Patching Jeans

Everyone has those favourite jeans that they like to wear the most and in my husband's case they are much worn and patched.  He has other pairs we are not short of things to wear it is just that he likes the fit of this particular pair and when he bought them they already had that distressed look with a couple of strategic mock patch areas.   The trouble with that feature is it has usually been stressed during manufacturing to get it just the right shade in certain areas, these areas are then of course weak and will not last under any strain.  That is what has happened with these, this will be the third time I have patched these and today I did three areas.  It is worth doing though as once they are done and ironed the effect is only the same as on the ones you buy in the shops.

This is where the legs off old discarded pairs of jeans come in handy, they don't have to be the same colour as it is going underneath.  Sometimes I use the right side of the fabric and sometimes the reverse.   The first job is to undo the seam down the side, I find it is just so much quicker to do this than try and force a large area of leg under the machine.

 It will be a quick job to just run that back in again it is only a straight seem after all.

Next I cut the piece of scrap denim a bit bigger than the area that is damaged and pin that in  place.

I used the wrong side of this fabric as it was a bit darker.

I then make sure that the hole is together and lying flat then I stitch forwards then reverse using a straight stitch, the effect you get is random criss cross, I concentrate more on the areas where the fabric comes together but up to the edge of the patch underneath.   The threads you can see in this image are just places where I moved it back by hand to line it up again, they are trimmed off afterwards.

Then when all the patches are complete just turn it through to the wrong side and sew the seams.

This is a finished patch near the pocket, I used a light blue cotton to go with the denim but you see some jeans where a contrast has been used to make the patched area stand out.  I think I prefer it less visible. 

Does anyone else have different ways of doing this?  Do you like to see the patches or make them blend in? Let me know in the comments section, I always enjoy reading the comments.

Sewing Goals and Fixing Sewing Errors

So far this year I have made a number of things and two of them were on my to-do  list from the start of the year.  I wanted to make a tie neck blouse and you can view that here and also a shirt dress that can be seen in this post here. I still have to make a fitted cardigan and some straight cut trousers but that is just a case of seeing just the right fabric for those two items.

I don't usually set myself any sewing goals as so many things just come up throughout the year, I am often just taken by something I see and then I want to create my own version of it. If I make lists I find that can be limiting but I know some people love them and this is how they function.  Saying that it is a good idea to know where you are heading but I always like to bear in mind that diversions happen and that is ok.

Sometimes those diversions can create design features that never occurred to you before.  I have made lots of clothes in the past where something went a little bit wrong or there was not quite enough fabric (because I buy the skimpiest amount in the name of economy!).  This is not the end of the road for a project, it make me sad when I read that someone has discarded a garment because they hit a little bump.  I know it can be hard when you have invested time in it but just set it aside and have a little think, jot down any ideas and come back to it with a clear head.

When I started to make my red sweatshirt I knew what I wanted but there wasn't enough fabric so I decided to split the sleeve into two halves with piping at the elbow to give it a feature.
Here it is here

There are lots of ways you can save a garment...

• You can change change the length of the sleeve if that is where the mistake happened.
• You can remove the sleeve or add detail to cover or join another piece.
• Binding can be added to necklines or changing the shape can help.
• Add a contrasting hem or panel if  the garment is too short.
• Strategic pockets may hide a rip or tear, or perhaps an applique.
• Godets can give fullness to a tight skirt, lots of colour options there.
• Contrasting side panels can save a tight skirt.
• If you run out of buttons - make them all odd so it is a feature.
• Experiment with darts, in the right places they make everything fit.

So if there is any problem there I haven't addressed leave me a comment and I will answer you, usually the only real reason I don't wear an item is because I decide the fabric doesn't suit me.  There is not really a lot I can do about that but you get better at choosing over the years.  Now I just make the odd blunder.

Quick Bunting

This post is going to be not only quick bunting but a quick post, I have just sat down from being on the go all day and I want to watch the last episode  Money Heist, it has been really good, it is a Spanish drama that we have been watching on Netflix and I love world television.  There is always something different.

After tea I made up the dust sheets that are going to cover the large open cupboards at work, nothing flash just a channel and a hem, I will put net wire at the top.  I then made a bunting using some scrap fabric and a long length of ribbon I bought for this purpose, it was quite difficult trying to cut with my pinking shears as the handle has snapped!  A gift to myself needed there I think.

I just hung it there to show, I actually made two , one for each side of the room.

Hopefully it will stop the dust sheets looking so bland, the biggest job was ironing the dust sheets as they were full of wrinkles they look a lot better now and I have tried to roll and fold them.  I have a feeling the will be the same again by the time I get to work tomorrow.

So that is it for today, I'm going to have a hot drink and watch the drama, bye for now.