Mending Jeans with a Sew On Fabric Patch
Hey there! I’m here with an easy tutorial for how to patch the knees of your jeans using fabric. The steps require basic sewing knowledge, but if you don’t have a sewing machine, never fear! You can easily secure the patch in place by using embroidery thread to hand stitch the patch on. This method will also work for rips on other areas of your jeans.
I’ve had this pair of jeans forever, and I never liked how the knees were gaping open (especially in the winter - too much of a breeze!). I’m finally getting around to patching them up with some denim scrap fabric I have lying around. If you don’t have any extra denim, you can also use a similar thick and washable woven fabric like canvas, or even some cotton fabric doubled up.
Supplies
Sturdy and washable fabric (my patch is about 3 x 5 inches)
Sewing machine (If you don’t have one you can hand stitch the patch on with a needle)
Thread, color of your choice
Pins
Fabric scissors
Directions
Measure out the size that your patch needs to be. You can eyeball it or use a measuring tape.
Cut out the patch. Make sure you leave a few inches extra fabric on each side of the patch. I purposefully made my patch way to large to ensure coverage - I will trim it down after I sew it on.
Pin the patch in place. Run the patch into the pant leg and adjust it so that the torn gap is completely covered and the patch has extra fabric on all sides. Place pins all the way around, inserting them so that they point towards the tear - they will be easier to remove that way.
Choose the stitch type you want to use on your sewing machine. Since the stitch is exposed, I chose a fun zigzag stitch.
If you are patching knees you’ll need to do two things. First, remove the accessory bin from your machine. Next, roll up the leg on the knee you are stitching over and slide the leg over the plate until the knee area with the patch is under the needle.
Sew the patch onto your jeans. Sew the patch on around the edge of the tear backstitching to seal the stitch when you start and finish a line and removing the pins as you go. Careful not to sew over your pins, they could get bent or break the needle!
Don’t worry about it looking perfect. For this style of patch, I say the messier the stitch the better! I went back and forth in the corners of the tear and did a second stitch in some places to make sure the patch was sturdy.
Trim. Once you’ve got the patch completely sewn on, remove the leg from the sewing machine. Turn the leg inside out so the bottom of the patch is exposed. Trip around the seam line of the patch, leaving at least a half inch of extra fabric all the way around.
Turn the pant leg right side out and voila! You have much warmer jeans than you did five minutes ago!
-Jessie
