Recently I was given a load of old clothes to cull through before doing a Goodwill run. These Levi 545's were at the bottom of the bag, and yes, I got excited. They had been sitting on a shelf for at least 20 years, and the holes and fraying are the results of labor and mechanic stuff and whatever else men do to rip their pants (what was he doing to rip the groin???) Plus they required three washings to get the cigarette smell out.
(click on images for detail)
(click on images for detail)
Next step: patch the really indecent holes. First try is with Aleenes's OK To Wash It fabric adhesive from Joann's and a pair of sacrificial jeans for the patches. The goal is to glue from the back to cover my butt without losing the frayed, lived-in look.
The glue requires 24 hours to dry, and then a week before it is safe to wash. The first three patches weren't sticking very well and I don't know if they'll hold. So instead of patching everything in one sitting I am weighing these down with 33 POUNDS of litter, and tomorrow I'll know if I need to change my game plan. Thanks, cat.
THE NEXT DAY:
Firstly, this product has a very strong and unpleasant smell. I used a disposable plastic knife to scoop small beads of goo and spread it around the holes to reattach yesterday's patches. Make sure to close the Shoe Goo after every scoop because it dries quickly. So fast that within 5 minutes of rubbing the patches down they were already firmly attached. I went ahead and attached a few more then set the pants aside to cure before working on the front.
Shoe Goo stays clear and flexible when dry, and is fully waterproof. And I'll give them a few days to air out, this stuff is so fumey.
Pants aren't done yet, but I would definitely call this a success.
Shoe Goo stays clear and flexible when dry, and is fully waterproof. And I'll give them a few days to air out, this stuff is so fumey.
Pants aren't done yet, but I would definitely call this a success.