mending torn pants

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Sat, 02/08/2014 - 21:58
enasokab
User offline. Last seen 9 years 46 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 03/20/2012
Posts: 31

 Hi Nehzat,
My sister in law tore her favorite and new pants and aksed me if I could repair them. The tear in a long the back seam as shown in the pictrures. I put a white paper tower under the tear to make it easire to see. Can you please help me? ImageImageI thought this would be a good aportunity for me to learn mendning cloths. 
Thanks,
Enas

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Tue, 02/11/2014 - 14:29
#1
Nehzat
User offline. Last seen 1 year 12 weeks ago. Offline
Instructor
Joined: 10/27/2007
Posts: 1026
Re: Mending Torn Pants

 Dear Enas,

 
It seams that the pants has only a tear, without any piece taken out of it. You need to patch it with a similar piece of fabric underneath first. You need to do this since there is a lot of tension on the crotch when sitting. You can remove a piece of fabric from the pants hem allowances or even at the top from the inner layers. If you remove a piece of fabric from the somewhere else you can find another fabric to sew back to that section of your pants afterwards.
 
First press the ripped section from the back, using the tip of the iron. Matching the edges as much as possible, without forcing the two sides together or pulling the fabric. You want the two sides to lay flat. 
 
Cut the patch a little bigger than the hole, pin it in place from behind. When you patch the tear in the crotch, make sure the direction of the fabric is the same, so that there is no difference in the shade. Using a double threaded needle baste around the patch from the wrong side and remove the pins. You want the basting stitches to be small to keep the patch firmly in place.
 
There are two ways to mend the fabric.
 
1. You can fold the edges a bit under and baste. Then use a similar coloured thread and small invisible or blind Slip Stitches to sew the folded edges to the patch from the right side. Next you need to sew around the edge of the patch from the wrong side using Catch Stitches, catching just the pants fabric right beside the edge of the patch for the bottom of the catch stitches and for the top you should catch just the patch fabric. When catching the pants fabric, make sure to catch just one thread, so that it is not visible from the right side. You can catch more threads from the patch, but make sure to catch just the patch fabric itself.
 
2. Another way is to not fold the edge of the ripped section. This method requires more time and practice. Bring the edges together and use a thread you can pull out of the fabric in a hidden spot, such as the hem allowances, seam allowances or inner layers of the waistband, to darn over the ripped section. Since we do not have a darning video lesson yet, here is a link to a document that explain how to do darning with picture.
 
 
Happy sewing,
 
Nehzat
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Fri, 02/14/2014 - 10:15
#2
enasokab
User offline. Last seen 9 years 46 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 03/20/2012
Posts: 31
 Great advice Nehzat. I like

 Great advice Nehzat. I like the first method. But I was wondering, when I fold the edges around the tear under making the hole larger, then the patch will definitely show from the right side. Right? Now if it shows, since there is a seam going down the middle of the pants, it will look like there is a gap in the seam where the patch is. Right? Do you think I should cut my patch in half, sew a seam down the middle and then align the patch seam with the pants seam when basting the patch under the hole? This will show a continuous seam. I hope I explained well.
Also, does it matter what shape I cut my patch? square, circle, ... Please tell me what you think.

Thanks

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Fri, 02/14/2014 - 14:25
#3
Nehzat
User offline. Last seen 1 year 12 weeks ago. Offline
Instructor
Joined: 10/27/2007
Posts: 1026
Re: Mending torn Pants

Dear Enas,

Firstly, you can cut the patch any shape you want as long as you are evenly spaced from the edge of the tear. Yes the patch will be visible from the right side, however if we sew it finely it will be less noticeable.

When the rip is on both sides of the seam line, we should sew a patch to each side of the seam, making sure the patch is large enough for the seam allowances to sew the seam line back.

Happy sewing,

Nehzat


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