Hotpotch Patching & How To Do It

I have a favourite pair of work trousers for the summer.  They're light, quick to dry, mud coloured and above all of this, mysteriously only a size 8 and big!  (This shouldn't be a consideration, but when you spend your life dressed in wellies with odds and sods of vegetation stuck in your hair, ingrained fingers and mucky fingernails, the positive affirmations of a clothes label that reminds you that at least you're holding the muffin tops at bay is generally a thing to be celebrated!)

My trousers are thoroughly worn.  Almost every seam is fraying and the knees had got so thin that I had already patched them with hard wearing demin a few months ago.  But yesterday, the unthinkable occurred and they finally gave way in spectacular two-tear, leg falling off fashion.

I am a fan of patching - perhaps because it allows for a little creativity - and I have my own personal challenge going on with these trousers, to keep them going as long as I possibly can.  How long can a heavily used item of clothing last?  I have t-shirts that are 30 years old, but most of my clothes are discarded before they're through, and I find this a little shameful, that I am flippant and whimsical enough, too governed by trends and fashions, to really put my ethical beliefs into practice.  I think these have been on the go around 7 years now, and they don't half get hammered!

So after yesterday, I knuckled down and resolved to repair them yet again.  And as patching is not the easiest of sewing jobs and yet is the one most able to breathe life into favourite items, I thought I'd share the method.  My method, others may have different and indeed better, but this works for me.

1. Wash, dry and iron your item.  This tightens up the fibres and flattening them makes the process far easier!  Choose a piece of scrap fabric large enough to cover the hole with a good margin around it, and of a similar weight.  You're looking to avoid anything with any stretch, like cotton jersey (t-shirt fabric), so give it a pull in all directions to make sure there's no give.
2. Using an iron and the wrong side facing, fold over around a centimetre of each edge and iron flat.  Where you get to a corner, unfold and cut off the diagonal, which prevents them getting too bulky.  Check your patch is still large enough to amply cover the hole!
3. Using a single length of contrasting thread and a running stitch, loosely sew down the flaps and flip over to the 'right' side (these stitches will come out in the end, so don't worry if they're messy).  'Tacking' is often missed out, but it really is worth the effort.
4. Insert a piece of card between the holey fabric of your item and anything underneath (in my case, this involved a festival programme shoved down the leg!)  This keeps your fabric flat and taught but also prevents accidentally sewing two things together that should be apart (trust me, I've learnt by experience on this one!)
5. Place your patch over the hole, right side facing, and use pins to hold it in place.  Your aiming for as flat as possible with no gathering.  It's worth taking the time to get this spot on.
6. Using a double length of thread, in the same colour as your item (again, trust me.  It hides a multitude of sins!), sew the patch on along the edge.  Although it's fiddly, I find it helps to keep the item flat on a table doing this, rather than over your knee, so the tension in the clothing item is kept.  I'm not sure if the stitch I use for this has a name (it may be slip stitch - perhaps someone can enlighten me) but it involves making a tiny stitch to hold the two pieces together and running the long bit in between stitches under the fabric where it can't be seen.  If you're aiming for visible, blanket stitch can look pretty cool too as an alternative.  I do a double stitch every now and again to keep it firm.
7. When your patch is attached, cut the tacking stitches and pull them out and remove any pins.
8. In my case, repeat, several times over...

(A note about wonky bits: if you've ever made your own clothes, or attempted to deconstruct an item of clothing, you'll know that there are all sorts of nips and tucks used to make something flat - fabric - go round something bendy - a body.  Often the bits that wear are the most awkward - between the knees or thighs, kneecaps and elbows.  I find this method works especially well where the worn part can be flattened, even if that means patching across a seam, but I have found that in some instances, patching (carefully!) whilst the item is being worn can be helpful!  The important point is to make adequate time, don't rush and don't eliminate stages such as ironing, tacking and pinning in the hope of a quick fix.  It's much better to be methodical and far, far less frustrating!)

​So there you have it - no excuses, get patching!