When we think of the usefulness of sewing, one of the first things that comes to mind is mending. It might not be the most exciting of homemaking jobs, but it sure is practical. You can use this method to mend work pants, or, as in this example, close up holes in ripped jeans. I bought these jeans like this from the thrift store. I actually like the look of lightly distressed and ripped jeans, but I don’t like my thigh showing, so this is a fix I often do.
Supplies and Materials
- Sewing machine
- Scrap fabric
- Thread
- Scissors
- Pins
- Seam ripper
Let’s mend some pants!
Here are the jeans I will be working on. The holes are quite small, but this method also works when you need to mend larger holes.. (I also converted them into maternity jeans in this tutorial, which is why the pockets look different in the rest of the pictures.)
Gather your supplies
For the patch, choose fabric that is the same weight or slightly less than your jeans. If it is heavier, it will be too stiff, and all the stitching we’re going to do will also stiffen it up. I chose a white patch because I still wanted a ripped jeans look. I also chose an off white thread for the same reason. You can do that or you can try to match both to the pants as much as possible.
Steps
Step 1 – Usually the first step is to trim the frayed edges, but because I wanted the patches to look soft and the frayed strings weren’t too long, I left them. So, this step can be optional. But even when you do trim, always leave any horizontal strings that are still in place.
Step 2 – Turn jeans inside out and cut a patch that is at least 1 inch larger all around than the holes. Pin in place. I also pinned the pockets out of the way.
Step 3 – Turn jeans right side out. It’s a good idea to put pins in the front and remove the ones behind, but because these were such small patches that would be quick, I didn’t bother.
Step 4 – Sew on the right side using a straight stitch. I set my stitch length to 4 (5 is longest on my machine), because I just think it looks better. Sew forward and back in large zigzags as many times as needed, turn your pants 90 degrees, and go forward and back the other way. Make sure to sew at least 1/2 inch past the actual tear. I wasn’t trying to make a super strong patch because this isn’t a high strain area, so I kept my stitching pretty minimal to suit the style. But if you want a stronger patch, do lots of stitching.
See below for tips on accessing any really tricky spots!
Step 5 – Trim your patches.
Tips for spots that are hard to access
- Remove the flat bed attachment on your machine so that you can put the pants under the arm for easier access
- Sometimes, depending where the holes are, it can be easier to sew with the pants inside out, but still sewing on the right side of the fabric. If the spots you need to sew are really difficult to access, give it a try.
- Or, it might be practically impossible to access holes that are around the knee. In these cases, you will need to open up the leg about 12 inches or more with a seam ripper. Always open the seam that doesn’t have top stitching (usually the outside). Then sew it closed when you’re done mending, making sure to finish your seams with a serger or zigzag stitch.
And now you know how to mend pants!
I hope you found this tutorial helpful and that you will be inspired to mend yours and your family’s clothes! Is this something you would try doing?
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