How to Mend a Jeans Knee with a Sashiko and Satin Stitch Planet Design

Materials & tools you'll need

Step 1 — Stitch horizontal Sashiko-style lines

This tutorial picks up with the patch already mended in place over the knee, worked in the same Sashiko-style embroidery used on the other knee in an earlier video. For this knee, choose a brighter embroidery floss. Here it's a soft blue. Stitch horizontal lines across the knee patch. This knee is worked without an embroidery hoop, so the fabric doesn't end up perfectly flat. The result is a little less than perfect, but that unevenness can become part of the design, and here it inspired the whole idea.

Step 2 — Add vertical lines in a new colour

After finishing the horizontal lines, decide whether to go further. Here, vertical lines make the patch look more like outer space, so they're added over the top in navy blue and black thread. That shift in colour gives the patch depth and suggested a theme: this knee becomes an earth-like planet, while the other knee is left as it is and reads as a moon.

Step 3 — Pinch up the bumps and stitch the land masses

Once the patch is fully mended, add something extra to make it special. Where the patch isn't lying flat, pinch up the extra fabric and sew along that ridge with satin stitches to create a mountainous look, like topography on a map or globe. Pull and adjust the fabric, then satin stitch around each raised area, working all over the patch to build up land masses. Satin stitching pulls on the fabric and can stop it sitting flat, so switch to an embroidery hoop at this point to keep the fabric nice and tight while you work. The raised ridges come out three-dimensional and feel cool to the touch.

Step 4 — Fill the land masses with colour changes

To fill in the land, cut two long pieces of floss in one colour and fold them in half so you're stitching with four strands. Work satin stitches across the inside of the land masses, then change colour and repeat. Here the sequence runs from light green to dark green, then dark green with dark brown, then brown and tan for the drier inland areas. Bridge each colour into the next as you go. Starting your satin stitches with a small gap between them makes it easier to keep them straight, and they blend together well in the end. This embroidery also reinforces the mending stitches underneath, locking them in place, so even if a piece of thread wears down over time the whole patch won't unravel.

Step 5 — Add islands with satin stitch and French knots

If a large area of the patch looks empty, add islands. Mark where you want them with a red marker so the layout is clear. Use satin stitch for larger islands, which suits their size, and French knots for the small ones to vary the texture. For a cleaner edge, outline each island first with a back stitch, straight stitch, whip stitch or stem stitch, then fill it in with satin stitch. The outline makes the edge much clearer, and it's a useful tip for any project where the lines matter. Light green paired with a mossy green works well for the islands. When it's finished, this knee reads as a little planet, and the whole piece looks like a small work of art on your jeans.

Frequently asked questions

What materials do I need to embroider a jeans knee patch?
You will need a pair of jeans with a knee that needs mending, scissors, an embroidery hoop, a thimble, a sewing needle, pins, extra denim, and embroidery floss in the colours of your design. A red marker is useful for sketching details like islands before you stitch them. DMC embroidery floss is a good choice because it is colourfast and resists fraying while you work.

Do I need an embroidery hoop for Sashiko-style mending on jeans?
Not for the Sashiko-style lines. Working without a hoop can leave the patch slightly uneven, which can become part of the design. A hoop is helpful for satin stitching, though, because satin stitches pull on the fabric and can stop it sitting flat, and the hoop keeps it tight while you work.

How do I get clean edges when I satin stitch a shape?
Outline the shape first with a back stitch, straight stitch, whip stitch or stem stitch, then fill it in with satin stitch. The outline makes the edge of the shape much clearer. Starting your satin stitches with a small gap between them can also make it easier to keep them straight, and they blend together well in the end.

Does embroidering over a patch make the mend stronger?
Yes. The embroidery on top reinforces the mending stitches underneath and locks them in place. Even if part of the thread wears down over time, the whole patch is much less likely to unravel.

Enjoyed this tutorial?

Find 60+ free tutorials on YouTube. Grab a pattern from the Etsy shop, or go deeper with a community membership.

Free tutorials on YouTube →    Shop on Etsy →    Join the community →