Mastodawn

Let me share an easy way to fix a hole in your pants . Here's the crotch of one of my guys jeans. I don't know what he does (not sure if I want to know), but pretty much all his pants develop holes along the crotch seam. This one is still small and easy to fix.
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#sewing #MakeDoAndMend #mending

What we need for an easy fix is a patch in the same colour as the pants and a bit of hemming tape. I didn't have black canvas, so I took a bit of dark denim from a pair of jeans that were beyond repair. Hemming tape is basically double sided fusible interfacing. It's meant for - you'll never guess - hemming, but it's great to keep patches in place while you sew them on. You could skip the tape and use pins, but that's much more fiddly, especially in a difficult location like a crotch seam.
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#sewing #mending #MakeDoAndMend

Put the pants on a flat surface, and put first the hemming tape and the the patch on the inside on the hole. The right side of the patch facing down, towards the hole. Try to keep the edges of the hole together so less of the patch will show through. If your hole is too big, don't worry, that's why you have a patch in a matching colour. (Or not, you can use a contrasting patch for a bit of #VisibleMending.) If there's a lot of fraying, maybe trim down the edges a bit first. When everything is lined out, take a hot iron and iron the patch on. Mind you don't melt any interfacing to your iron, or you'll have to clean of nasty gunk (ask me how I know).
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#sewing #mending #MakeDoAndMend

The hemming tape may claim that it's a durable solution, but that's a lie. We need to reinforce this patch or it'll just drop off in no time. Using your sewing machine (or needle and thread if you're patient and have strong fingers), sew up and down the patch several times. Remember to use matching thread to your pants. This is where the reverse button of your machine will really come in handy. Up and down, left and right, just make a nice grid, catching all the edges.
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#sewing #mending #MakeDoAndMend

And that's it! Your pants are now ready to face the world again. The trickiest bit is to make sure not to catch extra bits of fabric and create creases (or even sew shut your pants), but if you do, there's always the trusted seamripper to cut the stitches and try again. Just take your time and it'll be fine.
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#sewing #mending #MakeDoAndMend

Oh, just in case you now think I'm some kind of sewing wizard, here's some less invisible examples ,😁 Not exactly pants to wear to work or something, but good enough for around the house and working in the garden. (I do go out on public in those green ones, I have no shame. I'm kind of counting on people being too polite to stare at my butt too much.)
#sewing #mending #MakeDoAndMend

Tilda Moose, citizen May 6

@Stratski
Thankyou, that was truly worthwhile reading. I didn't know about hemming tape before, nor that it could function as tacking pins. Life upgrade acknowledged 🙏🌞

30 to 40 olives May 5

@Stratski Thank you for this thread! I enjoyed reading it!

@30to40olives Glad you liked it! 😃

Jennifer Moore 😷May 5

@Stratski Nice fix!

@unchartedworlds thanks! 😊

✶Rayotron✶May 5

Great thread... and patch... and pants. Solves some problems I've had. Thanks!

64 Islands Aroha Cooperative May 5

@Stratski timely! was about to give up on a pair and turn them into garden pots

Petra van Cronenburg May 5

@Stratski Thank you for the great thread! For fans of #visibleMending - you can use special needles for jeans and thick fabrics, that's better for the fingers. Sashiko patterns are great for hand stitching in such a place, of course, then on the outer side.

Marcos Dione May 5

@Stratski I see you used a sewing machine (with a very strong needle, I guess, to pass through 3-4 layers of jean fabric).

@NatureMC do you mean sewing this by hand? I think the simple jean layer is more than doable, but the seam too? Wow...

Petra van Cronenburg May 5

@mdione You can do everything by hand (imagine the times before machines). Even leather. You only need special needles and a good technique. These needles are sharp as knives at the end. @Stratski

@mdione @NatureMC This wasn't heavy denim, more like canvas, so I got away with just a standard needle. For thicker material, I'd use a special denim needle, yes.

Dr. Figuring-things-aut May 5

@Stratski ooioh this is such a good tip. I find the pins fiddly and stab myself!

@Stratski (I often baste in contrast thread instead of pins)

@artbyailbhe also a good tip. (Though with larger patches i'm clumsy enough to need pins to baste it in place)

@Stratski yes I do that, pins, basting, checking, sewing

@Stratski Rather than special tape, my mom taught me to use Tacky glue (Elmer's is fine too) and iron it to dry it quickly (just instead of pinning, It will wash out).

@Ross_ Ohh, good tip!

hirnsushi May 5

@Stratski Thank you for this thread

I have a stack of 10+ pants I really should fix at some point, but despite having access to all the necessary tools (inherited from my grandma) it's always intimidating if you don't know where to start.

Those steps make it seem less daunting, I can do that, yay

@hirnsushi I'm glad you found it helpful!
Extra tip: if sewing over the thick middle seam is hard for your machine, even with a special denim needle, skipping that bit and sewing as close as you can on both sides of the seam also works.

@Stratski perfect timing, I've got two pairs of jeans with tears like these at the back pockets :) hadn't occurred to me to just sew across the seams.

Jef Poskanzer May 6

@Stratski My jeans all develop a hole on the right buttcheek. I figure I have an acid gland there.

@jef 😂