Stop the fray of fabric or vinyl lining along the tear. Buy a liquid solution in a notions department and in sewing supply stores that you apply along the fraying edge. It dries within minutes to a clear, hard finish and prevents further fraying.
Place a piece of extra fabric or cover material inside the tear of the porch swing lining. If you do not have extra cover fabric, you may skip this step or use a fabric scrap that looks similar. The fabric scrap must be bigger than the tear and cover any stuffing that shows while the tear is still open.
Get a heavy-duty nylon thread in the same color as the porch swing lining. Thread an upholstery needle to repair lining. An upholstery needle is also called a mattress needle and is curved. Start at one end of the tear in the lining, pull thread through and knot. Continue to sew along the tear, and knot again when you reach the end of the rip in the lining.