Use all your favorite embroidery stitches to make mending patches prettier AND stronger. First watch the video for the how and why – and then scroll down for some detailed examples of finished patches from a pair of my jeans.
And now for the samples. These are all from one pair of jeans. 🙂
This one is super easy. I used a running stitch around the edge of the patch, and then I used split stitch over every other stripe.
This is just running stitches – lots of running stitches. It’s stitched on corduroy so I was able to use the space between the ridges to as a guide to keep my rows of stitching straight and parallel. I used a two different shades of blue thread.
On this one I used the gingham print of the fabric as a grid to make nice, even cross stitches and running stitches. The stitches of my Xs were pretty big – possible to snag on things – so I took tiny little straight stitches in pink at each intersection to strengthen the whole thing and add a fun accent.
This started as a plain black fabric with white polka dots. First I took little straight stitches in the polka dots and made cross stitches in the spaces between them. That didn’t make the stitching as close as I wanted so I added a grid of backstitches in green.
And finally – this one was a real labor of love. I satin stitched over each drop shape in the fabric print – matching the color of the printed drop. It took a long time but the texture is luscious.
If the tear is in a tricky spot – like when the rip is at the edge of a pocket – take a look at this post.
Have fun with some patches! Soon you’ll be looking for an excuse to mend!
Here are all the posts about finishing embroidery projects.
Basic Finishing
- How to Iron Embroidery without Smooshing the Stitches
- How to Frame Embroidery in a Hoop (with no glue)
- How to Hide the Messy Back of Hooped Embroidery
- How to Prep Embroidery for Framing
Other Ways to Use Embroidery
- How to Mend with Embroidered Patches
- How to Mend a Tear around a Pocket
- How to Embroider a Quilt Label
Return to the Learn to Embroider main Table of Contents.
Happy stitching!
I patch my boys’ knees way more than I’d like! Sometimes I make it look nice, and sometimes I just want to get the darn pants through the year. 😉 When I decided to learn embroidery, I started by chain-stitching a spiral onto a denim patch destined for my jeans. I get complimented on that patch all the time!
You should share a photo! Add it the embroidery group on Flicker. http://www.flickr.com/groups/1563199@N24/
This is wonderful! Having raised 6 children, I did a lot of patching. Probably the most creative thing I did was to use old jeans pockets as knee patches. But I certainly never embroidered patches. What fun! And the idea of covering a stain with embroidered patches… brilliant! Thanks, Wendi!
Thanks so much! 🙂
You gotta really love that pair of jeans to go through all that work, especially on the legs! I would like to see how you embroidered that corduroy patch though, since it didn’t start out with a pattern to follow, curious about what you did on it!