How do I repair holes in my jeans?

[DianeB]

I have quite a few pants that are wearing in the rear. They are still good otherwise. I just want to repair them to wear around the house. Bought some nicer pairs at Goodwill for leaving the house.

How do I repair them? I was thinking about sewing a panel of cloth to the underside of pants. Would that work? What do you do?

Thank You

 

[Farmfresh]

Grandma Nettie made the nicest jean patches around!

She used to take a good piece of denim from a pair of jeans that were no longer salvageable and trim around it with pinking shears. Then she would stay stitch the edges of the patch as well to keep it from raveling.

The next step is to sew the patch over the hole in the pants you are mending from the back side. You want the patch to be at least an inch away from the hole to provide plenty of reinforcement.

The next step you have choices , you can simply stitch all around the hole from the top side to secure the patch down even more securely to the pants. Grandma Nettie would take it even one step further, however. She would trim the loose strings from the hole and then tuck the raw edges under and top stitch around them to the patch.

By doing that you end up with a nice secure patch that will last a long time.

Hope this helps.

 

[freemotion]

Can you still buy those iron-on patches? I sew, but if you don't, those iron-on ones are a good alternative....if they still exist.

 

[Lil Chickie Mama]

Then she would stay stitch the edges of the patch as well to keep it from raveling.

The next step is to sew the patch over the hole in the pants you are mending from the back side. You want the patch to be at least an inch away from the hole to provide plenty of reinforcement.

The next step you have choices , you can simply stitch all around the hole from the top side to secure the patch down even more securely to the pants. Grandma Nettie would take it even one step further, however. She would trim the loose strings from the hole and then tuck the raw edges under and top stitch around them to the patch.

Farmfresh, maybe this is dumb, but how do you make it fit in the sewing machine? Or do you just do it by hand? I tried to mend a pair but couldn't manage to get it maneuvered to the machine. My jeans (granted I buy the cheapy $20 Target ones) always wear on the inner thighs or the knee caps.

 

[Farmfresh]

I go into the jeans from the waist side and work on the inside first.

Just take your time and get one side of the patch sewn on smoothly. Rotate the needle slowly by hand until the needle is down in the material then lift the presser foot and turn the whole works. Lower the pressure foot again. Lay the next side smooth with the fabric beneath it and then stitch slowly.

Repeat this process until the patch is sewn on smooth from the inside. Then turn the pants leg inside out and repeat the process around the hole.

It may take a little practice to get it all smoothly done, but if you are like me always tearing up things I have lots of items to practice on! If you are mending them for work pants anyway a few boo boo's will not matter.

 

[DianeB]

My mom's sewing machine has a portion of the base (not sure of terminology) you remove so that you can sew sleeves, etc. It allows you to manuever. I am sure you can also use a hand held sticher to do the work.

 

[DianeB]

I go into the jeans from the waist side and work on the inside first.

Just take your time and get one side of the patch sewn on smoothly. Rotate the needle slowly by hand until the needle is down in the material then lift the presser foot and turn the whole works. Lower the pressure foot again. Lay the next side smooth with the fabric beneath it and then stitch slowly.

Repeat this process until the patch is sewn on smooth from the inside. Then turn the pants leg inside out and repeat the process around the hole.

It may take a little practice to get it all smoothly done, but if you are like me always tearing up things I have lots of items to practice on! If you are mending them for work pants anyway a few boo boo's will not matter.

I am just going to wear them around the house. They don't have to look perfect. Just need to be functional.

 

[Farmfresh]

That is called a free arm machine. It should make things much easier.

 

[DianeB]

That is called a free arm machine. It should make things much easier.

Don't even know what it is called. You can see why I need help.

 

[patandchickens]

For areas where your sewing machine can't go (should not be many, but especially if you are quite thin there can be *some*) hand-sewing is the other choice. Use a thimble, *sharp* heavyish needle, and I use handquilting thread (when repairing jeans).

The material around the hole has to be in good shape. If it's threadbare and thin, your repair will just rip out. Also if it's really stretched out, you will not get a flat patch to fit right unless it is pretty small.

If all else fails, and you just want them as housewear, good-quality duct tape actually works quite well. Put it on the inside *and* outside of the holey area; you can baste a narrow strip of t-shirt (rag) material around the edges on the inside of the garment if you find the duct tape tends to curl back and its adhesive sticks to your legs. IME this will go through the laundry a number of times before it starts to come apart, at which time a touchup with a warm iron (under a press cloth!!!) will give it a bit more lifespan.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat