Aircraft Covering The best method of repair for a fabric-covered surface which has an L-shaped tear, each leg of which is approximately 14 inches long, is to a. re-cover the entire bay in which the tear is located. b. sew from the end of each leg to the center of the tear with a baseball stitch and then dope on a patch. c. sew with a baseball stitch from the center of the tear out toward the extremity of each leg and then dope on a patch.