Hi
all,
Like
most of us, Eldest has a go-to pair of jeans. It’s the one she
reaches for all the time. They’re comfortable, the denim has
started to soften and the jeans are worn in.
Actually,
that should probably read starting to wear out.
All
is not yet lost though. These jeans can be saved! It's time to get them out of my work basket and get mending.
With
a little bit of sewing magic wrapped up in a needle and thread, we
can stop the wear and tear in it’s tracks.
The fabric at the thigh area is starting to lose integrity. It’s
not too serious at the moment but, if left will only get worse.
There
are two ways to patch jeans. On the inside or on the outside. If you
go for inside patching, the mend will be less visible. On the
outside, whatever you do will be pretty obvious.
Which
one you choose depends on the nature of the damage and how you want
the jeans to look when you’re done.
At
the moment the wear is surface damage. It hasn’t progressed to an
actual hole. If I patch these on the inside, the damage on the
outside will still be visible and will still progress into a hole.
The outside will still be suffering from whatever caused the damage
in the first place.
With
that in mind, I’m patching outside.
You
can use any fabric for patching as long as it’s robust enough to
work in the area that needs repair. Knees and inner thigh areas are
hard working areas. A chiffon or delicate lace isn’t going to stand
up to constant walking, running, kneeling or even just sitting down a
lot. Having said that, you don’t have to use a denim or even the
same shade of patch.
For
this patch, I’m using fabric from a pair of T’s old 5.11
trousers. Some things just can’t be saved.
First
thing to do, measure the area to be fixed. There needs to be a decent
overhang of patch surrounding the damage. I usually go for about an
inch or 2.5cm larger.
Next,
using an iron, press a small seam allowance around your patch fabric. It doesn't have to be big. 1/4 inch or 0.5cm will be fine. You only need it big enough to turn your raw edges under to the wrong side of the patch.
Using
glue or pins, temporarily attach your patch to the jeans. Your patch needs to be right side up. Make sure
the damage on the jean leg sits underneath the middle of your patch.
Take
your needle and thread and stitch the patch down. I used a whip
stitch. Basically, you take a small section of the jean fabric, and
push your needle through a small section of the patch fabric.
Keeping your stitches small, work around the patch.
I
used a black thread but you can use any shade you like. Go bold with
a contrast if you want to. The great thing about fixing jeans is
anything goes! Be creative!
As
you can see from the picture, I decided to fix both legs on these
jeans. Although, one leg didn’t really need it, I think it looks
more balanced. Besides, it’ll stop the other leg wearing out. I
won’t have to come back and do that leg a month or so from now.
With
sewing a stitch in time really does save nine!
Bye
for now
Olly
For
more sewing tips and adventures follow me:
Comments
Post a Comment