Introduction
You've seen those jeans, the $200 pair that come pre-damaged, covered in contrasting stitches. Don't bother. Instead, follow this guide to not only fix your jeans, but upgrade them in style.
Tools
Parts
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Examine the damage. Clip any long, loose threads, and remove any debris from the hole.
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Measure the length and width of the hole.
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In our case it looks like 2" by 1".
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Grab a scrap of denim or other heavy-weight fabric and mark your measurements plus one inch in each direction.
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In our case it will be 3" by 2".
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Cut the scrap into a rectangle the dimensions of your new measurements.
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Thread your sewing machine with your desired thread color.
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Slide the pant leg onto the arm of the sewing machine.
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Check that the rectangle of fabric is still laying flat, centered beneath the hole.
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Lower the pressor foot.
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Sew a straight line over the hole going about five stitches past the damage.
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Lift the pressor foot.
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Rotate the jean leg a few degrees toward the center of the hole.
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Lower the pressor foot.
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Engage the backstitch function on your sewing machine, and sew a straight line back over the hole, going about five stitches beyond the damage.
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Repeat steps five and six, continuing to rotate and sew lines of stitching back and forth until you cover the entire hole.
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When you are satisfied with your stitching, backstitch two or three stitches.
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Lift the needle and pressor foot.
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Slide the jean leg off of the sewing machine.
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Still not satisfied? Alrighty, let's add some decorative stitching the other way.
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Slide the pant leg back onto the arm of the sewing machine, making sure that the leg goes around the arm.
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Just like before, at the end of each line of stitching, lift the pressor foot, rotate the jeans a few degrees, and sew another line of stitching.
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When you are happy with the way that the stitching looks, backstitch two or three stitches.
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Ta-da! Nice work.
