PRO TIP: Don't just aim to fix the hole... Aim to re-fortify the crotch area entirely. If you hold your jeans up into a light you will not only see the light coming through the obvious hole, but you will see light coming through the next area that will eventually break. Try to patch all of those up in one go, and your jeans will last you another 6 months
This is so much easier and faster than re-weaving the material by hand. I'll be trying this method to repair a pillow sheet and see how it goes. Thanks!
Thank you so much for this video, I got my first sewing machine on Christmas and the first thing I did was repairing my dad's jeans using this video as a guide! 💓💓
OHMYGOODNESS!! This is the best video I have seen for mending jeans. I had a friend's pair of jeans as well to repair in a similar spot (though the hole was smaller) and it worked wonders. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Great video and you came across very well. Just the obvious word issue, but it's very natural and most practically minded people who found this video would presumably be researching how to mend a hole in their garment. So kudos to you and thanks for sharing your relevant and useable knowledge.
Thank you! I've seen a good many videos on how to mend jeans and I like yours the best, I'm going to try this! I also love the idea of mending your own clothes ❤️
It's clever hey! I think I learned it from a past teacher and it works so well for all my husband's chinos and jeans that get holes. Thanks for leaving a lovely comment!
You are amazing!! Subscribed. I just could *not* find the tutorial I needed for my mend and here you've presented it exquisitely. My new work pants just ripped and I can't wait to fix them!
COOL I got an iron on patch. I thought I would place it underneath the repair area, pull the area taut to close up hole…than iron patch. After that zig zag top…like you did. I like it, TY
I love this video. I'm into vintage clothing and pants from the 1970s plaids, stripes jeans 👖 and other types too and these techniques help my favorite types of clothing to be more available. Repairs, restorations, recycling helps people like me with such interest. Thanks for the video.
Do you leave the rest of the patch flapping around on the inside or do you trim it down to where you've sewn? Seems like it would be uncomfortable on the inside when you wear them.
You can trim it down but not too much as it will fray. I should add to overlock the edges of the scrap beforehand, but I haven't had to for any of the pants I've mended 🙂
I wondered the same thing but figured that perhaps this is where a bit of fabric glue might be useful? Just glue around the edges so the whole thing lays flat. I don't have much experience in the durability of fabric glue though so I be interested in your thoughts.
If the stitching extends past the patch it will create a weak spot in the mend since there is no fabric reinforcing the hole, so if the jeans are stretched or come under strain in that area the weak spot will be the first to tear again. It's best not to sew over pins and needles so they should be around the outer edges of your patch to avoid being sewn.
Great video! Thank you for this very detailed tutorial. I am just wondering, if my jeans were already repaired like this, but they ripped again on the same place, should I take the old patch off completly or work over it again?
Thanks for your kind words! Ideally it would be best to remove the old patch because there would be less bulk and you can repair from scratch again. But it would take a bit of time to unpick it all, so if your jeans have a bit of room and it won't appear bulky, you can try to get away with a new patch on top of the existing one as a bit of a hack! Good luck 💫
were you doing free hand motion stitching near the end? Didnt even see if you were hitting the reverse lever at that point! My feed dogs make it harder to make a smooth motion of back and forth.
I was using the reverse lever! I think I edited the clip to be faster so it makes the needle disappear a bit 😅 Take it slow going back and forth to try and make it smoother 👍
This is tricky! The legs of the jeans are very difficult to get under the machine without sewing the other side... Unfortunately there isn't really an easy way around it, you need to roll/fold/cuff your jeans as best as possible to get the other material out of the way, then you carefully only sew the area that you intend to mend. It may mean you only have 5-10 cm of 'working space' when the jeans are in the sewing machine, but you just have to go slowly and move the rest of the jeans out of the way. I am planning to film this exact issue though in a seperate video! Good luck!
Eek that's tricky... unfortunately regular sewing machines don't allow the space you need to access that part of the jeans properly so you could try handstitching? Same technique but less stitches obviously!
@@SlewLiving Last winter, I inside patched some 'distressed jeans' with the thigh holes by hand, using your technique but with an embroidery hoop holding it steady so that I could hand baste similar fabric; chambray, on the back, using the seams, then spot tacked all the shreds so the look was there. I'm wondering how you would do it?
@@anniedillon9202 That sounds like a pretty good idea for mending to me! I would try the method I use in the video, but if it were too tricky to reach with the sewing machine then I think hand tacking and basting is the way to go.
Pro tip: make your patch on the inside of the jeans at least 1'' larger than the darned spot on the outside will end up being; turn under your raw edges and catchstitch (blind hem). No "saddle sores" from the patch edges this way.
Hmm... I think this method would still be best for small holes but you could use a much smaller patch or even a lighter fabric underneath instead of denim?
great video, thank you! If my jeans are stretchy, should I still use the same technique as the one in the video or should i stretch the fabric as i sew?
Thanks! You can use the same technique but use a stretchy denim for the scrap piece too. The only precaution would be if the hole is really gigantic, then you could lose a big portion of stretch which might then affect the fit!
What kind of sewing machine are you using? I would like to get a machine that can easily sew thru multiple layers of denim, thick multi-layer quilt seams, and occasionally sew thru leather. I don't want to put my Brother Quattro 3 domestic machine thru the abuse and it doesn't like very thick seams. Do you have any suggestions?
I use an industrial Juki machine. Unfortunately I don't have much experience with other machines so I can't recommend any. I have seen Singer domestic machines advertised as being able to sew through heavy duty fabrics but that's as far as my knowledge goes sorry!
Thanks for your comment! I have a seperate video here with my full opinion about iron on patches :) Hope it's helpful. th-cam.com/video/neH7GMfMuIw/w-d-xo.html
Linen can be tricky because the weave of the fabric is very loose! So technically the same mending technique will work but it's likely a new hole will reappear on the areas around the original hole. It does depend on how thick your pants are though, so a thicker linen will likely work but not a light weight linen!
I have a very long rip next to the back pocket. Ive tried 4 times to mend it in different ways but it just keeps pulling out every time i sit down. I have used a patch that wasnt stuck down, ive used a patch that was stuck down. These are my favourite jeans and I dont want to have to pay $50 to get them fixed. What am I doing wrong. Will the technique work on areas that have a lot of force or pull as in top of the butt area.
Ah that sounds like a pain! That is a high stress area so it can be difficult to patch properly. A good mend will likely involve taking the jeans apart at the back seam in order to reinforce the area appropriately (perhaps with 2 layers - 1 of interfacing and 1 of denim) that covers at least 5 cm all around the tear, and then using the technique shown in the video to sew all over the patch (and not just the rip.) Perhaps ask around and see if anyone else has some expertise on this area too!
Yes you're right! I don't really mind it fraying inside my jeans, I just trim it every now and then, but you can finish the edges with a zip zag stitch or serger if you don't like the fraying!
Wow, very interesting technique! I like how the rip is pretty much invisible...What about the inside of the pant leg? Do you trim the patch? I wonder if the patch would rub the wearer's skin.
The inside can be trimmed to be neat. You can also stitch around the patch on the inside to prevent it flipping up. If rubbing is an issue, you can use iron on interfacing to cover it :)
Thanks for this video! I'm looking forward to seeing how you transform a man's shirt with great fabric into a woman's blouse. Or reusing t-shirts into shirts I enjoy wearing not too big and floppy.
Thanks for leaving a comment and for your suggestions! I'm waiting for retail to open here in Melbourne so I can pick up some old shirts and tshirt from op shops, then hopefully I can take on some of your suggestions!
Maybe I'm slow... but how do you get to that area on the INSIDE of your jeans? Mine is inner thigh and it's such a tight area. HELP! I removed the fat part of my machine throat but it's so difficult to get a clear area to sew... LOVE THE METHOD.
Ooh that's a tough spot to get to! You might have to handsew your patch in place so that you can use what little sewing space you can get from your machine but unfortunately there's no easier way to reach those tough spots, sorry!
Great job, nicely done ! BTW, 2 things; that doesn’t look like a zig-zag stitch, looks like a straight stitch. Also, try saying “tear” instead “hole”, it sounds a lot better! Lol Thanks
I kept wanting to see how the inside was finished. I mean, expecting the patch on the inside to be trimmed and rounded off so it was not looking so unfinished. OUtside looked great, but inside not so much just as to the trimming patch all around.
No it doesn't, you can't almost see it. And some people like to repair good things instead of just throwing them out and buying new ones. We produce enough waste already.
When i was poor i produced litle waste, now i produce a lot. And eaven if you living on the farm, with your own food, still you nead stuff like paper, salt, toalet paper... And you Will produced waste. I will reather buy new pants than walk around in this one... If you buy beather quality it will last longer. Sorry for my speling, this is my second language.
@@FromSpaceVu Producing some waste doesn't mean you shouldn't try producing less. I'm thankful for this tutorial because it helped me reapir my dad's jeans (they were expensice but still got damaged do to chafing). If you'd rather bought new clothes every time they break - you do you. But it is really gross of you looking up a video on how to repair jeans (which many people are really thankful for) and saying it is trashy and dirty. Take your negativity elsewhere.
Very neat outside finish. What did you do with the excess material on the inside around the sewn area? Should the patch be placed on the rip with the stretchy part going in the same direction as the stretchy part of the jeans/pants?
Yes aim for stretch in the same direction for both. I left the inside of my jeans raw so it will fray a bit. Some people prefer it neater so will overlock around the outside to prevent fraying.
PRO TIP: Don't just aim to fix the hole... Aim to re-fortify the crotch area entirely. If you hold your jeans up into a light you will not only see the light coming through the obvious hole, but you will see light coming through the next area that will eventually break. Try to patch all of those up in one go, and your jeans will last you another 6 months
Great tip!
This is so true. Especially with jeans that have more elasticity to the denim.
This is so much easier and faster than re-weaving the material by hand. I'll be trying this method to repair a pillow sheet and see how it goes. Thanks!
Definitely faster! It should work well with a pillow sheet too, just use a lighter fabric to match the sheet 👌
Thank you so much for this video, I got my first sewing machine on Christmas and the first thing I did was repairing my dad's jeans using this video as a guide! 💓💓
What a great Christmas present! Well done and I'm glad this video was helpful 😊
OHMYGOODNESS!! This is the best video I have seen for mending jeans. I had a friend's pair of jeans as well to repair in a similar spot (though the hole was smaller) and it worked wonders. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Thanks for much for your comment! I'm so glad you found this mending method helpful - it really is a game changer!
Great video and you came across very well. Just the obvious word issue, but it's very natural and most practically minded people who found this video would presumably be researching how to mend a hole in their garment. So kudos to you and thanks for sharing your relevant and useable knowledge.
I have a jeans quilt that has similar types of holes. This is perfect, thank you.
Thank you! I've seen a good many videos on how to mend jeans and I like yours the best, I'm going to try this! I also love the idea of mending your own clothes ❤️
Thanks for your encouraging comment! I hope your mend turns out well 🙂
This is a genius method of mending!
It's clever hey! I think I learned it from a past teacher and it works so well for all my husband's chinos and jeans that get holes. Thanks for leaving a lovely comment!
You are amazing!! Subscribed. I just could *not* find the tutorial I needed for my mend and here you've presented it exquisitely. My new work pants just ripped and I can't wait to fix them!
Thank you for your kind comment! Hope the mend goes well 🙂
COOL
I got an iron on patch. I thought I would place it underneath the repair area, pull the area taut to close up hole…than iron patch. After that zig zag top…like you did. I like it, TY
Thank you, very easy to follow and effective looks great!
This was excellent! I learned a great deal from this and appreciate you sharing this with us all!.
Thank you so much for your kind comment :)
This was fantastic 👏 I haven't sewn anything since High School. Thanks for the tips.
You're welcome! Thanks for leaving a lovely comment 🥰
Thank you dimples! I will try this technique
Thank for the technique. Tutorial easy to follow!
Thank you for this super helpful tutorial!! Loved the results.
You're welcome! I'm glad it worked out 😀
I love the way you make this look so easy. I will try this on my husbands jeans.💃🏻💕
Good luck! I'm sure you'll get the hang of it quickly 👌
Good stuff, nice job and thanks for the tips!😎
Why the jeans manufacturers don't apply thick cloth at butt and thigh area so that they don't tear and wear easily
@@Abhi_rrbpo good question! I suppose it makes it more expensive to make… It could also be a bit uncomfortable to have such thick areas.
Because then you have to buy new jeans sooner, more money for the company
I love this video. I'm into vintage clothing and pants from the 1970s plaids, stripes jeans 👖 and other types too and these techniques help my favorite types of clothing to be more available. Repairs, restorations, recycling helps people like me with such interest. Thanks for the video.
Amazing! Glad you found it helpful 😄
thank you so much now i can fix my beloved jeans
Beautiful work
Brilliant tutorial, I'm going to attempt this now!
Thank you! Good luck!
Nice and easy explanation 👍🏾
Can't wait to try this! Thank you
Thank you - this worked out great for me!!!
You're welcome, I'm glad to hear it!
Do you leave the rest of the patch flapping around on the inside or do you trim it down to where you've sewn? Seems like it would be uncomfortable on the inside when you wear them.
You can trim it down but not too much as it will fray. I should add to overlock the edges of the scrap beforehand, but I haven't had to for any of the pants I've mended 🙂
@@SlewLiving Tx
I wondered the same thing but figured that perhaps this is where a bit of fabric glue might be useful? Just glue around the edges so the whole thing lays flat. I don't have much experience in the durability of fabric glue though so I be interested in your thoughts.
Thanks for this technique
Why is it a problem if the stitch goes over the edge of the patch?
Do you just sew over the needles?
If the stitching extends past the patch it will create a weak spot in the mend since there is no fabric reinforcing the hole, so if the jeans are stretched or come under strain in that area the weak spot will be the first to tear again.
It's best not to sew over pins and needles so they should be around the outer edges of your patch to avoid being sewn.
Great video! Thank you for this very detailed tutorial. I am just wondering, if my jeans were already repaired like this, but they ripped again on the same place, should I take the old patch off completly or work over it again?
Thanks for your kind words! Ideally it would be best to remove the old patch because there would be less bulk and you can repair from scratch again. But it would take a bit of time to unpick it all, so if your jeans have a bit of room and it won't appear bulky, you can try to get away with a new patch on top of the existing one as a bit of a hack! Good luck 💫
were you doing free hand motion stitching near the end? Didnt even see if you were hitting the reverse lever at that point! My feed dogs make it harder to make a smooth motion of back and forth.
I was using the reverse lever! I think I edited the clip to be faster so it makes the needle disappear a bit 😅 Take it slow going back and forth to try and make it smoother 👍
How do you avoid sewing through to the other side of the jeans?
This is tricky! The legs of the jeans are very difficult to get under the machine without sewing the other side... Unfortunately there isn't really an easy way around it, you need to roll/fold/cuff your jeans as best as possible to get the other material out of the way, then you carefully only sew the area that you intend to mend. It may mean you only have 5-10 cm of 'working space' when the jeans are in the sewing machine, but you just have to go slowly and move the rest of the jeans out of the way. I am planning to film this exact issue though in a seperate video! Good luck!
Great vedio. Thank you so much.
Great tips
How would you do the repair for a long vertical tear down the front of the jeans?
Eek that's tricky... unfortunately regular sewing machines don't allow the space you need to access that part of the jeans properly so you could try handstitching? Same technique but less stitches obviously!
@@SlewLiving Last winter, I inside patched some 'distressed jeans' with the thigh holes by hand, using your technique but with an embroidery hoop holding it steady so that I could hand baste similar fabric; chambray, on the back, using the seams, then spot tacked all the shreds so the look was there. I'm wondering how you would do it?
@@anniedillon9202 That sounds like a pretty good idea for mending to me! I would try the method I use in the video, but if it were too tricky to reach with the sewing machine then I think hand tacking and basting is the way to go.
Great video. Thank you.
Thanks for leaving a comment :)
Pro tip: make your patch on the inside of the jeans at least 1'' larger than the darned spot on the outside will end up being; turn under your raw edges and catchstitch (blind hem). No "saddle sores" from the patch edges this way.
What method would be best for mending small holes in jeans? I have some smaller holes near the side seam on the legs.
Hmm... I think this method would still be best for small holes but you could use a much smaller patch or even a lighter fabric underneath instead of denim?
great video, thank you! If my jeans are stretchy, should I still use the same technique as the one in the video or should i stretch the fabric as i sew?
Thanks! You can use the same technique but use a stretchy denim for the scrap piece too. The only precaution would be if the hole is really gigantic, then you could lose a big portion of stretch which might then affect the fit!
@@SlewLiving Okay, thank you so much!!
What kind of sewing machine are you using? I would like to get a machine that can easily sew thru multiple layers of denim, thick multi-layer quilt seams, and occasionally sew thru leather. I don't want to put my Brother Quattro 3 domestic machine thru the abuse and it doesn't like very thick seams. Do you have any suggestions?
I use an industrial Juki machine. Unfortunately I don't have much experience with other machines so I can't recommend any. I have seen Singer domestic machines advertised as being able to sew through heavy duty fabrics but that's as far as my knowledge goes sorry!
Great video!
Thank you so very much.
This is exactly what I was looking for! Salute to you! Question: what’s your view on iron patches?
Thanks for your comment! I have a seperate video here with my full opinion about iron on patches :) Hope it's helpful. th-cam.com/video/neH7GMfMuIw/w-d-xo.html
Does this also work for non-denim materials? I have some linen pants that have holes in the same area but have been unsure how to mend them!
Linen can be tricky because the weave of the fabric is very loose! So technically the same mending technique will work but it's likely a new hole will reappear on the areas around the original hole. It does depend on how thick your pants are though, so a thicker linen will likely work but not a light weight linen!
@@SlewLiving Thank you! I think mine might be a thinner weight, so likely it won't work to last. But I appreciate the info!
I have a very long rip next to the back pocket. Ive tried 4 times to mend it in different ways but it just keeps pulling out every time i sit down. I have used a patch that wasnt stuck down, ive used a patch that was stuck down. These are my favourite jeans and I dont want to have to pay $50 to get them fixed. What am I doing wrong. Will the technique work on areas that have a lot of force or pull as in top of the butt area.
Ah that sounds like a pain! That is a high stress area so it can be difficult to patch properly. A good mend will likely involve taking the jeans apart at the back seam in order to reinforce the area appropriately (perhaps with 2 layers - 1 of interfacing and 1 of denim) that covers at least 5 cm all around the tear, and then using the technique shown in the video to sew all over the patch (and not just the rip.) Perhaps ask around and see if anyone else has some expertise on this area too!
What do you do about finishing the patch? It's going to fray dreadfully if you don't finish the edges.
Yes you're right! I don't really mind it fraying inside my jeans, I just trim it every now and then, but you can finish the edges with a zip zag stitch or serger if you don't like the fraying!
@@SlewLiving I use fray chek on mine. i would't dream of leaving raw edges like that, unless you cut the patch on the bias.
Wow, very interesting technique! I like how the rip is pretty much invisible...What about the inside of the pant leg? Do you trim the patch? I wonder if the patch would rub the wearer's skin.
The inside can be trimmed to be neat. You can also stitch around the patch on the inside to prevent it flipping up. If rubbing is an issue, you can use iron on interfacing to cover it :)
Thanks so much! ❤️😉👍
You're welcome 😊
Thanks for this video! I'm looking forward to seeing how you transform a man's shirt with great fabric into a woman's blouse. Or reusing t-shirts into shirts I enjoy wearing not too big and floppy.
Thanks for leaving a comment and for your suggestions! I'm waiting for retail to open here in Melbourne so I can pick up some old shirts and tshirt from op shops, then hopefully I can take on some of your suggestions!
Skip to 1:10 for the tutorial
While sewing, did you have the feed-dogs up or down?
I had them up because honestly I don't ever put them down 😅
@@SlewLiving I’m surprised, because it looked like you were free-handing it while going in reverse and then back forward so easily.
@@Mocredible it could look like that because of the fast forward editing!
@@SlewLiving Yeah, that’s what it was. Lol
Maybe I'm slow... but how do you get to that area on the INSIDE of your jeans? Mine is inner thigh and it's such a tight area. HELP! I removed the fat part of my machine throat but it's so difficult to get a clear area to sew... LOVE THE METHOD.
Ooh that's a tough spot to get to! You might have to handsew your patch in place so that you can use what little sewing space you can get from your machine but unfortunately there's no easier way to reach those tough spots, sorry!
Does the patch inside cause irritation?
Unless the jeans are very tight it shouldn't!
Great job, nicely done ! BTW, 2 things; that doesn’t look like a zig-zag stitch, looks like a straight stitch. Also, try saying “tear” instead “hole”, it sounds a lot better! Lol Thanks
Amo seus ensinamentos como remendar calça jeans
Beijos meu nome é Lizete Moro
Em Guaimbê sp sítio São Jorge
Obrigada, Lizete! Que bom que você gostou dos vídeos de jeans :)
I kept wanting to see how the inside was finished. I mean, expecting the patch on the inside to be trimmed and rounded off so it was not looking so unfinished. OUtside looked great, but inside not so much just as to the trimming patch all around.
Yes a little trim on the inside to finish it off would make it much neater!
I could never do that
Good video, but unfortunately it doesn't help me. The hole is big and gaping and I have no sewing machine.
Ah this is a shame 😆 might have to try a different technique!
Your accent sounds so charming :)
☺ The good old Australian accent haha! Thanks for stopping by!
I've been repairing jeans like this for 50 years but I use a zig zag stitch.
Yes it's an age old technique and should work just as well with the zig zag stitch 👍
You do a really good imitation of an Australian accent.
🥰
Why you all do that... It looks trashy and dirty.
No it doesn't, you can't almost see it. And some people like to repair good things instead of just throwing them out and buying new ones. We produce enough waste already.
When i was poor i produced litle waste, now i produce a lot. And eaven if you living on the farm, with your own food, still you nead stuff like paper, salt, toalet paper... And you Will produced waste. I will reather buy new pants than walk around in this one... If you buy beather quality it will last longer. Sorry for my speling, this is my second language.
@@FromSpaceVu Producing some waste doesn't mean you shouldn't try producing less. I'm thankful for this tutorial because it helped me reapir my dad's jeans (they were expensice but still got damaged do to chafing). If you'd rather bought new clothes every time they break - you do you. But it is really gross of you looking up a video on how to repair jeans (which many people are really thankful for) and saying it is trashy and dirty. Take your negativity elsewhere.
darling Ana and Lara, what are you doing here? please go watch some fcking glamour videos, let us with our butt ripped jeans!!
Very neat outside finish. What did you do with the excess material on the inside around the sewn area? Should the patch be placed on the rip with the stretchy part going in the same direction as the stretchy part of the jeans/pants?
Yes aim for stretch in the same direction for both. I left the inside of my jeans raw so it will fray a bit. Some people prefer it neater so will overlock around the outside to prevent fraying.