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Zig-zag Patch

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Written By: Brittany McCrigler (and 4 other contributors)
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Featured Guide

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

15

Time Required

10 - 15 minutes

Sections

1

Flags

2

Worn Wear

Worn Wear

Patagonia and iFixit are celebrating the stories we wear by collaborating to provide guides for Patagonia's most popular apparel repairs.

Featured Guide

Featured Guide

This guide has been found to be exceptionally cool by the iFixit staff.

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.

For replacement parts or further assistance, contact Patagonia Customer Service.

  1. Examine the damage. Clip any long, loose threads, and remove any debris from the hole. Measure the length and width of the hole. In our case it looks like 2" by 1".

    • Examine the damage. Clip any long, loose threads, and remove any debris from the hole.

    • Measure the length and width of the hole.

    • In our case it looks like 2" by 1".

    Edit

  2. Grab a scrap of denim or other heavy-weight fabric and mark your measurements plus one inch in each direction. In our case it will be 3" by 2". Cut the scrap into a rectangle the dimensions of your new measurements.

    • Grab a scrap of denim or other heavy-weight fabric and mark your measurements plus one inch in each direction.

    • In our case it will be 3" by 2".

    • Cut the scrap into a rectangle the dimensions of your new measurements.

    Edit

  3. Insert the rectangle of fabric into the jean leg and position it under the hole. Be sure that you put the rectangle of fabric in the pant leg and not behind it—you only want to work on one layer of fabric.

    • Insert the rectangle of fabric into the jean leg and position it under the hole.

    • Be sure that you put the rectangle of fabric in the pant leg and not behind it—you only want to work on one layer of fabric.

    Edit

  4. Thread your sewing machine with your desired thread color. Slide the pant leg onto the arm of the sewing machine. You may need to remove the sewing machine table for the pant leg to fit over the arm.

    • Thread your sewing machine with your desired thread color.

    • Slide the pant leg onto the arm of the sewing machine.

    • You may need to remove the sewing machine table for the pant leg to fit over the arm.

    • Be sure that the pant leg is around the arm of the sewing machine. If both layers are stacked on one another, you will sew the pant leg shut.

    Edit

  5. Check that the rectangle of fabric is still laying flat, centered beneath the hole. Lower the pressor foot. Sew a straight line over the hole going about five stitches past the damage.

    • Check that the rectangle of fabric is still laying flat, centered beneath the hole.

    • Lower the pressor foot.

    • Sew a straight line over the hole going about five stitches past the damage.

    Edit

  7. Lift the pressor foot. Rotate the jean leg a few degrees toward the center of the hole. Lower the pressor foot.

    • Lift the pressor foot.

    • Rotate the jean leg a few degrees toward the center of the hole.

    • Lower the pressor foot.

    • Engage the backstitch function on your sewing machine, and sew a straight line back over the hole, going about five stitches beyond the damage.

    Edit

  8. Repeat steps five and six, continuing to rotate and sew lines of stitching back and forth until you cover the entire hole. Repeat steps five and six, continuing to rotate and sew lines of stitching back and forth until you cover the entire hole. Repeat steps five and six, continuing to rotate and sew lines of stitching back and forth until you cover the entire hole.

    • Repeat steps five and six, continuing to rotate and sew lines of stitching back and forth until you cover the entire hole.

    Edit

  9. When you are satisfied with your stitching, backstitch two or three stitches. Lift the needle and pressor foot.

    • When you are satisfied with your stitching, backstitch two or three stitches.

    • Lift the needle and pressor foot.

    • Slide the jean leg off of the sewing machine.

    Edit

  10. Clip any dangling threads and admire your work. Clip any dangling threads and admire your work.

    • Clip any dangling threads and admire your work.

    Edit

  11. Still not satisfied? Alrighty, let's add some decorative stitching the other way. This is completely optional. If you are happy with your work, you can stop here. Slide the pant leg back onto the arm of the sewing machine, making sure that the leg goes around the arm.

    • Still not satisfied? Alrighty, let's add some decorative stitching the other way.

    • This is completely optional. If you are happy with your work, you can stop here.

    • Slide the pant leg back onto the arm of the sewing machine, making sure that the leg goes around the arm.

    Edit

  12. Carefully rotate the jean leg 90 degrees. Be sure that there is only one layer of fabric (plus the rectangle) between the sewing machine and the needle, or else you will sew the pant leg shut.

    • Carefully rotate the jean leg 90 degrees.

    • Be sure that there is only one layer of fabric (plus the rectangle) between the sewing machine and the needle, or else you will sew the pant leg shut.

    Edit

  13. Lower the pressor foot. Sew a straight line of stitching over the damaged area.

    • Lower the pressor foot.

    • Sew a straight line of stitching over the damaged area.

    Edit

  14. 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. When you are happy with the way that the stitching looks, backstitch two or three stitches. When you are happy with the way that the stitching looks, backstitch two or three stitches.

    • 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.

    • When you are happy with the way that the stitching looks, backstitch two or three stitches.

    Edit

  15. Lift the pressor foot and needle. Slide the pant leg off the arm of the sewing machine.

    • Lift the pressor foot and needle.

    • Slide the pant leg off the arm of the sewing machine.

    Edit

  16. Clip any dangling threads. Clip any dangling threads.

    • Clip any dangling threads.

    Edit
Conclusion

Ta-da! Nice work.

6 other people completed this guide.

Author

with 4 other contributors

Brittany McCrigler

Member since: 03/05/2012

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