Get started repairing jeans!
What do you need to repair jeans, and what is "nice to have" but not essential?
I've received a couple of questions about repairing jeans lately, so I decided to make a post about it, as many others are probably wondering too! This will be a general overview of some different methods and results, and perhaps more step-by-step guides for each type will follow later!
What you need obviously depends on the type of repair you want to perform, which is why it's hard to give a short answer! But I'll try to set up some different examples and suggestions for repairs and equipment, and at the bottom, a summary of what's common across various repairs.
The first thing you don't HAVE to have, but which is incredibly practical for almost everyone, is:
If you're sewing inside trouser legs by machine or by hand, it's often easier if you unpick a side seam. Good seam rippers make the job easier! Use the pointed tip for the first couple of stitches, then place the red ball into the seam, and you can unpick by "cutting" all the threads like with a knife along the seam. The red ball pushes the fabrics apart so only the seam is cut. It's fast! And then the rest of the seam is easier afterwards.
Sewing trousers is often a bit tough, so if you're sewing by hand, a thimble can be very useful. I really like the leather ones from Clover. I only have them in size M. Prym has many sizes of their ergonomic thimbles, so you'll find more options there. We'll come back to palm thimbles later in the post.
When repairing jeans and trousers, the first question to ask yourself is perhaps whether you want a visible or invisible repair, and whether it should be done by hand or with a sewing machine, or a combination.
Here are some different variations of repairs, with product links and short explanations. More detailed explanations of how everything is used can be found in the product descriptions!
Invisible Repair:
Needs:
- Pre-washed fabric patch of similar weight/thickness/firmness to the jeans
- Sewing machine with a denim needle or a slightly thick universal needle
- Sewing thread in a color that matches the jeans, preferably a couple of different shades
Nice to have:
By placing a patch on the inside and sewing over with matching thread in the same grain direction as the trousers, you can achieve almost invisible repairs! Make sure to use a fairly large patch; the fabric is often worn far beyond the hole! Sew closest over the hole, and with more distance to secure the patch for reinforcement around it. Vliesofix or a glue pen can be easier than pins to ensure everything lies flat and you don't get puckering when sewing.
Visible Repair with Sewing Machine:
Needs:
- Pre-washed fabric for an inside or outside patch; here you can play with patterns, colors, and textures if you wish!
- Sewing machine with a denim needle or a slightly thick universal needle.
- Sewing machine thread
- Vliesofix or glue pen
- Marking pencil
- Iron
The method is similar to an invisible repair, but instead of covering the hole with stitches, you can, for example, trim it neatly and attach a patch with a decorative motif underneath, which you sew on with regular sewing thread in a large area around the hole, and then hem the raw edges with a zigzag stitch, for instance, with a topstitch thread.
Patches can also be attached to the outside. Use your imagination! Create patterns with the sewing thread, like a form of quilting, for example. If you have the option of using a darning foot on your sewing machine, you can "draw" a motif with sewing thread where you attach the patch.
In that case, it can be useful to have various types of marking pencils! On jeans, this white pencil from Clover works very well.
VISIBLE REPAIR BY HAND
With embroidery
- Chenille needles
- Embroidery floss
- Fabric patch
Nice to have:
An example of such a repair with a video of various stitches can be found here.
Sashiko-inspired
Needs:
- Sashiko needle
- Sashiko thread
- Pre-washed patch
Nice to have:
- Marking pencil or similar (tracing wheel with carbon paper for example)
- Glue pen
- Safety pins
- Palm thimble
Sashiko is traditionally from Japan and consists of long stretches of stitches that build up into various geometric patterns.
Sashiko needles are extra sharp and long so you can sew long stretches with small stitches at a time. You usually sew from the inside of the garment, so you can make the marking with something that won't wash away, although it's convenient if it does.
Draw the lines/pattern you want to sew on a piece of fabric and baste that piece of fabric to the inside, or secure with a safety pin.
A glue pen is also an option, and it's also useful when sewing from the inside, as you can glue down loose threads and make everything flat and compact, making it easier to catch loose threads and edges. Of course, you can also trim edges and sew some overcast stitches around the edges or other things. One of the things that can be extra nice with sashiko is to sew the patterns, or simply lines, and keep raw edges as they are, which maintains the worn aesthetic of the trousers but makes them more durable!
You can easily sew without a palm thimble, with "regular" basting stitches of a slightly small size, but if you want to learn the technique a bit more properly, the "unshin" method is used, and then you need such a thimble. You support the butt of the needle in your palm and push with your palm more than with your fingers. The technique is very fast and efficient once you've practiced a bit.
Check out Sashi.co's videos on YouTube to learn more!
Most traditionally and widely, white thread is used, but now they come in all possible colors, even multicolored!
Hybrid repair with aids!
If it's difficult to get started and know what to do, perhaps the easiest method to begin is to try out mending transfers from Wren Bird Arts.
You need:
Nice to have:
Mending transfers are like water-soluble "stickers" with drawn lines you can follow. Once you've finished sewing, simply soak and rinse them, and the mark disappears, leaving only the stitches behind.
Here you can use embroidery floss or sashiko thread. It might be a good idea to wash the jeans in a washing machine to ensure all the glue is gone, at least before you eventually iron the jeans!
For these repairs, you also attach a patch to the back.
Keep the hole visible with a patch behind it, or cover it with embroidery or an iron-on patch!
In this Instagram post, you can see some iron-on patches and multicolored threads that work well with the iron-on patches if you want to try that out! If you're going to embroider or use an iron-on patch, it's useful to be able to draw a motif or the outline of the iron-on patch and avoid sewing there with the thread you use to attach the patch on the inside for reinforcement. I recommend sewing the iron-on patches firmly (preferably by machine) if you have the option, as they will hold better.
Sashiko Stencils:
With these stencils, you have 9 different designs available!
Clover's white pen works well for marking on the stencil :) If you're repairing LARGE areas, I would rather buy the book The Ultimate Sashiko Sourcebook and draw patterns myself with a ruler and circles, etc., but for small areas, stencils are handy, as you don't need to learn how the patterns are constructed and can start without much preparation. However, since you draw one dot/stitch at a time, it's time-consuming for large areas; long lines are faster.
If you want to make simpler sashiko-inspired repairs yourself, the book Mending Matters is also great; it focuses specifically on repairing jeans by hand. (In the link, there's a video where I flip through the book!)
Sashiko Mending Patches
In the online store, you'll find patches with pre-printed patterns, as patches, by the meter, and sets for coasters. All can be used to practice sashiko, or as actual patches inside or outside the clothes you need to fix.
Briefly about the differences between embroidery floss and sashiko thread:
Both are made of cotton. Embroidery floss can be split into thinner strands; sashiko thread cannot and should be used as is. Embroidery floss is shiny, sashiko thread is matte. Embroidery floss lays more "on top of" the fabric, while sashiko thread sinks more into the fabric and looks more like a print or brocade, at least as it's used and washed. You can think of embroidery floss as suitable for more "decorating" and embellishing, while sashiko thread is also decorative but in a slightly more relaxed way. It can be useful for everyday clothes, but also other items like suits and dresses/gowns in wool and linen where you want something visible but still matte, like the fabric itself.
Extra tip:
If you are repairing under pockets, right next to seams, inside of the crotch, belt loops, etc., it is always an advantage to unpick the seams. This makes it easier to access with reinforcement patches and create a "flat" repair of that part of the garment, and then sew it all back together when the fabric is repaired and reinforced.
EQUIPMENT SUMMARY:
Most useful/necessary
- Seam Ripper
- Sashiko needle
- Sashiko thread or embroidery floss/stranded cotton
- Patches (you can sacrifice one garment to be patches for the others)
- Thimble:
Nice to have:
Fun/easier to get started:
Threads and needles for sewing machines are not yet for sale in the online store, but they will be available eventually!
Hope this was useful! You might have more questions than before you read it, but I hope you've gained some overview of all the exciting possibilities for jeans repairs!