Mending Clothing

What is the first thing you do when your jeans get a hole? Do you toss them out and get a new pair or do you fix the hole? Most people do the first. It leads to a lot of textile waste. Good quality clothing can last you years, especially if you mend small holes.

My daughter had a pair of jeans with ripped knees. I could have cut the legs off to make shorts, but we just started winter and it's getting cold (Hello Texas weather). So I decided to fix the holes by adding patches.

I cut out pieces of scrap fabric to fit the holes and then cut off the loose strings.

I pinned the patch in place. Using contrasting embroidery thread and needle, I stitched up and down with the Japanese Sashiko visible mending style. There are various methods of patching up clothes, both visible and invisible. I really like the artistry of this method.

The other side I did something different, since the hole was a little bigger. I added a few french knots just for fun.

I also added a patch on the outside of one of Adrian's pants that had a rip. For these I used my sewing machine. Now I'm working on another pair. He seems to have a lot of ripped knee pants.

It's great to know that I was able to extend the life of some clothes that would have ended up in the landfill.

Next time your favorite piece of clothes gets a hole, consider mending it!