Mending Jeans

Yes, I was wearing these when they finally gave out. Fortunately, I was still at home and had just bent down to get something off the floor when I heard the rip. So much better to have that happen at home rather than at work or out and about. These jeans are probably ten or more years old and have been worn often. They are a bit tight these days and that adds stress on the fabric and the seams.

Hole in the crotch near the seat

Fabric is very thin around the hole

After having them sit on my dresser for almost a year, I finally sat down to get them mended. I used a piece of denim that was left over from some Lander pants I made last spring.

Basting the patch from inside the jeans

I started by trying on the jeans with the patch inside. Having the patch loose let me move it around to cover the hole and also to sit down a few times and see how the patch and jeans fabric would stretch. I used pins to hold the patch in place and took the jeans off to see how it looked inside. The patch did not lay flat when the jeans were laying on the table, but when they were on my body and curving over my rear the extra fabric let them stretch without stressing the original fabric too much. I basted the patch in by hand and checked the fit again.

The hole was then sewn on my Bernina 717 using forward and reverse lines in both horizontal and vertical directions. The top thread was a dark blue and the bottom threads were brown and green to finish off some bobbins. I then sewed around the outside of the patch where I had basted and secured  the patch to the seams on the jeans were that was possible. Once it was stitched down, I trimmed off the excess fabric on the patch.

Back of patch with edges trimmed

On the inside of the jeans, it looks like there is too much extra fabric in the patch. When I'm wearing the jeans though, the patch stretches out and fits well.

Finished patch from the inside

Finished patch from the outside

I think these jeans will need more patches in the coming years. There are a few other places where the fabric is getting worn thin. I'll keep the denim scraps close by so they will be ready to go when the need arises.