#cj sews

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My infamous solarpunk shorts have always had a defect: The belt loops were too small for my belt.

Yesterday I unpicked all five belt loops and cut out seven new ones. I then realized the fabric wasn't very stable, even on the straight grain, so I backed them with my landlady's fusible interfacing. Then I used my machine's diamond stitch to cover the raw edge.

And here's the final product! Cheers to a more wearable, usable garment.

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Did a little more decorating on those cargo shorts that I've been mending. Getting centered by stitching in these crazy times has been essential.

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Did an embroidery on the project jeans. Trying to center my being in these times.

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Mending Updates:

Am no longer working 60 hours a week, so I got through some commissioned mending and some of my personal stuff!

Hand mending done on a friend's torn-up shorts and my own tank top.

Big machine mend on same friend's other shorts.

Patched and reinforced the inside of my favorite rose-patterned shorts.

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Hey all! It's been a while since I shared any sewing. I've mostly been reinforcing the inseams of my pants, repairing spots where seams started coming undone, and taking in the chests of my jackets since top surgery happened.

Next project is hemming the outfit I'll be wearing for some funerals soon.

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Crotch Mending

Hello everyone! We all know the answer to this one. Where do your pants wear out the fastest?

[Audience yelling: THE CROTCH!!!]

Exactly! I've already done DIY ripstop on (almost) all the pants I own. This pair of shorts tore out above the ripstop earlier in the summer, but I replaced them with secondhand basketball shorts and forgot about them in the Tote of Doom.

Anyway, I desperately needed an easy W in the books tonight, so I pulled out whatever odd-shaped scraps of black canvas came to hand, and I patched the crotch.

I started out by sewing a box all around this rip to stabilize it. My machine has a cool diamond stitch that I use as a serger dupe, but you can do the exact same thing with a little straight stitch grid. It's just enough to lock all the OG threads in place, with enough patch showing through to relieve tension on the rip.

Also, as I've learned the hard way, I have to use polyester thread for this. I'm always a slut for cotton, but it just can't stand up to my tactical thighs. Also, long-leg boxer briefs are the key to negating the sensory input from the mends.

I proceeded to stitch this semi-geometric sorta-concentric pattern all over the patch to hold it down. The easy W was complete! But I'm a creature of momentum. My favorite words are "While I'm at it," so I did the other side too.

Final product:

I'm so pleased! I'll have to see how well they wear. Using dark grey thread rather than black was a good choice.

I hope this inspires you to try saving or reinforcing some pants. While I'm not posting a photo of proof for obvious reasons, you truly can't see crotch mending, especially when the thread matches because it's all up in your undercarriage and shadowed. Nobody's looking that closely, and if they are, kick them.

Go forth and make stuff. As @dog-of-ulthar said in his pants-mending tutorial, "The revolution starts with your ass."

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My DIY ripstop worked!

Inspired by ripstop fabric, and by the idea of reinforcing stuff before it breaks, I machine-sewed a little grid along the inside part of the jeans where they always wear out first.

Tonight I was venting about an awful group project to a friend and I draped myself dramatically over the couch and felt something rip a little.

Look! The rips stayed inside their little squares. Look how small it is! Look how easy it'll be to mend!

Ok actually since the fabric's been fading and the thread now looks really dark, I'll probably unpick the grid and sew it again. I'll do thread a shade lighter than the fabric currently is so it'll still match as fading continues.

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The first patch is on the Solarpunk Shorts!

This summer, I thrifted my favorite pair of shorts ever, and I love them to death. Also, once upon a time, someone gave me fabric covered in suns, moons, and stars, and I knew it would become my go-to patch fabric.

I snagged the shorts at work and tore a small hole in the fabric. I didn't photograph it, but I wove a little cover for it on the inside. Then I put the patch over the outside.

I never have patience to do anything decorative, so I'm both surprised and proud that I did outline stitching to really highlight the sun! All the thread was from my grandma, so I feel really connected to her.

And here's the finished product!

As years pass and the wear sets in, I intend to cover these in patches. They'll be the Shorts of Theseus, and I'll love them for as long as I can.