mend dem jeans

It happened. The moment had finally come when Caleb's favorite pair of jeans ripped in the knee. For me, I was initially thinking this would be a great opportunity to go shopping with him for a new pair. It was quite a large rip. But then, unexpectedly, he asks me if I can somehow repair them. He who does not care for clothing whatsoever, surprised me with his affectionate bond with this particular item of clothing. And believe me, I was very much surprised, but I jumped at the opportunity to learn a new sewing trick. Once again, I pored over the internet looking for different methods. I personally didn't want to use a patch. This pair of jeans is gray in color and so it would be difficult to match. And this is just me, but patches aren't my favorite look. Some are nicely done, but I would rather try to mend his jeans so that you barely notice it. I found just the article I had been looking for. And guess what? It was written by a guy who is always mending his own jeans. Cool huh?

How To - A Simple Guide to DIY Denim Repairs  

In order to understand the instructions above you need to be familiar with Warp, Weft, and Twill. He suggests to read the article below first.

Understanding Raw Denim: Warp, Weft, and Twill

In all honesty, this will take time to read, but once you get the concepts down, it will save you money in mending your jeans. This method is not a quick fix like an iron on patch. You mend the actual tear in the fabric. In my opinion, it also looks cleaner and not as grungy. The gentleman also gives tips on how to spot minute tears before they get too big. Following his tips can really make our jeans last a lot longer. I love buying new jeans, but just like everybody else, I've got a budget too. 

You can just barely see the stitching on the knee. It was a long rip. Sorry I didn't take any photos before. I also did some mending around the pocket area. 

  

These are my jeans. I was devastated when I saw small tears at the knees. So they definitely got mended.

You basically use your sewing machine and buy matching thread. The article I'm referencing gives really good step-by-step instructions. For being a novice seamstress, I thought it was an excellent article and help.

So go mend dem jeans!

Happy Sewing,

Jessie