
Tailoring has skill books for different level ranges that provide a 3x XP boost:
Pro tip: Read the appropriate book for your current level range before grinding to triple your XP gains! For more skill book locations, see our skill books guide.
The Level 0 Hurdle (Build 42)
Problem: In Build 42, ripping clothes no longer yields thread at all. That means a brand-new character with 0 Tailoring might be stuck if they never find any thread in loot.
Solutions:
- Find Thread through Looting: Focus houses that might have sewing kits or general supplies. Each Sewing Kit usually contains thread spools and a needle.
-
Shorten Clothing for XP: If you have Scissors, you can "shorten" some clothing items in the crafting menu to earn a small amount of tailoring XP without needing thread. Examples:
- Long Socks โ Short Socks
- Long Jeans โ Shorts
- Skirts โ Shorter Skirts
- Use Safety Scissors/Shears: These don't have durability or sharpness to worry about. They can be used for clothing cutting without breaking. Find them in office buildings and schools.
Grinding from Level 1 onwards
Once you hit Level 1, you unlock the ability to craft thread. Here's the tried-and-true method to powerlevel:
The Patch Cycle Method
- Hoard Clothing: Collect lots of zombie clothes that cover many body parts (shirts, jackets, pants).
- Set Up a Tailoring Area: Find a safe location where you can work without interruption.
- Add Patches/Padding: For each body part on a garment, add a patch or padding.
- Remove Patches: Right-click and choose "Remove Patch" on each patched part.
- Repeat: Add the patches again. Then remove again. Each cycle gives XP.
Tip: Use the Fast-Forward Time feature (3x speed) to dramatically shorten the grind. Just make sure you're in a secure location!
Levelling Rewards
As you level up Tailoring, you unlock various benefits:
๐งต Build 42 New Tools & Crafting
Build 42 expanded the crafting system significantly, and Tailoring got some love in the form of new tools and recipes:
Stone Awl
A primitive tool used to punch fibers out of cloth.
- Craft by "knapping" a chipped stone
- Unlocks recipe to turn Ripped Sheets into Thread
- Works at Tailoring 0 or 1
- Time-consuming but reliable
Spinning Wheel
A craftable or findable station for spinning fibers into thread.
- Can craft thread without any Tailoring skill
- Buildable with Carpentry skill
- Sometimes found in farms or crafting hubs
- Load with ripped sheets or plant fibers to produce thread
Recipes for Clothing
In Build 42, you can craft actual clothing items for the first time:
- Hide Clothing - Craft primitive leather jackets or pants using animal pelts
- Makeshift Garbage Bag Outfits - Create improvised rain protection
- Tarp Clothing - Durable improvised outerwear
These recipes usually require materials like animal hides, leather strips, thread, a needle, and sometimes a certain Tailoring level.
No More Easy Thread (Build 42 Changes)
The biggest change in Build 42: You no longer get thread from ripping clothes.
The devs made tailoring more realistic โ you wouldn't magically get sewing thread by shredding a shirt; you'd get rags. To get thread, you now use tools (Awl/Spinning Wheel) or find it in loot.
Player Tip: Disassemble sewing kits by dropping them on the ground and looting their contents โ they usually contain a few small threads.
๐ค Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I get a Needle if I can't find one?
Besides searching houses, try looking in garages (tool crates) and sewing shops. In Build 42, you can craft a Bone Needle by first leveling the Carving skill. Check zombie survivor corpses โ some spawn with toolbelts or kits containing needles.
Can I patch clothing that's at 0% condition (completely destroyed)?
No, you cannot interact with a garment that is totally ruined (condition bar empty, "Destroyed"). Those are beyond saving โ time to find a replacement. If it's not completely ruined, you can patch the holes, but the item will still be fragile.
Does armor/patches degrade over time or need maintenance?
Patches themselves don't "degrade" โ but the clothing item still can take damage. If a zombie hits your patched jacket, it can rip the patch off or create a new hole. You'll then have to patch again. Think of tailoring as temporary armor plating; it mitigates damage but needs maintenance after fights.
Do zombies notice patched clothing? (Any stealth or attraction difference)
No, patches are purely defensive. Zombies don't care if you're wearing a pristine police uniform or a quilt of rags โ they sense you the same. The only possible indirect effect is that some patched outfits might make you slightly more encumbered or warm.
Can I repair shoes or make improvised footwear?
In vanilla, you cannot repair shoes with tailoring. Once your boots are wrecked, you need a new pair. Build 42 added recipes to craft primitive shoes (e.g., from leather or trash bags) if you have the materials. Check the crafting menu for "Footwear" options.
I have Tailoring 10. Do I ever need to remove and re-add patches placed when I was lower level?
Generally, no. The protection values of patches scale with your skill in real-time. However, patches applied at low skill show as "Poorly stitched" and might have slightly reduced effectiveness. If you're min-maxing, you could replace old patches once you're level 10 to ensure everything is "Expertly stitched."
๐งต Conclusion: Sew Your Way to Survival
Tailoring in Project Zomboid might start as a humble craft โ just patching a hole in your shirt โ but it evolves into a cornerstone of long-term survival. Think of it like this: surviving the apocalypse is a lot like quilting. Early on, you're just frantically grabbing patches to cover problems as they appear. But as you piece together those patches, you create something stronger, a safety net that holds your story.
In the end, tailoring rewards the patient and the prepared. It's the apocalypse version of "measure twice, cut once": take a little time to sew up your gear, and you'll bleed a lot less later. I've had runs where my survivor's homemade armor turned a would-be fatal ambush into just a "close call" with torn clothes.
Action Step
Right now, identify one piece of clothing you're wearing with a hole or low condition. Go patch it! Even if it's your first patch, that's the start of a safer, longer life in Knox County.
Stay safe, stay stylish (patchwork is a styleโฆ right?), and may your thread hold tight when it matters most. For more survival strategies, check our best weapons guide and first day survival roadmap.
๐ Tailoring Patch History (Build 41 & 42) Click to expand
- Build 41.20 (Feb 2020): Introduced the Inspect Clothing UI for repairs. Changed clothing ripping to sometimes yield thread.
- Build 41.50 (April 2021): General balancing of Tailoring. Adding patches increased protection scaled by skill.
- Build 41.78 (Dec 2021): Tailoring system officially released with Build 41 stable. Thread-from-ripping mechanics finalized.
- Build 42.0 (Late 2024): Major overhaul - Thread no longer obtained by ripping clothing. Introduction of Stone Awl and primitive clothing recipes.
- Build 42.5.0 (Mar 2025): Increased XP awards for some Tailoring crafts. Added numerous craftable clothing items: aprons, garbage bag ponchos, tarp clothing, patchwork leather gear.
- Build 42.7.0 (Apr 2025): Added several new crafted clothing items using animal skins, leather strips, denim strips, garbage bags, tarps. Added recipes like spiked helmets.