Jeans

A very common way to mend jeans is using the Japanese techniques of sashiko stitching and boro mending. To learn more about these traditions, check out The Ultimate Sashiko Sourcebook by Susan Briscoe (available as a downloadable ebook through Mercer County Library System).

Holes on Knees and Legs

Honestly, I look forward to these kinds of holes, especially since reading Mending Matters by Katrina Rodabaugh (available through Mercer County Library System). These spots look terrific when patched in a bold, creative way.

Neat and Tidy

Isn't it lovely? This is from Liz Haywood at The Craft of Clothes. Liz makes her mends very neat by folding under the edges of the hole in her pants before pinning the patch underneath. She uses pinking shears to cut out the patch so it won't fray. She also suggests using a fabric marking tool to mark your sewing lines.

born to be wild

But this attention to detail isn't necessary. Some people, like Erin Eggenburg at Wren Bird Arts, really embrace the messy, handmade aesthetic and leave the raw edges to fray a little bit. Erin also shows some examples of exterior patches. Like interior patches, these can be done with or without turning under the edges.

You can play around with your design, combining interior and exterior patches and different stitch patterns. You can even add patches and/or stitching where there aren't any holes or stains, for artistic effect.

On these jeans, there was originally just one hole in the knee, but I thought a column of three patches in the same fabric would look cool. I added them several years ago, and turned under the edges before sewing them. As you can see, the top and bottom patches are just barely beginning to fray in the corners. However, the knee patch recently wore through in the same spot as the initial hole! I decided to remove it and add an interior patch with sashiko stitching. I left the other two patches in place.

If you're feeling ambitious, you can go beyond simple straight lines or grids and try out more elaborate sashiko techniques. Sara Curtis from Radiant Home Studio shares a terrific collection of tutorials and projects using different sashiko patterns.

Inner Thighs

I'm not gonna lie--the inner thigh rub is basically the bane of my existence. So many pants in otherwise wonderful condition, with the fabric on the inner thighs completely worn away. When it comes to leggings, I'm not sure there's anything that can be done. But jeans are another story! In this area, it's better to use subtle colors and try not to draw too much attention. You can use sashiko hand stitching, or you can use a sewing machine for an even less visible darn. If you're sewing by hand, it's much easier to do a subtle mend if you reinforce the area with an interior patch before the fabric wears all the way through.

A lovely but somewhat subtle hand-stitched sashiko inner thigh repair by Vicky Myers. You can find her tutorial here.

If you have a sewing machine and would like your inner thigh repair to be even less visible, check out Heather Lou's tutorial here.

Hems, Buttonholes, and Darning

In this tutorial, Robert Eames shares several helpful techniques. My favorite is his approach to patching frayed hems.

a tailored fit

Sometimes, our jeans are generally in fine shape, but they're just not working for us. Whether your jeans are busting at the seams or constantly falling down, we've got the solution here!

Letting Out (i.e., making the waist bigger)

This is a simple approach from Leslie at The Seasoned Homemaker. She uses a sewing machine, but you don't have to--just cut open the waist band as she shows and sew in your patch by hand.

This method from Cotton + Curls is a little more complicated, but it blends in better thanks to the waistband detail on the patch.

Taking In (i.e., making the waist smaller)

TikTok to the rescue! It doesn't get much simpler than this.

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