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.

Mending Me-Mades

Whether your wardrobe consists of RTW clothing or me-mades, maintaining those items ensures that they will last more than one season. Mending, updating, re-fitting, refashioning, changing out buttons and zippers, etc. all help keep items of clothing wearable and in rotation. As I am still fairly new to garment sewing, there are definitely things that I have made that aren't yet ready to stand the test of time. My knowledge in the areas of fabric choice, types of seams, fitting, etc. are continuing to develop, but I still make mistakes or poor fabric choices at times. No worries, I learn a lot from sewing mistakes and, if possible, from fixing them. Here are a few pieces that I have had to mend or change recently to keep them wearable.

Lander Pants--split seat seam
I did not get a picture of the actual split seam, but it was about 3" long on the seat seam.  Yes, this happened at work. Fortunately, it was at the end of the day and I was wearing dark underwear and a long shirt, so I'm hoping no one noticed.  Although, if they did, they probably had a good chuckle.
Close inspection of the seam revealed that I had never actually sewn and serged it. It was only basted with a long stitch to check fitting and I forgot to go back and finish it. After sewing and finishing the seam, these pants were good-to-go.

Resewn and serged on the inside

View from back after mending

Chambray Dress--patched side seam
At the end of the day, after wearing this dress to work, I noticed a tear in the side seam. Fortunately, it was near the hem and not very revealing. This seam had been serged, but the fabric itself tore outside of the seam. I really like the soft, worn look and feel of this dress so I had no qualms about visibly mending with patches.

I used a light blue thread and a zig-zag stitch to sew a patch onto the back of the seam. This fabric is old and it will probably tear/fray in other areas, so I'm ready to add more patches as needed. I also added a small preemptive patch on the hem. It's not completely torn yet, but you can see where the seam is stressed.

Two small patches

I have worn this dress a few times since it was patched and, as of yet, have had no more problems.

Tamarack Jacket --gets a zipper
This is a wearable muslin. Originally, I put in hook and eye closures because I didn't have a fitting zipper and the opening didn't lend itself to buttons. As long as there was no breeze, the coat worked well. Since the hook and eyes didn't actually hold the coat closed though, a breeze went right through the 1/2" to 1" wide gap between the front panels. I had been wearing this jacket in the mornings when my coworkers and I walked before school. The quilt batting layer keeps this coat warm, but I was tired of holding the front closed as I walked.

Hook and eye closures

 All of the hook and eyes came off and will be saved for a future project.

All but one set can be reused

Trying out zipper possibilities

This white zipper was the only one I found in my collection that was long enough, so I basted it in. When I went to try on the coat I realized it was not a coil-separating zipper and I'd have to step into my jacket to get it on and off. So, that zipper came out and I went to Joann's to find a separating zipper. This time I had a better color selection and decided that the navy blue would be a better match.

I prefer the blue color and only had to trim 1 1/2" off the top of the zipper

Zipper goes all the way up 

Pocket binding progress is impeded

While I was making zipper improvements, I also decided to put binding on the pocket seams.  They were fraying and even though the rest of the inside isn't particularly impressive and I wouldn't be showing it off, I didn't want to have threads hanging off my pockets. I just used a package of white pre-made binding for both pockets.

Jacket with new zipper and non-visible finished pocket seams

All three of these items are now back in the closet ready for their next outing. I'm caught up on my mending, so I can go back to planning new projects.