Happy Patchwork Patches
Hi, friends! I recently posted these photos on Instagram and was so tickled to get an inbox full of questions about how I sewed these patches onto my jeans. Here’s a super short and simple tutorial along with a freebie block pattern for the star block patch I made. It probably has a name that I don’t know! After a little googling, I discovered that the other block is called Calico Puzzle only I unknowingly swapped the position of the dark/light fabrics in the corners. Share your patches on instagram using hashtag #kshappypatches so I can see what you’ve made!
Happy Patches Instructions
Makes one 6” finished star block/patch. I used an assortment of Essex yarn-dyed linens and am pretty sure the patches will long outlast my jeans!
Cutting Instructions
Fabric A
Cut:
1 – 2 1/2” square
2 - 3 3/8” squares
16 - 1 1/2” squares
Fabric B
Cut:
2 - 3 3/8” squares
Fabric C
Cut:
8 - 2 1/2” x 1 1/2” rectangles
Make corner HSTs
Layer one 3 3/8” Fabric A square with one 3 3/8” Fabric B square with right sides
together.
Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner and sew 1/4” seam on both sides of drawn line. Cut along drawn diagonal.
Press toward darker fabric and trim to 2 1/2”. Repeat to make 4 HSTs.
Make flying geese units
Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on wrong side of 2 – 1 1/2” Fabric A squares.
Place one square on left side of a 2 1/2” x 1 1/2“ Fabric C rectangle. Sew along drawn line. Press toward corner and trim away excess behind corner 1/4” from sewn seam. Repeat process on right side of rectangle as shown. Make 8 flying geese units.
With right sides together, sew two flying geese units together as shown to make one 2 1/2” x 21/2” Unit A square. Repeat with remaining flying geese blocks to make 4 Unit A squares.
Follow the diagram to assemble the block. When completed, turn all edges under 1/4” and press to make 6” finished block patch.
Easy Patching
Now that you’ve got your patch made, it’s time to sew them onto your jeans, but how do you get that pant leg under your presser foot without sewing the legs together!? I puzzled over this for a bit before the light bulb went on! The easiest way to manage this is to rip the outer side seam of the pant leg from a couple inches above the hole to just above the bottom hem. Open the side seam as shown in the diagram. This will give you plenty of flexibility to maneuver around your patch.
Pin the patch in place. I used a tight zig zag stitch to sew the patch on. After your patch is all set, just sew the side seam closed again and give the open edges an extra zig zag stitch or serge them if you have a serger. That’s it! You’ve just upcycled your jeans, participated in the slow fashion movement, helped the environment, used up some scraps and made my day by visiting! Happy sewing!