Mending knees in kids jeans

[rhianna813]

My DS is 7 and in first grade. Holy Moly he has blown out the knees in his pants. I guess I thought I was always seeing the same pair of jeans with a hole in the knee but it turns out it’s 4 or more different pairs. Ugh!

These are all new pants we bought at the beginning of the school year. We didn’t have this problem before… must be the rough playing at recess. The holes are huge and only on the left knee, but the right knees are really worn and could tear anytime.

Next year I will put iron on patches on the inside of the knees to be proactive. Good idea?

How can I mend these jeans so they wont tear more and they look ok, even fun?

I found this blog with a cute way to mend knees but it uses a flower motif. Any ideas for a easy boys motif? Especially for a huge tear.

http://www.make-it-do.com/tag/mending-a-torn-knee-in-jeans/

I also read maybe it was cool to patch the inside of the knee but leave some of fraid edges exposed on the outside… for that tough guy look.

Thanks for any advice!

Rhianna

[zinemama]

That's really cute, but more work than I would go to. I just cut out a patch from a pair of old jeans, hem the edges on the machine, then handsew them on. I have boys and know the phenomenon of which you speak. I do a lot of pants patching. (I put patches on the outside. Don't want my kids going around looking frayed.)

[Shane]

My son is only 5, but he's into robots and I have a robot applique that I've done on a back pack for him.  Also, he loves bugs, football helmets, footballs (we have a cookie cutter that I could trace), soccer balls.  Balls in general.  When I need applique/patch ideas I go to my cookie cutter stash.  DH bought me a box of 100 different ones from Wal-mart a few years ago.  There's just about anything you could think of in there.

Good luck. 

Here's a link to my robot applique. http://mommasewingprojects.blogspot.com/2009/07/delsins-new-backpack-for-school.html

[LaughingHyena]

I've seen some cute ones, the knees of the trousers both had matching patches with a bright fabric, then a T shirt had an appliqué design in the same fabric. I haven't had the need to do it yet but I'm sure I will. I did sew heart patch on DD's favourite trousers, it was very fiddly. So far my kids have grown out of the torn trousers before I got round to fixing them. I do have some ready for cutting into shorts, I'd better get a move on :lol

[rhianna813]

Thanks ladies! Yeah one pair of jeans has both knees out and think those will become shorts. The other jeans are just in great condition overall... look really new except for the knees. And since summer doesn't arrive until mid July I'd like to mend them soon.

I believe I have a pirate scull/cross bones patch but it's not large enough to cover the hole so I was stumped. think I will do a iron denim patch and then add the pirate over it for decoration. I also have a large star cookie cutter that might look cute.... er cool LOL

Rhianna

[motherhendoula]

my kids enjoy sitting still...LOL so no problems with their clothes - my DH on the other hand, is always in need of mend.  I cut a square of matching bottom weight fabric (perhaps the legs of the jeans that are designated for shorts...)  and overcast stitch the edge on the outside of the jeans.   I like the idea of putting the patch inside and letting the edges fray!

[Shenjall]

I take a jean patch (usually a pocket from another pair of "stashed" jeans) in a slightly different shade and patch it on the inside to allow the frayed look.  I use the heavy duty iron on bonding tape so there's no stitching involved and the tape keeps the frays from fraying any more.  My ds loves the look of it too.  He's 10.  

HTH!

:)

[elanorh]

My girls wear through the knees of their jeans, too. 

I don't use fusible patches to mend them.  I think I have too many memories of fusible patches wearing off over time when I was a kid.  What I do:  I open out the least-finished seam on the legs of the jeans (the one with no top stitching, or less top stitching), which is usually the inside seam.  That way, I can mend using my sewing machine and get a good, secure finish.  The legs are just too narrow to do any other way.  I don't open the leg "all the way," just a good length (10 inches?  12 inches?). 

I usually find a similarly-colored piece of denim to use as my patch.  I press the edges under and then stitch it on using the "blue jean" thread that the stores carry, which seldom shows at all since it blends so well.  Typically, I also applique something bright on the patch itself.  I'll use cotton fabric with lots of color (so it will match many different shirts) - hearts, flowers, whatever.  My favorite pair has been a floral print used as petals for a flower, with a circle of denim in the middle which I didn't edge-finish, simply stitched around the circle with a 1/4 inch edge which has frayed and looks very cool I think (dd1 thinks so too, they are her favorite pants).  Once the patch is applied, then turn the jeans inside out and stitch the side seam closed again.  You'll have a patch that lays neatly and looks great.  DD1 has some pants that I mended and passed on to dd2 who wore for an additional year or more (so, 2-3 years of hard use out of them) with no further wear issues. 

I know a family that does this pre-emptively with the jeans they buy their kids.  The Grandma lets out the seam, then applies patches on the inside of the jean (so all that shows on the outside is stitching), then re-stitches the seam.  She's done them on the outside too, either way looks good and their jeans wear for a long time. 

[rhianna813]

Well I finally mended the one pair of jeans. I used store bought iron on fabric, that I cut to fit both knees and applied to the outside - the colour mostly matched. Then I had one pirate patch that I added to one knee. DS really liked the look. He also asked if the patch could look frayed, which it can't with the thick/glued iron on patch. But I think for next year I will just sew leftover denim fabric with frayed edges over the hole (smaller version hopefully) and maybe add the iron stuff on the inside. I also like the idea of using a pocket for a patch!!!

Thanks again!

Rhianna