Denim Repair

[Spiraltoy]

My UES 400t has held up really well (a part of it might be bacause they’re the first pair where I wasn’t afraid to throw them in the washing machine) but today I noticed this:

I usually mend with indigo Sashiko thread but for this I’d like to match the original thread color. Does anyone know where I can find good thread online and maybe what color and thickness UES use?

Edited May 27, 2020 by Spiraltoy

[MJF9]

They look great Spiraltoy. Would be good to see more. Sorry I can't help with the thread.

[lance]

Yeah Spiraltoy, evo looks good!  Question, where do you find the indigo sashiko thread? thanks

Edited November 5, 2017 by lance

[Spiraltoy]

34 minutes ago, MJF9 said:

They look great Spiraltoy. Would be good to see more. Sorry I can't help with the thread.

Thanks @MJF9 I’ll try to get some pics up in the UES thread.

 

26 minutes ago, lance said:

Yeah Spiraltoy, evo looks good!  Question, where do you find the indigo sashiko thread? thanks

Got some in a indigo specialty store (can’t remember the name) and some in a huge department store, both of which are in Tokyo. I have 4 shades of indigo and one white roll. If you aren’t in Tokyo you can find some that look good on Etsy.

[lance]

Thanks Spiraltoy, I’ll give Etsy a try

edit: well, I placed my first order on Etsy - 5 colors, 50 meters each various shades of natural indigo - will see what happens. Thanks again, Spiraltoy

Edited November 5, 2017 by lance

[Spiraltoy]

So, found a store based in Tokyo on Etsy for my broken thread problem above. https://www.etsy.com/se-en/listing/477688249/cotton-thread-for-vintage-jeans-making

Ordered today. 3 colours. Cheap shipping. It says that “It's become yellow by repeated washing.” which sounds good. Fingers crossed that I can match the thread colour  and thickness UES uses.

[not too tight]

ive heard of that color thread being called pigskin and the yellow stitching commonly used referred as lemon. I know A & E makes the big thread spools for machines not sure where to pick up a small amount of it.

[chantheman]

45rpm Jormon denim under PBJ denim

[chantheman]

anyone ever fix either of these tears before?

[chicote]

yea, i would turn em inside out for both. should be pretty straightforward if you can follow the existing stitching, particularly on the pocket. for the outseam i would fold the two selvedge edges together and then run a straight stitch down the leg where the seam tore. for the pocket i would straight stitch the inside seam first, from the bottom up, using the rivet as a placeholder (no need for pins i think). [as an aside, interesting that the rivet is so far below the pocket's top edge!]

[chantheman]

some pics of my 2000 no.1.

had the back pockets repaired by IndigoProof since i didnt want the arc's messed with.

crotch repair and top button hole replaced by my grandmother.

[lance]

Jeans and repairs look good, chantheman, + rep for granny!

[Spiraltoy]

Got the thread I ordered from Citron on Etsy. Fixed the yoke. Not my best job but it’ll work. A few posts up is the before pic. Super happy about the tread though. 

[cheapmuthafukr]

[crownzip]

Here's a couple of old school patches on a pair of 1930's N&W brand overalls. Cool to see the care and attention paid to work clothes to extend the life of them.

[dggsf]

Another hole appeared in the rear pocket in my jeans. I usually repair the jeans myself, but there are two problems now. First, not only the pocket has a hole but the fabric below it too. Second, I mended the pocket already once before, by hand stitching a patch behind the hole. But the fabric of the patch puts more wear on the fabric and is now destroying the stitching pattern on the pocket. I don't like that, because the pattern is an important part of the design.

What would be the best way to repair this?

[FreeCharlesManson]

the wear on those jeans is intense

[Niro]

yea @dggsf could you post pictures of those jeans please. Would be good to see

[dggsf]

@FreeCharlesManson Yeah I know. Hey, didn't you reply when I posted some photos two years ago? Those were the same jeans and I still wear them regularly. Of course they have been falling apart even more since then, but I just can't part with them.

@Niro Sure! Here are some pics. I should really repair the back pocket to keep the shape intact.

And here is a detail from the whiskers at the front. Of course whiskers generally become more and more beautiful with increasing wear.

But only up to the point where they tear apart. A repair makes the whiskering invisible and makes the fabric more rigid, which prevents the creasing that creates whiskers in the first place. The photo shows one such repaired spot - a pity. The rest of the whiskers are already showing signs of damage too, but I hope I can still enjoy them for a while.

 

 

[FreeCharlesManson]

22 hours ago, dggsf said:

@FreeCharlesManson Yeah I know. Hey, didn't you reply when I posted some photos two years ago? Those were the same jeans and I still wear them regularly. Of course they have been falling apart even more since then, but I just can't part with them.

probably i definitely remember seeing these jeans a while ago. crazy that these jeans are still alive after all they've been through

[Spiraltoy]

The TCB 60s I’m wearing for DWC2 needed some TLC where my phone was eating through the pocket bag.

 

Attached an antique Japanese indigo dyed fabric with indigo dyed sashiko thread.

Flipped it up and sowed another row.

Selvedge on the left so just one row of stitches there. Finished. Some extra fading potential that just me (and you guys) will see.

Edited February 24, 2018 by Spiraltoy

[satchelbmoore]

A little repair on some children's Levi's and a serious repair on some shredded Imogene + willies. See @scienceandkindness for lots more pics or emails [email protected] to get your jeans and stuff fixed: Turn around is usually about a week. Priced in this stratosphere. 

 

 

 

[Spiraltoy]

YMC (senforized denim from an undisclosed Japanese mill). Mended A LOT since I made them to shorts. 

 

Some intense puckering at the pockets.

Edited August 1, 2018 by Spiraltoy

[Cold Summer]

I can't believe how dead this thread is... anybody have interesting repairs done lately?

I had front and back pocket stitching coming loose on my Full Count 1108 and Flat Head 3005, so my wife suggested I have her mother (who has sewing machine experience) reinforce it. She did a great job, I'll get some pics soon.

I rarely have issues with holes or tears, but stitching loves to come randomly undone on my jeans.

[rockon99]

2 hours ago, Cold Summer said:

anybody have interesting repairs done lately?

Yes

My first sashiko repair. It’s crude but it’s mine! This is kakishibu sashiko thread. I blanket stitched the inside of the hole, then attached a piece of slightly stretchy J Crew selvedge denim inside. I had thrifted the J Crew pants, and they’re on their way to becoming jorts. 

 

edit: I plan to expand this pattern so it’s not so uniformly aligned with the patches. I also have some undyed sashiko thread for the knee, and the other thigh maybe in a different, more complicated pattern. These jeans are too big for me, and they’re becoming a practice project at this point. 

Edited February 19, 2020 by rockon99

[lance]

Mason’s fatigues, I’ve had em forever, they were actually OD green at one time. Hand stitching to repair blown out rear seam, “Sashiko” repair to reinforce bleach stain. Not pretty but effective!

 

[MJF9]

^ properly worn!

[Hermit]

I had new pockets done on my warehouse 800’s by indigo proof. Rain does some very nice work!

[Spiraltoy]

One of the knees on my TSL where developing a hole som I did a spot of mending. Using the fabric left over after hemming. Folded under the corners for a change. Used indigo dyed sashiko thread. Sorry about the picture quality.

[redragon]

Repaired back pocket of the Evisu, a fun mini project.

Before

After