Indigofan » Repair

USN Denim Jacket

Matt — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:45:46 +0000

Recently got this USN Denim Jacket from Real McCoys. �10 oz denim.

https://www.realmccoys.co.jp/catalog/products/detail.php?product_id=2269&pg=3

It was no-wash, and shrank a lot. �You can see a lot of shrinkage in the chain-stitching across the top of the pocket in the below pic.

Even after the wash the sleeves were very long… �so I decided to do a home-style stitching.

A blanket stitch using my leather stitching tools and linen thread.

The coat buttons are listed as iron. �They are a flat black, but I’m expecting that they will burnish over time to something more like the Buzz Rickson’s version of this jacket.

http://item.rakuten.co.jp/hinoya/m13157/

Handstitching Repair of Chainstitch

Matt — Sun, 24 May 2009 22:48:51 +0000

On the UES blog they’ve repaired some jeans using the method used to handstitch leather.
It’s a nice idea. Handstitching like this is supposedly good construction because there are two threads which alternate side-to-side.

http://ajihei01.blog91.fc2.com/blog-entry-205.html

Repairs

Matt — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:10:26 +0000

Last week I made some repairs to the Eternals. I should’ve taken pics before the repairs, but I’m getting lazy with this blog. Hah.

Here’s the result.

The seat had a crease which was starting to wear through, so I used a swatch of denim on the inside and just sewed back and forth.

The crotch had a hole, so I did the same there. You can see the repair thread more clearly here.

And the keys were really starting to destroy, the pocket, so some denim on the inside of the pocket, and sewing through the lot.

I’d been cuffing these since new, so there were parts of the cuff that were close to wearing through… so I did some zig-zagging without re-inforcing.

I’m not an expert on denim repairs, but these are my beginners tips:
- set the stitch length to quite short
- use a specific denim repair thread like this one from Gutermann

http://www.sewingselections.com.au/catalogue/Threads/Gutermann/2.html
It’s a mix of blue and white, so it blends in with faded denim.

On the inside I used a black poly thread. I probably should have used the denim thread on the inside, but it seems okay.

When it's really hot

Matt — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:45:07 +0000

I recently posted that it has been too hot for denim in Melbourne, but last week I decided to take the knife to my original Nudie RRDS.

Converted them to shorts.

I cut them to just below my knee, and then folded them up. Pretty happy with the result. They’re very comfy and great for the hot days.

I was wearing these last Saturday. The day Melbourne had its hottest day on record.
46.9�C (117�F) was recorded at the nearby Melbourne University. I was in air-conditioned comfort working on the weekend, but I did step outside for five minutes to experience the hellish conditions. EVERYTHING was hot. The wind was like 500 hundred hairdryers blowing in your face. The sky looked weird as it mixed clouds and smoke.

On a very serious note, for that same day many people near Melbourne were not in air-conditioned comfort at all as many houses and people burned in the horrific weather.

some pictures
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/02/bushfires_in_victoria_australi.html

a scary story from a survivor

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/i-now-understand-the-word-firestorm-20090209-8288.html?page=-1

500 things you should know: Repair ripped jeans

Matt — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 10:29:00 +0000

How to repair ripped jeans. From the book “Show Me How – 500 things you should know“.

via NotCot (there are some interesting things in this book – like catching fish bare handed!)

Home Cobbler Action

Matt — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:32:40 +0000

I didn’t like how my Allen-Edmonds have the edge of the sole and heel painted black. It is a thick black colour that looked plastic, and aesthetically the colour didn’t fit with the cordovan of the shoe (see my previous pictures). So I sanded the black colour off to reveal the shades of layered leather.

I’m not actually sure what the top layer-edging material is. It’s black, but I’m unsure if it’s plastic.

The sanded leather was very pale, so I rubbed in some sno-seal which has created some darker-richer shades. It’s not perfect, and my sanding is inconsistent, but it’s a huge improvement on the black.

Pocket Blowout (updated)

Matt — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 12:26:02 +0000

I’d been noticing a lot of front-pocket blowouts on the superfuture denim forum… just like on my Samurai-Geishas.

Here are some stolen pic examples which I don’t have permission to post (post a comment if you want me to remove your stolen picture).

watchman’s eternals

ordo’s eternals

polishmike’s sams

dickdanger’s sams

Admittedly my own pocket blowout was partly caused by my keys, but the common occurrence made me think there could be a design flaw.

Anyway, I noticed that my Japanese Evisu’s actually have some substantial re-inforcing sewn to the inside of the front pockets. It’s quite strong without being annoying.

I had a quick look at some of my other denim for something similar. Most have no protective strip. Nudie & China Evisu have an additional strip of pocket lining, but it’s quite thin compared to the Evisu version. Nice functional detail Evisu!

Anonymous has posted a comment that WeSC jeans do have protective strips on the front pockets.

These WeSCs I just got have reinforced pockets, as well. They are a women’s
28 in Raw Selvage.

Thanks for the comments and pictures Anon.

I’ll update this post as I find more jeans with protection.