The crotch of the jeans is the point of the trousers that can suffer most often from tears and cuts, small and large, being subject to a lot of effort. Breaks, such as holes in the area between the thighs and unstitching at the worst times, often happen in this area. Instead of giving up and throwing a damaged pair of jeans in the trash, read these guidelines to learn how to repair any damage; for a small tear, all you need to do is stitch the flaps together, while a larger opening will need to be patched up. Don't worry about your needle and thread skills, you will definitely be able to fix your favorite pants!
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Hand Mending a Small Hole or a Rip
Step 1. Cut and remove any hanging threads from the damaged area
You can fix smaller holes without a patch by simply stitching the edges of the cut or hole together. Before starting you should use a sewing scissor to make the edge of the break clearer, so that there is no longer any protruding thread, which would only hinder you; But be careful not to aggravate the damage by making the opening larger than it was at the beginning!
Cut only the unstitched threads, not the fabric of the jeans
Step 2. Pull the thread through the needle and knot it correctly
If you tie a knot at the bottom of the thread, it will lock into the jeans like an anchor as soon as you start sewing; Also, having to continually stop to put the thread back into the needle would be downright frustrating, so make sure you tighten the knot.
Step 3. Sew the edges of the hole to prevent them from reopening
Strengthen the ends of the damaged area with a few stitches, tightening them well; be careful not to go too close to the edge, otherwise you will only loosen the fabric further. This step is optional, but it will help prevent the edges from fraying and will also increase the strength of your memory.
A blanket stitch or buttonhole stitches are two great techniques you can use
Step 4. Close the hole in the fabric
Pull and hold the denim in place, so that the cut is almost completely closed, then sew vertically through the rip to close it (you may need to make more passes to get a tight and solid darning). Start sewing 1.5 cm from one side of the opening and continue the same distance beyond the opposite side.
- After sewing the widest point of the tear, gradually reduce the stitches.
- Pull the sewing thread tightly, knot it and cut the leading edge to avoid hanging ends.
- Start sewing the cross stitches at least 1.5 cm further back than the ones you used to reinforce the edges.
- You can also use a sewing machine but, at least for smaller holes, it will be easier to proceed by hand.
Method 2 of 5: Mending a Small Hole or a Tear with the Sewing Machine
Step 1. Eliminate hanging threads
As for the hand mending, also in this case the first thing to do is to make the hole or the tear more clear, carefully cutting all the unnecessary threads, trying to obtain the maximum possible precision.
Step 2. Wind the sewing machine bobbin
Preparing this tool can be a little tricky, as it uses threads from two different sources, namely the spool and the spool. The first thing to do is to load the first of the two, until it is well wrapped by the thread: place one and the other on top of the machine, take a few centimeters of thread from the left end of the spool and pass it around the ring on the left side of the appliance.
- Next, bring this thread to the bobbin, pass it through the small hole first, and then twist it around the bobbin to secure it.
- Lock the bobbin in place by pushing it to the right and pressing the pedal lightly to wind the bobbin thread around it until it is sufficiently charged.
- Cut the thread and separate the bobbin and bobbin, then pull the bobbin out and turn off the sewing machine.
Step 3. Place the spool thread
Take the end of the sewing thread and pull it to the left, as before; this time however you will have to bring it down, up to the needle: pass it through the hook at the top and let it go down through the groove to the right side of the needle, then bring it back up, then around the hook and finally back down into the channel of left.
- Thread the needle by first passing through the rings in front of and beside the needle, and then hook the thread to it.
- You will likely find arrows or other markings that will help you on the body of your sewing machine.
- Almost all machines follow the same procedure just described.
Step 4. Bring the bobbin thread to the needle
You have threaded the needle with the spool thread and now you will have to do it with the one coming from the spool at the bottom: open the part under the needle to have access to the spool holder and mount the previously prepared spool in its place; take out a few centimeters of thread and then close the door.
- To get the thread up to the work surface, slowly lower the needle using the knob while holding the spool thread with your other hand.
- Bring the needle back up, gently pull the bobbin thread and check if you see the bobbin thread coming out.
Step 5. Reinforce the edges of the tear with a zigzag seam
Make sure that the center of the seam matches the torn edge (so that half of the stitch passes into the fabric, while the other part seals it passing outwards); run through all ruined edges to reinforce them and prevent further damage. Some machines also have a buttonhole setting, which will be great for this purpose.
Step 6. Close the hole by sewing it sideways
Bring the two opposite sides as close as possible using your hands and, when they are in the right position, hold them still and slip the jeans under the sewing machine needle, making it work from side to side and thus repairing the damaged stitch. As with the manual method, start and end stitches at least 1.5cm away from the edge of the cut, for both edges.
- If you reinforced the damaged ends first, start the new topstitch 1.5 cm back to avoid pulling out the previous seam.
- If the hole is in a difficult or inconvenient place to reach, moving the jeans correctly in the sewing machine will be quite difficult, so it may be advisable to repair the pants by hand.
Method 3 of 5: Paste a Patch
Step 1. Eliminate the messy threads around the hole
Gluing a patch is an excellent idea for those who do not want to use needle and thread, or for those who want to perform an ultra-fast repair: for example, it is a good solution for work jeans, whose aesthetics are not as important as functionality. As with the other techniques, the first thing to do is to cut all the damaged threads, to obtain sharper and more defined edges to work on.
Step 2. Cut out a piece to make it the right size
Turn the pants inside out and take the size of a piece of fabric from an old pair of jeans, or any other fabric of your choice. Make sure the patch is larger than the hole so that you have some space to apply the glue to.
You can also buy new patches instead of reusing old fabrics
Step 3. Apply patch glue to the chosen fabric
It would be better to follow the specific instructions on the package, but generally you have to pour the adhesive on the edges of the patch, making sure that it does not end up on parts that will later be visible. When finished, press the patch over the hole to secure it in place.
Different types of glue will have more or less long drying times, but in any case a few hours of rest should be sufficient
Method 4 of 5: Ironing a Patch
Step 1. Prepare the area to be patched
Another simple alternative to seams are iron-on patches. As always, start by cleaning the edges of the tear, then turn the jeans inside out and prepare the piece you want to glue: measure and cut it out, leaving at least 1.5 cm more around the hole.
- You can measure by eye, but using a tape measure you will be sure not to over-trim the patch and risk having to throw it away because it is too small.
- To prevent the darning from coming off, round the corners with scissors.
Step 2. Place a piece of recycled fabric on the other side of the opening
Whether you want to glue the patch on the inside or outside it makes no difference, a piece of old denim placed on the opposite side will prevent the adhesive from sticking to the wrong places on the pants, risking sticking two sides together: in this case the jeans would become impossible to wear, and trying to detach them could cause further damage.
Step 3. Iron the patch
Heat the iron, place the patch correctly and iron it; the time and number of steps required depends on the specific model, so read the instructions carefully and follow them precisely (usually it takes 30-60 seconds).
Once finished, simply peel off the salvaged fabric on the other side of the patch and you will have jeans ready to use again
Method 5 of 5: Sew a Patch to a Large Hole
Step 1. Find a suitable patch or fabric
Sewing a patch is the safest, but also the longest, method of repairing a very large tear in the crotch of the jeans. You will need some basics on hand or machine sewing, but you will get a better looking and much more reliable result than adhesive patches. Start by finding a patch that fits the patch you need to do.
- If you want to apply it to the inside of the pants, choose a color similar to that of the jeans, so that the repair is not too noticeable.
- You can indulge yourself with colors, if you prefer a more jaunty look.
- Make sure that the fabric of the patch is not stiffer than that of the pants because, if it did not have a bit of elasticity, during the movements it would end up tearing the seams with which you will fix it.
Step 2. Cut out the patch fabric to be at least 1.5 cm larger than the hole in each direction
If it has a well-defined texture (like denim), cut across or diagonally: cutting along the texture will only fray the edges.
Step 3. Lay the pants flat, lay the patch in place and pin it temporarily
Make sure that the surface does not have looser or too tense points, otherwise you will get an irregular and already stressed mending; Unless you want a colorful mending, tuck the patch inside the jeans, which you won't have to flip over.
Another possibility is to use a self-adhesive patch: instead of pins you can iron it and then reinforce it with seams
Step 4. Secure the patch with the sewing machine
Follow the perimeter of the hole, removing the pins as you go, and avoid going too close to the edges to prevent the underlying fabric from weakening. Use zigzag stitches, or a straight topstitch adding a back and forth motion to still achieve an alternating gait.
Step 5. Alternatively, sew by hand
In this case, do some overedge stitches: start by pushing the needle into the patch near the edge, then bring it back into the fabric of the pants just beyond the piece and slightly forward of where you put it in before, obtaining a diagonal stitch; now pass it to the underside of the patch (near the edge and a little further), sewing another diagonal stitch in the face below.
- Continue until you have covered the entire perimeter with the diagonal stitches and then repeat the process in the opposite direction, obtaining points that intersect with the first ones: the result should look like a long line of X's.
- Be careful not to sew the two sides of the jeans together and make sure not to sew the pocket to the leg or crotch!
Step 6. Make a third pass along the edge if necessary
Now that the patch is secure, you can also sew closer to the edge of the tear for a more beautiful and further reinforced result. But be careful not to overdo it: too many seams could stiffen the fabric and make the pants uncomfortable to wear.
Step 7. Trim the frayed edges
At the end of the stitching, take some sewing scissors or scissors with a serrated blade and cut the excess material of the patch: if you leave the edges unfastened they could flutter, cause you itching or even get caught on other objects, weakening the seams you just made. Finally, smooth the stitches by ironing them and you will have completed the mending!
Warnings
- Wear tight shorts under your freshly repaired jeans to avoid embarrassing situations in case they break again!
- Pay attention to the pins - they are sharp and you could easily prick yourself!
- If this is your first time using your sewing machine, take your time.
