Patching school trousers

Mumto2

Can anyone help me with how to patch the knees on school trousers. DS has done it again - I turned the last 2 pairs into shorts, but can't carry on like this (esp in November!:rotfl: ). I'm not too clever with a needle, so perhaps iron-on patches would be the best but don't know where to buy them (trousers are grey).
Thanks all

~~~~~~~~~~~~apologies - have just done a search (must do before posting next time), seems a few people are recommending John Lewis, will try there, unless someone knows somewhere online which would be easier. Thanks

oystercatcher

I used to get iron on trouser repair stuff from Morrisons in their mini sewing dept (end of an aisle) it came as a pack one strip of black, one gray,and one white. I used to Iron it on the inside and then sew the edges of the hole on to be secure, wasn't too noticable and made the trousers last a bit longer.

Oystercatcher
(3boys!)

HelenKA_2

That's great you re-cycled the last couple of pairs. Next time keep the ends and use them to patch the next lot. Or if there's a pocket you could unpick that and sew it over the worn bit, after ironing on vilene to hold the knee together underneath the patch. Lastly, remember, a stitch in time saves nine! So if you see the knees wearing very thin do the patch before the hole, it won't be as tricky and will be stronger too.

Helen

tessie_bear

new trousers are quite cheap in asda

angelavdavis

HelenKA wrote: »

That's great you re-cycled the last couple of pairs. Next time keep the ends and use them to patch the next lot. Or if there's a pocket you could unpick that and sew it over the worn bit, after ironing on vilene to hold the knee together underneath the patch. Lastly, remember, a stitch in time saves nine! So if you see the knees wearing very thin do the patch before the hole, it won't be as tricky and will be stronger too.

Helen

As Helen says, you can reuse - I have a favourite pair of cream linen trousers and slipped on the pebbles this year and ripped the knee!

Luckily, as I had shortened up, I reused the 4 inches I took off to shorten them, unstitched the side seams on both legs up to just above the damaged area, cut across the leg on the fronts at the same level. Cut below on both legs - removing the damage. Sewed a piece of the same size plus extra for hems creating new fronts and then stitched the new fronts to the back pieces and stitched the sides again.

So, I ended up with a seam above and below each knee on the front, which I pressed well.

Because they were linen and pressed nice and flat, you really don't see the seams and as both legs look the same - it looks more like the design!

Mumto2

HelenKA wrote: »

That's great you re-cycled the last couple of pairs. Next time keep the ends and use them to patch the next lot. Or if there's a pocket you could unpick that and sew it over the worn bit, after ironing on vilene to hold the knee together underneath the patch. Lastly, remember, a stitch in time saves nine! So if you see the knees wearing very thin do the patch before the hole, it won't be as tricky and will be stronger too.

Helen

Thanks for help all.

Helen - I'm kicking myself that I didn't keep the offcuts! What is vilene? Is it like wonderweb? Might have a look at the pockets, although they are only age 3 trousers, so might not be much in the way of material!!

angelavdavis

Yep - vilene is wonderweb!

HelenKA_2

It's just that vilene is only 'sticky' on one side where as I thought wonder web was both sides to sandwich your material together to make a hem. But I suppose between garment and patch it would work ok, though I've only seen wonderweb in strips - vilene you buy by the length off a roll in a habidashery dept/sewing shop - you will definitely get it in JL.

loocyloo

my ds wears shorts! and long socks!!! no matter what the weather is! AND he has a 20 min walk to school each day! he is 7!

(he doesn't like it when the hems get wet/muddy, and was always rolling his trousers up! looked so silly!)

last year there were only a couple fo boys in shorts all year, so far this year, there are alot more!

big plusses are that knees are easier to wash than trousers AND he can wear the same pair of shorts all week! they just don't seem to get as dirty!

xxxx

aloiseb

Ahhh those were the days........I got away with insisting on shorts till this year (Year 4) Now nobody is wearing them Mummy. His new M&S tough trousers - alleged! - got a tiny hole in on the first day he wore them (I think a stick fight was involved) but fortunately it seems to be staying the same size so i am ignoring it.

Mumto2

loocyloo wrote: »

my ds wears shorts! and long socks!!! no matter what the weather is! AND he has a 20 min walk to school each day! he is 7!

(he doesn't like it when the hems get wet/muddy, and was always rolling his trousers up! looked so silly!)

last year there were only a couple fo boys in shorts all year, so far this year, there are alot more!

big plusses are that knees are easier to wash than trousers AND he can wear the same pair of shorts all week! they just don't seem to get as dirty!

xxxx

Well done on starting a trend! I can't say I've seen any boys in shorts at our school - only a couple during the summer terms as well. Can't be that tough round here!