mending our clothes...do you?

Ellen, apparently, I got your butt, in addition to what I needed for my own, and though I'm on the high extreme of what's supposed to be 'petite' (5'4"), my legs are slightly longer than what's considered proportional, for my height. So, I typically need average, and sometimes even tall cuts, but John has very short legs, and struggles with finding jeans with a short enough inseam - and won't let me hem them. So, when I see him struggling with the hem torn, and trying to put his feet through the holes it creates, I just cut them off to just a hair above where the damage is. Still not allowed to hem them (I truly have no idea why), but the edges only fray a little, when I use the pinking shears, and it looks intentional, after a few washes - and they stop catching on everything, including his toes, lol.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/230690258/14yards-embroidery-broderie-anglaise

I'll probably post a picture later, but I used this material to extend the length on some denim shorts.  I am pretty sure no one would guess they didn't originally have this. Both sides of the material are equally nice just different shades of blue.

I'm not going for invisibility. I thought I'd play with sashiko or something a little.
I was thinking along the same lines as your suggestion of sewing a patch wrapped around the bottom of the leg, sewn inside and out. I guess if it's not too thick for your husband to use, I may as well give it a try.

The sad thing is this is the extended length.  The original hem was just a serged edge folded into a cuff.  After unfolding and French seaming the extension it added more than five inches.  

As a side note, it's funny how fast family members started bringing me more items to stitch when they saw me working on these.  

New year's resolution: get some of my mending done!
I mended the crotch seam on these nice work trousers and replaced the waistband button with a spare one.

Mended Trousers

Close up of seam stitching

I think the seams won't last long though, the fabric at the folds is wearing badly.

Nancy Reading wrote:I think the seams won't last long though, the fabric at the folds is wearing badly.

I recently made two patches for a friend's jeans to cover thin areas in the crotch. I find it's easier if I actually make patches sewn to mimic the original crotch fabric, and then I usually find it easier to hand sew them on, than "keyhole stitch" on my machine! If it's done with matching or complementary fabric, I've been able to make it look intentional enough that most people wouldn't think it was an add-on patch.

Two more trousers mended.

The first was some gardening trousers that had already been patched in the crotch once. I obviously didn't make the patch big enough, because the fabric failed again adjacent to the original patch - Two more patches make it good again.
I quite like the colourful effect....maybe I'm strange that way.


The second were nominally a 'good' pair to wear in the shop. They are a bit pale coloured and I'll probably have to retire them for staining soon. They're already on their second life having been worn previously by my husband. They have developed a frayed tear on the knee.


I found some similar coloured fabric and have made a discrete patch across the knee. Not really invisible, but reasonably tidy with hidden stiches.

Having a go at some visible mending of an old pair of jeans.

visible mending split seat

These have been patched already on the knees, and we (they are my husband's trousers) had a good think about whether these were worth mending or not. They had split badly across the seat. Most of the fabric was good however, and it was more that the "stitch that saved nine" was missed when these started ripping. I did make an additional reinforcing patch on the front where the fabric is wearing thin, and a tiny darn near the zip.

This is the back side of the patch:

seat patch wrong side

I haven't finished the patch material edges as yet, I'm not sure whether to bother - it will be easy enough to whip stitch the edge if I feel it neccessary. The material was from a pair of my old trousers, that were past repair. Slightly lighter in weight than the denim of the jeans, so shouldn't feel bulky against the skin.

I tried to catch the remaining threads in the hole with the running stitches (warp weft?) so that they are less likely to get caught and damaged again.

seat stitching detail - right side

Front additional split fix and reinforcing patch right side/wrong side:



Almost invisible darn near fly zip - it actually looks like it hasn't been darned! It was just a little hole, but I thought it might become a nuisance due to its location.

Hole darn

edited to add: One of the good things about the visible mending technique is that the colour of the thread isn't critical, so I took the opportunity to use up the last little bits of two or three old spools making more room in my sewing box.

Just yesterday I turned a long dress into a jumpsuit. I've always mended clothes. From school days I always had clothes that didn't quite fit so I got in the habit. I have made some tops, skirts and dresses and even purses from just needle and thread.

I recently bought fabric glue to repair my work boots.. first attempt lasted a couple days but work is rough on them and it did not hold so I put a larger patch over it using an old fabric glove...
then a couple days later I found some old boot scraps while cleaning the basement...exactly what I was saving it for. but didn't find it on time for the repair
hopefully the new patch holds

mostly my jeans get worn out on the front and the back is still in decent shape so one thing I am about to attempt is to glue (using that fabric glue(fabritac)) two backs together and sew in the zipper...we will see how it goes
my co workers think I am nuts because of the time involved in doing the repair when I could just go to a used clothing store and buy a pair

a nice neighbor at our work site just gave me a bunch of jeans and long underwear that belonged to her husband who died unfortunately .. but they are too nice to use as work clothes! they are my new sunday best!

This time I would like to give all the credit to my my by better half.  My better half,  Renee, was taught how to sew in 4H. Her instructor was an elderly lady down the road a few miles who taught a group of girls once a week at her kitchen table.  
    From what I've been told they started with a needle and thread and moved up to an old Singer sewing machine over the course of the summer.  Only when a person could do a step perfectly was the opportunity given to advance.  Over the course of 3 summers my better half was taught everything from how to thead a needle to making her own prom gown.
    Over the past 43 years Renee has mended and/made more of our family's clothing than I could ever have kept track of.  In my case most of it was repairing the clothing as I am not very careful of anything except my good clothes.
    Last summer I had the pleasure of seeing Renee teach 4H sewing at our dining room table.  It was one of the highlights of my life to be able to share that with my wife.  Many evenings were spent with me listening to how the class was progressing.  
    Little things like this are the reasons that Renee and I were able to buy our farm and put our children through college.  We lived within our means and tried to take care of our belongings.  I see those same values in many permies.  It is amazing to see how many of the topics of the permies forum teach. Even the ones requesting an opinion end up teaching with the way they are answered.  
Sincerely,  Jeff

Making an effort with my mending pile again, I tried out a new mending technique on an old sweater of my husband's. It is quite an old jumper, and as well as both sleeves wearing thin - with a tear near one cuff, there was a small hole in the front (not sure how that happened!). I didn't have anywhere near the right colour yarn, but used some alpaca/wool from a scarf that I had to shorten (also in the mending pile due to the dog having chewed it at one end...)
So I picked up some stiches under the hole, and knit a patch on the jumper, picking up stitches on either side - no sewing required! I like this technique!

knitted patch

I had some patches removed from a garment that was _really_ past mending which I used for the elbows along with another larger knitted on patch. This one doesn't sit so smoothly. The sleeve had got slightly distorted (at least that's my excuse!) and the hole was quite irregular. However the mending is functional and my husband is chuffed to have one of his favourite jumpers back in action again.

knitted and sewn on patches

Nancy Reading wrote: ... as well as both sleeves wearing thin - with a tear near one cuff...

May I make a polite suggestion (speaking from experience)? I would turn the sleeves inside out and do the same "re-knitting" technique you've just learned, to thicken the elbows on the inside. I patched #2 Son's shirt the way you did... only to have to do so again, as there was a reason it wore through the first time! The second time, I patched both the inside and the outside, and so far it's holding up.

Great tip Jay thank you! I was thinking as I was doing this that it would be a good idea to construct knitted garments with an extra layer in the wearing area. I'm sure it would make a lovely pair of hardwearing socks for example too.

Nancy Reading wrote:Great tip Jay thank you! I was thinking as I was doing this that it would be a good idea to construct knitted garments with an extra layer in the wearing area. I'm sure it would make a lovely pair of hardwearing socks for example too.

Roxanne Richardson has a tutorial for a reinforcing method in knitting. She explains it for socks (heels, toes), but you can use it for sweater elbows etc. too.

I’ve been on a mending kick lately. It makes me so happy to have all these items cared for and back in useful service.

I'm on another mending kick, too, for a couple reasons; it's been too hot & humid (I can handle hot much longer than hot with high humidity!), and, I can't think of any good reason to throw away clothes I love and buy new ones, if I can find a good way - visible or invisible, to mend them - even the $12 'beach cover up' that is so cute & comfy that I wear it (solo) around the house all summer, or as a tunic with leggings or capris, if I go out - and ALWAYS get compliments on it. (Pics later, if I remember, lol)

I’m not a sewer/sower/? But I do a lot of leather work including even hand made /hand stitched wearables. l have found dental floss to be the best mending thread ever. We use a fake senew in leather stitching, but its really just waxed multi-thread floss. Ive fixed holes in my jeans, stifch buttons on shirts. I even fixed a hole in my old MGB top. I keep a needle and floss with me all ghe time and do quick mends when the need arrises. My only zipper was a new install on a leather rifle case. I dont think i will do that again.

Just got through sewing my denim overalls, they always rip above the double knee area on my carhartts. They are too expensive not to sew up and repair. I found almost new sweat pants at an estate sale, super cheap, but about 4 inches too long, so I will cut and re- hem those too. Haven't learned to use a sewing machine yet so it's all done by hand for now.

Susan Boyce wrote: Haven't learned to use a sewing machine yet so it's all done by hand for now.

I grew up using a sewing machine but am learning to appreciate the things that are just as well done by hand. My hand sewing has improved a lot since I did start to treat it as a beneficial skill, rather than a poor alternative to the machine. Particularly when adjusting or mending, hand sewing rocks!

Randy Bachman wrote: I dont think i will do that again.

Did you baste it in first? For original applications, zippers are often the first or second step, then the rest of the garment/object is built around the zipper. Replacement zips are always a challenge for me, but I do it anyway because I feel it's worth getting the most life out of the garments.

Jay Angler wrote:

Randy Bachman wrote: I dont think i will do that again.

Did you baste it in first? For original applications, zippers are often the first or second step, then the rest of the garment/object is built around the zipper. Replacement zips are always a challenge for me, but I do it anyway because I feel it's worth getting the most life out of the garments.

I didnt baste it. Dont know what it is. But im going to look it up. Thanks

I grew up using a sewing machine but am learning to appreciate the things that are just as well done by hand. My hand sewing has improved a lot since I did start to treat it as a beneficial skill, rather than a poor alternative to the machine. Particularly when adjusting or mending, hand sewing rocks!

You are right Jay, we don't need to rely on electricity if we sew by hand and build our skills while we sew.

Inge  - you solved a mystery for me today..I have be searching through charity shops here in the UK looking for some quality fabrics and old clothing but there is nothing to be found.  I had no idea all the good stuff was going overseas. No wool jumpers/sweaters or even any natural fabrics.  Just the cheap throw-away fashion of recent years.  What a shame we are missing out.  I'm going to change tack and see if I have more luck in car boot sales or local jumble sales or yard/garage sales. Oh well, another good reason to get more resourceful  Sarah B


Can’t wait for the uk car boot season to start!

Shawn Foster wrote:I’ve been on a mending kick lately. It makes me so happy to have all these items cared for and back in useful service.

I love you photographs! Never heard of a ‘speedweave’ before. Looks great.
I recently bought a helmet lang leather coat from a second hand store - £15 because it was torn and very badly repaired. I bought leather glue and redid the repair. Very satisfying mornings work.

This may not be what Judith had in mind with this post, but yes I mend some of my clothes if using a Swing line "Tot" to staple a tear in a shirt sleeve counts.

I've also been known to make use of the always handy Duck Tape for some repairs too.

Deane Adams wrote:This may not be what Judith had in mind with this post, but yes I mend some of my clothes if using a Swing line "Tot" to staple a tear in a shirt sleeve counts.

I've also been known to make use of the always handy Duck Tape for some repairs too.

Anyway: it is still 'mending'. No matter how, it's better than throwing clothes away and buy new ones ...

Deane Adams wrote:This may not be what Judith had in mind with this post, but yes I mend some of my clothes if using a Swing line "Tot" to staple a tear in a shirt sleeve counts.

You can make a statement about it - remember punk? There is visible mending!


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