Does anybody know how to do this? I think this would be so cute for my 7 yo. Is is just more and more of what we do with applique?
Here are some I did for DD last year before Christmas (or Chrismouse LOL).
There are different approaches to how these can be done but here are the basics:
1) Open the inseam of the jeans. Some people like to do the outseam but I like the patches to fully wrap the leg front and back so I want the seam to be hidden as much as possible. I also take out the hem and cut a bit longer than the final length.
2) Cut your patches to the shapes you like. I tear my fabric in strips then tear the strips into squares. This gives the edges a nice ragged edge right from the start.
3) Arrange the patches in a pleasing way on one leg overlapping to get the coverage you like. I pin my patches in place but others I've talked to use a wash-out spray fabric adhesive or fabric glue stick and still others like to use fusible adhesive, like would be done with applique. Since I have the patches over most of the leg from hem to thigh, I think fusible might cause the jeans to be too stiff but that's JMHO.
4) Stitch around each patch. I do mine about 1/4" from the edge but others stitch over the edge. Also, I like to have my stitching on one patch begin and end under another patch so the stitching on THAT patch helps secure the previous stitching in place. I did a decorative stitch in gold embroidery thread on the jeans shown above to add a little extra sparkle. Continue with each patch until all on that leg are stitched. Repeat on the other leg.
5) Close the inseam. Trim the legs to the length needed and do a line of decorative stitching about 1/4-1/2" from the edge to secure that edge of the patches as well as to prevent the denim from fraying too much at the hem.
6) I wash and dry these as usual. I don't like long threads hanging so I "groom" the jeans the first few times they're laundered. That mostly just means cutting or removing any threads that look messy. After a few times getting washed and dried, they don't fray much more.
