Denim Repair

[peter1]

On 2/23/2020 at 9:06 PM, Hermit said:

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

Question for you or any repair experts: I always blow out the pocket bag, because I'm a "hands in pocket" kind of guy, fiddling with cellphone etc...I have a couple of pairs of denim with total pocket failure, both at the bottom and at the top, where they attach to the denim. Have been dithering on whether to send them off for what is probably a pretty costly repair, with uncertain results. How are the pockets replaced? is the waistband chainstitch opened up, as well as the front seams? (Assuming that's the case). And what is a resonable price to pay? I'd probably pay no more than 50 euros but maybe that's way too low?

TIA

[Spiraltoy]

I’m not a constant fiddler like you @peter1 but all of my more worn pairs have holes from cellphones and keys. As with all holes, start as early as possible. As soon as you see a hole starting to appear that’s when you should mend. The longer you wait the more labour intensive the mend will be. Here’s some examples of how I’ve mended some.

At the beginning I mended as soon as a hole appeared but just that spot. Don’t do it. It just means you have to do it over and over like on these Flatheads:

 

it’s better to attach a big peace of fabric that swings around both front and back of the pocket like on these old YMCs:

Most resent attempt on my TCBs using anique sashiko thread.

The other pocket on the same pair where a dense linen fabric swings around.

 

Edited March 18, 2020 by Spiraltoy

[Maynard Friedman]

Or try something like this...

[lance]

or this

[peter1]

I’ve had my daughter repair the bottoms with canvas and her sewing machine, but it’s the complete separation from the denim at the attachment point that is the real problem...

[redragon]

Prevention for the imminent blowout on my current pair (FC)

Hope this is enough for the near future...

[redragon]

On 3/19/2020 at 12:24 AM, redragon said:

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

Before

After

Added small hand-darned.

(Not wearing this pair currently, really hope it will hold the stress when I get around to wearing it again)

[swiss-jeansfreak]

Such a powerful raw denim evolution and good job done here

[428CJ]

Stitching a chain stitch by hand for the outseam of this pair EU Lee 101 19 oz. 101Zs. I don’t have a sewing machine that can do a chain stitch, and I want it to match the factory stitching – not exactly, but at least somewhat. It’s my first time trying this. I don’t have it perfect, but the line is not drifting too much.

 

[lance]

Nice hand stitching, 428CJ, well done!

[Collin]

@428CJ Really nicely done. I'm super interested in how you proceed for the hand chain stitch ? I've searched quite a bit but never found the way to properly do a chainstitch by hand. I've found the embroidery chainstitch but it doesn't match the originally chain stitch. I've trier both method shown on the bottom but I'm not a fan of the result. I've never tried with a double thread tho. is it what you are doing ?

 

 

Shown on the bottom how a machine is doing the double locking chainstitch by a machine. Never tried it by hand tho.

 

 

I'm sewing my hem with back stitch and passing by the middle of the thread. 

Edited April 12, 2020 by Collin

[428CJ]

I'm doing it almost like the first pic. I come through the loop on the way through, like pictured. But I don't go back through the loop a second time before re-entering the same hole. Instead, I pass through the loop once, then tighten (but not super tight) the loop by pulling the thread back along the stitch line that I already completed. Then I pass the needle back through the same hole, and leave enough slack to make a loop. Then I make a straight stitch on the other side, and the whole thing starts over.

I'm not sure what it's called or how I came up with it. Probably by doing something wrong at some point, and continuing to do it the wrong way. But it seems to work, and like it might actually be pretty sturdy.

I thought about doing it with two threads using the same stitch that a machine does. But it seemed like it would be too cumbersome to manage and maintain reasonably consistent tension to the stitches.

Edited April 13, 2020 by 428CJ

[Double 0 Soul]

Good stuff!! i struggle to keep single stitch in a straight line.

@Collin there was a dude called @jyoni who hand chainstitched the hem of his jeans, i think it's in this very thread, you might find some addition help there.

[Collin]

@Double 0 Soul I've look the whole thread but couldn't find it. But by watching all @jyoni repairs, I think he would have done it with back stitch like I've did on a pair. The result is correct but nowhere an original hem. 

@428CJ Thanks for your description! I think the end result are the same as my first picture if I'm not mistaken ? But you use double thread which make your sewing looks more like a machine would. Anyway it really looks good. If you have the time to take a couple pictures to show how you exactly are doing it would be great  Hard to get it by text aha

 

 

Edited April 13, 2020 by Collin

[428CJ]

7 hours ago, Collin said:

@Double 0 Soul I've look the whole thread but couldn't find it. But by watching all @jyoni repairs, I think he would have done it with back stitch like I've did on a pair. The result is correct but nowhere an original hem. 

@428CJ Thanks for your description! I think the end result are the same as my first picture if I'm not mistaken ? But you use double thread which make your sewing looks more like a machine would. Anyway it really looks good. If you have the time to take a couple pictures to show how you exactly are doing it would be great  Hard to get it by text aha

 

 

Hello,

I am using a single needle. The results are different than normal, because the “chains” are tighter, and lean “backwards” along the line that has already been stitched.

[claes]

Made an attempt at sashiko on my Fullcount 1101’s. Not that pretty and I probably should have used a bigger patch or positioned it different as the fabric is quite thin above the stitch but I have a bunch of other old torn jeans to improve my skills on. Makes social distancing by staying home a bit more fun!

[lance]

Good lookin repair, chyllien; man, this is one cool thread!

[Thanks_M8]

Patched the left knee on the gbg dbs up. Fabric is from a pair of lee 101Zs.

[Duke Mantee]

Here’s my feeble attempt

[swiss-jeansfreak]

6 hours ago, Thanks_M8 said:

Patched the left knee on the gbg dbs up. Fabric is from a pair of lee 101Zs.

Wow your Lee jeans must have been still brand new, or was it from a hemming part?

[Thanks_M8]

^hem scraps I had laying around

[swiss-jeansfreak]

15 minutes ago, Thanks_M8 said:

^hem scraps I had laying around

Great to know so perfect use of a still new and strong denim fabric

[Thanks_M8]

https://www.thesewingdirectory.co.uk/jeans-knee-repair-technique/
This is also a great way to patch 'em up. 
Btw. @Broark how's that patched shirt coming along?

[Broark]

9 minutes ago, Thanks_M8 said:

Btw. @Broark how's that patched shirt coming along?

I think the repairs turned out pretty well actually, will get some photos up soon.

[julian-wolf]

One of the first things to go, on all of my jeans, is left front pocket opening

I don't mind fraying at the top, but once the pocket bag material starts to wear thin between the two rows of topstitching the pocket's in danger of pulling away—better to enforce it now than to replace the whole pocket bag in a few months

Anyway, in the last few weeks my R01 Test Lots have been getting to that point…

 

You can see that the pocket bag's totally worn away at the top of the pocket, showing the stitching from the French seam, and that—more importantly—there's not much fabric left at all between the two rows of topstitching

My go-to for this is patching over the region, tracing over the existing topstitching by hand, on top, to connect with the denim, and then zig-zagging across the bottom with a machine to hold the pocket bag material and the patch material tightly together

The first step's to cut the patch material (here, I'm using a pretty dense cotton chambray) to size and trace over the contour of the pocket opening…

 

Next comes folding along the contour and pressing appropriately…

 

I use a running chainstitch (there's probably a proper name for this, but I never really learned sewing terminology) to connect the patch material to the denim and to protect the opening from further abrasion; if done well, and with a small-gauge thread, this should be invisible from the outside:

 

The patch is now connected to the denim, and the worn region of the pocket bag material is protected from further wear, but the pocket bag itself is still at risk of pulling away since not much remains holding it on—seems like a job for a machine

Pockets are shaped kinda weird, and getting the patch material to lie flat against the pocket bag material after attaching them at the top can be difficult. Pins do the job, but you end up needing a lot of them, and some end up being awkward to remove. This is where my secret weapon comes in:

 

Water-soluble fabric tape is a real game changer for patching any areas with weird contours of fabric that don't lend themselves well to stretching flat or pinning in place—just apply one section at a time, making sure each is placed correctly, and the final result is a patch that sits just where you want it:

 

Stitch it up and your jeans are good for at least another year

[Double 0 Soul]

You've made a superb job of that

[Thanks_M8]

Great job @julian-wolf. Gotta get myself some of that tape aswell! Seems to work wonders holding the patch in place.

[BrownMetallic]

@julian-wolf Superb repair, mate!

@428CJ Fancy stitching... I’m gonna try that technique. Thanx.

Edited June 3, 2020 by BrownMetallic

[BrownMetallic]

Patchwork, is like building the plane as I’m flying it, really .... no idea how they’re going to turn out.  I do try to layout the materials I’d like to incorporate, in front of me before take off   ... IG has been inspirational.

I learned to chainstitch lately, so that’s a fab addition to the arsenals. Thanx @428CJ

Sample patches & stitches:

Jeans patch is for a lady friend.  The prepped [half-finished] round patch is mine, tho.

•SD 1334: 14oz natural indigo... mine.

[lance]

Epic fading on the SD 1334 natural indigo jeans, BrownMetallic and lots of cool work in all your repairs!