Patchin' Pants

For the last 8 years my sweet husband has asked me to patch his pants when they get worn.
I would go to the fabric store and get "a patch" and when I returned home with my cure, I would just sit and stare at it.
I just didn't know how to get the job done.
So this past fall, I had the privilege of spending a few hours with my aunt and she shared with me the art of patching. She has been patchin' pants close to 75 years. She had lots of brothers whose pants always needed attention. It was a way to help her mother.

First thing you need is a pair of pants that need patchin'.
Then a 'patch' which can easily consist of an old pair of pants that has been cut into pieces. Try to get them to match as closely in color and shade as possible, if you wish.

Get your favorite sewing supplies. Let's get started.

Cut out the affected area. Cut well around it. She likes to use circular shapes...they are easier to stitch around.

Turn the pants inside out and pin a large cut out piece of old pants well over the opening that you have just cut out.

Then hand stitch around the edge of the piece you just pinned on. Use doubled thread and just take nice easy stitches all the way around.

Turn the pants right side out again. I forgot to take a picture of the act of stitching it, but you just slip stitch the pieces together. As you stitch the patch to the pant, turn under the pant opening (in this case the circle area) maybe an 8th of an inch and slip stitch it shut and just do that all the way around the opening.

It should look something like the above picture. Yours will be better because my fingers were so sore from my job (chemicals) that I could hardly push the needle.

And here we have a patched pair of pants.
These are just work pants and don't have to be pretty, but I kept imagining patching little girls pants with pretty flowered fabric and stitching some lace around the bottom leg opening. It could still be her play pants, but why not make them cute.