Mend jeans with these decorative patches
Hey y’all, this month I’m going to focus on sustainable sewing, including things like mending existing clothing. Today I’m sharing how to fix ripped jeans with visible mending and patches.
Ever since I shared the image above on Instagram, I’ve been getting requests to show how to do the hand sewing patches I added to these jeans. The machine sewn patches are covered in this post, and today I’m going to share how to sew the Sashiko style patches.
I’ve got a video below that you can watch to see how I stitched on these patches, which you can also watch on YouTube here if it won’t load below or you prefer.
To clarify the geometric stitching pattern I show in the video, I made the diagram below. To start, you sew horizontal lines, two the same and the third alternating the gaps/stitches. This is shown with blue/black stitches. Then you repeat the same pattern with vertical stitches, shown in red/green. The vertical and horizontal stitches combined make the third image.
So mend your jeans – wear them longer, and enjoy the character of jeans mended in layers.
Dianne
Great to see Sashiko embroidery patterns on your jeans. It is a wonderful way to embellish your “mending”. Thank you for taking the time to share this with us.
Jennifer
Thanks! Just subscribed to your channel. I appreciate the clear verbal and visual instructions. Too many videos have awkward camera angles that block the viewer’s ability to see exactly what is being done. The overhead angle is perfect.
Selma
Melly those are some mighty cute booties too! thank you for sharing, I was struggling on what to do with old jeans to upcycle them and jazz them up. I’m going to give my old Trapunto technique
a go on jeans too!
Mea Cadwell
I’ve been doing this for a couple of years now, using reverse applique. I have sashiko, leopard spots, peacock feathers and an antique rose on mine.