Mend & Patch Your Denim Jeans for a More Sustainable Lifestyle: The Destiny of Things Story #596

Mend & Patch Your Denim Jeans for a More Sustainable Lifestyle:  Mending Ways, Story #19

Don't throw away those old jeans because they ripped or you are tired of them!  Upcycle!

An Etsy buyer ordered patches #2 and #4 earlier this month and then I received an email about them!  There are two patches left in stock in this set, patches #1 and #3, available here.

Photo via Hoarder Rehab

Instead upcycle your jeans and other clothes as they need mending or change the way they look by adding patches and stitching for a more sustainable lifestyle!  Here are some ideas!

Here is the kind email:

Hi Kennedy,
The boro patches are beautiful. I have a pair of jeans in mind to sew them on. You are so generous. I can't believe you sent me a 3rd patch and all those other little goodies.
Your work is really detailed and beautiful. I need to read your note more carefully and will respond to your request for input for your blog. Thanks so much again!  Best, Etsy buyer

I'd love to know if she is repairing her jeans or adding this patch as an embellishment to upcycle them!  Patches left in stock in this set, patches #1 and #3, available here.  

Photo via Hoarder Rehab

It's always so nice to get an email of appreciation from a kindred spirit!  Here is what I wrote back:

Hi! Thank you for your inspiring email and compliments! I appreciate every word. I am so happy you can use all 3 patches. I'd love to see how you use the patches on your jeans! Kindest regards, Kennedy

Of course, I'd want to be the fly on the wall and see what she did with this patch too!  Two patches left in stock in this set, patches #1 and #3, available here.  Photo via Hoarder Rehab

Saying Goodbye:  I don't mind letting these go because I know I can make another like it, if I wanted one for my own projects!  As a matter of fact, stitching is my alternative to hoarding!  Hoarding takes up a lot of time and once I slowed down and/or stopped buying so much, I have/had a lot of extra time on my hands.  Who knew?  

What I learned:   

1.  Who knew hoarding is also a time hoarder!  All that window shopping, price and quality comparing and zooming on photos and reading descriptions, etc was so time consuming!  Not only did I let go of all that but I gained blocks of time.  At first I didn't know what to do with myself, I watched a lot of shows, read a lot of books and started a backyard farm!

2.  Hoarding was also my stress valve reliever through retail therapy.  Any time I felt a bit stressed, I bought something, a little pick my up.  Until all those pick me ups turned into piles.  Now I know it's time to re think what I'm doing when when the little pick me ups go into a pile unopened!  If I don't put it away, it's my own inner alert letting me know.... sometimes I don't always know, but it's the alert to start digging.

On the other hand, my alternative to stop hoarding and buying little pick me ups went to comfort foods!  Instead of stuffing my house, I started to stuff my face, which isn't always kind to my ever growing love handles!  Anything fried, salty, creamy and crunchy will do!  I'm not talking healthy stuff... more like junkie junk foods!  Why doesn't hummus and carrot sticks take away stress like french fries and thousand island dip?

Okay, so I still have a ways to go to finding alternatives to hoarding, but so far, stitching, gardening and reading has worked, but I still need more alternatives because I'm ADD like that!  Hoarding and eating comfort foods are so instant.... Anyone know other healthy alternatives out there that are instant?

I think these would be good for hiding stains on clothing.  These take a long time to make due to the tiny stitches to make all the curves.  They were a request from an Etsy buyer and I ended up making around 20 of them to try and make the one she wanted that was on a t shirt I had sold.  My needles seem to have a mind of their own.  Frayed and tattered, available here.   

Photo via Hoarder Rehab

Thank you Etsy buyer for sending your inspiring email  It's emails like yours that make my day and keep me stitching!  Wish I could see your up cycled patched up jeans!  I am so thankful I can help others live a more sustainable lifestyle.  Hope my patches helps save time, so you can spend your time making your clothes more aesthetic and last longer!

 

This patch I added to upcycle a t shirt sold long time ago and an Etsy buyer requested a custom order of this patch and it took me 20 patches to get one too look like this one! 
Frayed and tattered patches like the one above, available here.   

Photo via Hoarder Rehab

Sales have been up and down with mainly crazy busy on the weekends, but today we've had two sales, so here I am! I have been under the weather lately, actually for about a month.  I'm hoping I'll feel better soon and start new listing, stitching and organizing again.  I've been misplacing stuff and spending hours looking for them.  Yesterday it was a religious medal and some Spider Man toilet paper that sold and I could not find them.

The religious medal I hunted down, but it took me two days!  The Spider Man toilet paper was lost for a couple hours.  A great reminder for me to put things back where they are destined and can be found again and to organize and clean daily!

My simple plan is to have the 2nd room organized by next year!  Right now I'm just taking baby steps and working on the room for at least 20 min a day, yes I set a timer and usually go over 20 min, and to specifically organize and clear the two tables in there!  Sounds so easy!  Not so!  Those two table are my dumping grounds for everything else found around the house!  So keeping them clear is like hoping to see the bottom of the kitchen sink!  Wish me luck!

This was one of my favorite teaching and then gardening t shirts and I upcycled it with the abundance of patches I made to complete the custom order request.  It has six scribble doodle patches on it.  Five are on the front and one is on the back.  Available here.  Photo via Hoarder Rehab

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard: HoarderRehab with 162 items, The Destiny of Things- 162 items, VintageToGoEasy - 153 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 170 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 80 items!  My new goal is to list 170 items on each shop and to keep a full 3 pages on Mending Ways.  I am immensely grateful, thank you all who are supporting my alternative to hoarding!

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All pleasant lookieloos are appreciated!

 

 One of my favorite pair of jeans that I no longer wore because I only wear flat shoes now and I wore these with wedges when I was teaching.  They are now experiencing a more sustainable lifestyle with an Etsy buyer!  I am inspired by the embroidered flowers and did my own thing on another pair of jeans, they will be washed this weekend and hopefully listed next week!  So fun!

Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore, but will most likely be listed on Mending Ways.

"Although the word is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it." ---Helen Keller

Thank you readers for your visits and support from my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!