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mending and patching jeans

with designer style


by nancy minsky
author of “denim revolution”

One of the most satisfying sewing projects is simply mending a


favorite piece of clothing. And repairing jeans can be especially
enjoyable because denim so easily adapts to all kinds of different
patching techniques, sewing abilities and needs.

When mending jeans it’s key to choose the technique that


expresses and is in harmony with the individuality and style of your
particular jeans. You want your handwork not only to endure more
hard wear, but also maintain and highlight the stylish denim look
that you love. Mending is the new glam look of fashion jeans, it’s
hip, and industrious.

Here is one denim patching technique, cunningly named, cat and


mouse, due to the subtle way the mending camouflages and blends
with the original holes and rips.
cat and mouse
a technique to cunningly patch jeans

the jean dilemma


You have a pair of very cool jeans that you love and fit well, but suddenly they are disintegrating into an
annoying mess of holes and rips. You want to maintain the fashionably distressed look of the jeans but
they desperately need mending.

the cure
Mend them by sensitively integrating your stitches and handwork with the worn denim texture. To
make them durable and chic you will fuse and patch on the inside and then re-enforce with stitching in
the worn areas, blending your handwork harmoniously with the intrinsically cool, naturally worn look.

If you have some general sewing experience then you can easily mend your jeans with this technique.

the sewing materials


 medium weight, white iron-on fusing (enough to generously fit the area you are patching)
 cotton, medium weight fabric for the inside patch (same amount as fusing)
note: This is a decorative feature seen
only on the inside. Choose a fabric that
reflects the style of the wearer and the
jeans. The plaid used in the photos is a
good unisex solution, but maybe you are
mending pants for a young girl, where a
printed floral would delight the wearer,
or a soft corduroy.
 cotton thread that matches your
jeans
note: choose a shade that blends with
the worn area you will be mending.
Jeans vary broadly in colors and shades,
and well matched thread is important for
the look.
 contrasting thread color for basting
 general sewing materials including:
scissors, straight pins, hand sewing
needle, sewing machine with a
“denim sewing needle”, iron, ironing
board, ruler or tape measure, seam
ripper.
the sewing steps
measure and cut patches: Measure the area you want to patch, and cut the fusing to size
accordingly.

note: The patched area in the example in the photos is the width of the front leg, from the side seam to
the crotch seam. When jeans are quite worn like these it’s more efficient to patch the entire area, to
avoid having to frequently make additional patches.

Pin the fusing on the plaid cotton (or your novelty cotton fabric.) Cut ½” larger all around the perimeter.
(And if you have pinking shears then use them.)

Press well the area you will patch, also smoothing neatly in place and pressing any loose denim threads.

Turn your jeans inside out and press again the area you will be patching, careful to smooth flat and
neatly any loose denim threads.

apply the fusing and patch: Working


on the inside of your jeans, lay the fusing,
glue facing the denim, on the area you will be
patching. Steam and press very well so that
the fusing is permanently glued and secured
in place. Any loose denim threads will also be
fused, neatly in place. (photo on left)

Press the plaid patch. Pin it on top of the


fusing so the fusing is completely hidden
behind the plaid patch. Baste all around, ¼”
from the edge. Remove pins. (bottom photo)

note: the plaid patch will protect the fusing


from rubbing loose from the jeans and also be
a more attractive material to the eye than the
fusing.

Turn the jeans right side out.


stitching: As in the photo on
the left, any loose denim threads
have been glued neatly to the
fusing, the denim is pressed flat.

Thread your sewing machine


with the denim thread, and set at
a medium stitch length.

Lower your presser foot next to


the inside of the basting stitch.
Using the basting stitch as a
guide, stitch all around the
perimeter of the patch, ¼” from
the basting stitch. Remove
basting stitch.

Set your sewing machine to a medium length zigzag stitch. Sew back and forth over every split. You
want to sew in more or less paraellel rows, following the grain, and extending beyond the worn area. If
it is an area that gets a lot of wear, repeat, zigzag stitching perpendicular, along the cross grain. The
white denim threads, any
holes, and all the terribly
worn areas will be re-
enforced with your stitching.
Sew until you are satisfied
with the look and the
durability. Your repairs will
look like the photo opposite,
quite invisible and blending
with the naturally worn
shade of the denim.

note: You can sew in zigzag


stitch or your machine’s
darning stitch. You can even
sew by hand, though it is
less durable. Practice on a
scrap of denim.

Pull all the thread ends to


the back and knot well.
Trim and round off the
corners of the plaid patch.

Press.

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