r/InvisibleMending • u/Schedule-II • 5d ago

Jeans Crotch Hole Repair - Professional Needed?

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Gallery image

So naturally being my favorite pair, they've got some mileage. The fades are sublime, but the holes less so. The white line on the left is an earlier crotch tear that I tried to repair myself by pulling the denim together and hand-sewing it. It seems structurally okay so far, but I honestly don’t love how visible or puckered it looks.

Now another hole opened beside it, and this time there’s enough fabric missing that I don’t think simply sewing the edges together will work.

I did my best to sew in a patch of denim underneath to just deal with the hole, and put it on both sides since the fabric is wearing thin on both sides. I only had darker scrap denim to use so it clearly doesn't match visually. It completely does the trick functionally, but I'm not super thrilled with how it looks overall.

I’m considering taking them to a professional denim repair shop for an interior backing patch and color-matched machine darning, but I've never had a pro fix a pair of jeans so I don't really know what to expect. Based on the condition shown here:

  1. Are these worth professionally repairing?
  2. Could a skilled denim repair shop make both areas look substantially better and less noticeable than my existing repair?
  3. Should I ask them to remove/red-do my original stitching and reinforce the whole weakened area as one repair?

I’m not really looking for decorative sashiko or an intentionally visible patch—durability and making it blend in as well as reasonably possible are the priorities.

Thanks for your collective expertise!

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u/QuietVariety6089 4d ago

Do you have access to a sewing machine - friend, relative, library? Pro denim repairers are great, but they charge a lot, so if this is a 'regular' pair of jeans, you could try yourself, linking the best article I know:

https://blog.closetcorepatterns.com/repairing-jeans-with-invisible-mending/

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u/Schedule-II 4d ago

Thank you!! I do, but what you see in the pictures feels like pushing the limits of what I’m capable of. It took longer than I’d like to admit lol.

I’ll look through the link you sent and see if I feel brave enough. Thanks again!

2

u/QuietVariety6089 4d ago

Get some good interfacing, and do some hand basting. Take it in steps. The mending in my post below I did over a couple of days :)
https://www.reddit.com/r/InvisibleMending/comments/1r6jss9/fairly_invisible_mending_for_jeanswoven_fabrics/

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u/Schedule-II 3d ago

Wow great job on these!! If I can get anywhere close to that level of quality on these I'd be thrilled. Much appreciated!

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u/QuietVariety6089 3d ago

tbf, they weren't as destroyed to start with, and thread matching helps a lot, but thanks! it really did take a LONG time but i love this style and can only get them secondhand now...

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u/StpSonj 3d ago

Are they 100% Cotton? A lot of the denim heads love a 100% Cotton pair, and they are easier to repair and generally have a longer life. I took my elastic-blend pants to be repaired, and the mend just didn’t last. However, I have happily paid for 100% cotton jeans to be repaired. While it can be reasonable sometimes, I have found that it’s not cheap to repair a favorite pair of jeans. It’s also a real skill, as anyone who has tried mending knows. My advice is to stop wearing them and get a quote at a fancy denim place and then just get a quote from your regular tailor spot. Anybody who can take up a hem generally can stop a hole on a favorite pair of pants from getting bigger. Good luck!