mending our clothes...do you?

Yep I mend everything I love, or turn it into something I love. unless the item is just too worn out or stained, etc.
Woolens I darn, cottons and linens I patch creatively, sheets etc I will patch w larger patches of same color fabric but maybe a different texture.

If I really dislike something and the fabric isn’t particularly special or good quality, I’ll compost, donate, or chuck it. I don’t have synthetics so it can all be composted except the metal parts which I cut out.

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

A comfortable pair of trousers often become more loved, the more worn they become. When they are ready to repair again, you could use some complimentary fabric, and sew in a complete inseam piece like these jodhpurs. On the inside you could add a patch that's diamond shape to eliminate the thick seams that meet at the crotch if you like as well. I've done this to trousers I've had that I went cycling in! A diamond inside and out to sandwich the crotch area with a little more give and a lot more comfort!

One of the hardest things about mending, is when I see a large area that has "thinned" and has "multiple small holes" on a shirt that seems to have lots of wear left elsewhere. Do I say to heck with it and patch it with whatever fabric that's to hand and let ugly be the statement? Or do I take the time to do my most recent repair?

I carefully removed a strip from the bottom fronts - right and left side - of Hubby's button shirt. I hemmed the front panels with a skinny hem. I unpicked the old hem on the strips, ironed them flat, and sewed them together, lining up the plaid as best I could. I then had about 6" wide strip that I could cover over the whole thin area on the back of the shirt that more or less matched - at least in one direction.

If anyone looks, they'll see the mend, but it actually blended in quite well. I did downgrade the shirt to a "farm shirt", but at least if he decided to do a few quick errands he won't look like he can't afford clothing.

Sometimes appearances are worth a little creativity and effort!

I've seen repairs for items like that, where the entire damaged panel is removed and replaced with a contrasting fabric, to create a whole new look and life for the piece. I'll see if I can find pictures, somewhere...

Of course, now I can't find the specific one I was thinking of (they removed the front panels, used them as a pattern, made new ones, and sewed them back in), but I did find this:

Jay Angler wrote:One of the hardest things about mending, is when I see a large area that has "thinned"

oh man, my favorite pair of jeans has done this at the knees. i have another pair of jeans that i'm going to sashiko the seat, but this one i'm just not sure what to do. they're black, and i was thinking of doing a black panel underneath with black sashiko, but... they're really stretchy and soft fabric and i'm thinking the panel (or a new panel) is going to hang weird.

I think your solution about downgrading to farm shirt (pants) is probably a good solution.

I was given a used coat for farm use. Trouble was that the sleeves were just too long for me.

It took me a while, but I realized eventually that the easy way to fix the problem was to cut them *above* the cuff, take out a chunk of both the outer fabric and the lining, then sew them back together.





No more orangutan arms for me!

When I'm wearing it, it is hard to even see the extra seam.

Jay, you did a fantastic job!
This adjustment can also be done successfully by doubling up the material around the elbows(thereby shortening the sleeves): undo the side seam a bit and do the easement there if necessary, then it's like elbow patches. If there is lining you can remove some in the inner elbow.
Ditto for pants
Since arms and legs can be tapered, sometimes this won't work, but the less tapering the easier.

so Tuesday Mr Okava plays soccer and if I don't need to work, it's my craft night.
Last night I made a repair that was way overdue. I buy most of my clothes at used clothing shops or at salvage-type stores when I travel (I'm thrilled to see Ocean State Job Lot has spread beyond RI/MA). Neither type of store has fitting rooms, and I occasionally get fuzzy about US sizing, so sometimes mistakes are made!
These were a Job Lot find-- the price was fabulous, these pants are heavy duty and full of pockets (men's pants, obviously), perfect for garden work.
The problem is, they're short. Before I could wear them down low on my hips and it wasn't as bad, but I've recently lost some weight and now need to wear a belt with the pants at my waist, and they stop practically mid-calf. Beside the odd look, my garden is full of insects and stinging plants and it's just a bad situation.

Someone here posted a brilliant repair a few pages back (I want to say involving a John Deere logo) and I figured I'd do the same. The cuffs came off a pair of my husband's trashed workshop pants (he destroys the pockets and the front of the thighs, so the cuffs are usually fine), I just eyeballed everything since these are garden pants and don't need to pass the wear-in-public test. These pants are such an odd color anyway (and have been perma-stained by the red clay in my garden, so even clean they look kind of ratty) that appearances are really the last priority.
I'm thrilled, it was such an easy solution, took me maybe 20 minutes, the biting flies that especially attack feet and legs will have to look elsewhere from now on!

Looks OK to me Teresa! I supposed if you needed a more subtle fix then you could cut just above the knee and insert a tube of fabric of a slight contrast - go for a double thickness front or a pocket for knee padding. I have several pairs of walking trounsers that have seams above and below the knee. I used to have one pair that zipped into shorts, but I think they are long deceased...

"with dog for scale" 😂

Nancy Reading wrote: you could cut just above the knee and insert a tube of fabric of a slight contrast - go for a double thickness front or a pocket for knee padding.

this is a great idea. this pair of pants is constructed in an interesting way, the front panel of the leg is one piece but the back is separated into two panels that meet just behind the knee. I thought about extending it there, but decided to just take the easy way out at the bottom specifically in case I later want to take these pants apart and give them a double knee.
(yes, I have a five-year plan for this pair of pants. I REALLY like them.)