One of the most satisfying sewing projects is simply mending a

favorite piece of clothing. And repairing jeans can be especially

enjoyable because denim so easily adapts to all kinds of different

patching techniques, sewing abilities and needs.

When mending jeans it’s key to choose the technique that

expresses and is in harmony with the individuality and style of your

particular jeans. You want your handwork not only to endure more

hard wear, but also maintain and highlight the stylish denim look

that you love. Mending is the new glam look of fashion jeans, it’s

hip, and industrious.

Here is one denim patching technique, cunningly named, cat and

mouse, due to the subtle way the mending camouflages and blends

with the original holes and rips.

by nancy minsky author of “denim revolution”

mending and patching jeans with designer style

cat and mouse a technique to cunningly patch jeans

the jean dilemma You have a pair of very cool jeans that you love and fit well, but suddenly they are disintegrating into an annoying mess of holes and rips. You want to maintain the fashionably distressed look of the jeans but they desperately need mending.

the cure Mend them by sensitively integrating your stitches and handwork with the worn denim texture. To make them durable and chic you will fuse and patch on the inside and then re-enforce with stitching in the worn areas, blending your handwork harmoniously with the intrinsically cool, naturally worn look. If you have some general sewing experience then you can easily mend your jeans with this technique.

the sewing materials medium weight, white iron-on fusing (enough to generously fit the area you are patching)

cotton, medium weight fabric for the inside patch (same amount as fusing) note: This is a decorative feature seen only on the inside. Choose a fabric that reflects the style of the wearer and the jeans. The plaid used in the photos is a good unisex solution, but maybe you are mending pants for a young girl, where a printed floral would delight the wearer, or a soft corduroy. cotton thread that matches your

jeans note: choose a shade that blends with the worn area you will be mending. Jeans vary broadly in colors and shades, and well matched thread is important for the look.

contrasting thread color for basting

general sewing materials including: scissors, straight pins, hand sewing needle, sewing machine with a “denim sewing needle”, iron, ironing board, ruler or tape measure, seam ripper.

the sewing steps measure and cut patches: Measure the area you want to patch, and cut the fusing to size

accordingly. note: The patched area in the example in the photos is the width of the front leg, from the side seam to the crotch seam. When jeans are quite worn like these it’s more efficient to patch the entire area, to avoid having to frequently make additional patches. Pin the fusing on the plaid cotton (or your novelty cotton fabric.) Cut ½” larger all around the perimeter. (And if you have pinking shears then use them.) Press well the area you will patch, also smoothing neatly in place and pressing any loose denim threads. Turn your jeans inside out and press again the area you will be patching, careful to smooth flat and neatly any loose denim threads.

apply the fusing and patch: Working

on the inside of your jeans, lay the fusing, glue facing the denim, on the area you will be patching. Steam and press very well so that the fusing is permanently glued and secured in place. Any loose denim threads will also be fused, neatly in place. (photo on left) Press the plaid patch. Pin it on top of the fusing so the fusing is completely hidden behind the plaid patch. Baste all around, ¼” from the edge. Remove pins. (bottom photo) note: the plaid patch will protect the fusing from rubbing loose from the jeans and also be a more attractive material to the eye than the fusing. Turn the jeans right side out.

stitching: As in the photo on

the left, any loose denim threads have been glued neatly to the fusing, the denim is pressed flat. Thread your sewing machine with the denim thread, and set at a medium stitch length. Lower your presser foot next to the inside of the basting stitch. Using the basting stitch as a guide, stitch all around the perimeter of the patch, ¼” from the basting stitch. Remove basting stitch.

Set your sewing machine to a medium length zigzag stitch. Sew back and forth over every split. You want to sew in more or less paraellel rows, following the grain, and extending beyond the worn area. If it is an area that gets a lot of wear, repeat, zigzag stitching perpendicular, along the cross grain. The white denim threads, any holes, and all the terribly worn areas will be re-enforced with your stitching. Sew until you are satisfied with the look and the durability. Your repairs will look like the photo opposite, quite invisible and blending with the naturally worn shade of the denim. note: You can sew in zigzag stitch or your machine’s darning stitch. You can even sew by hand, though it is less durable. Practice on a scrap of denim. Pull all the thread ends to the back and knot well. Trim and round off the corners of the plaid patch. Press.