When it comes to raising kids, I am one of the luckiest gals around. One of the reasons I am so lucky is that I am the baby of the family, which means, I have the good fortune to benefit from Debbie (the Oldest) and Tracy’s (the Middle Child) parenting experience. Here is one of my favorite tips from Debbie: Say “Yes” as often as you can. Make your “No’s” really count for something. Save them for when you really need them. I have used this advice so many times and been so glad I did. I have great teenagers and love my relationship with them. They are pretty respectful when I say no, maybe because I try not to say it too often.
This advice came in handy when my daughter wanted to buy that “perfect” pair of jeans. I have to admit, they were cute, but they had that ripped, hanging by a thread look that my mommy instincts were wanting to say no to. In the end, I decided to save my “no” for another occasion. And I was glad I did. Big deal, the threads covered the hole and it was cute and trendy. But then…a few threads broke, and then more, and then it was just a hole. Now remember, I am trying to reserve those “no’s” for when I really need them. No you cannot wear your favorite pair of jeans anymore was not going to win me any popularity contests. Not that I am trying to win a popularity contest with my kids. But I do want my kids to know that when I do say no, it is with good reason, it means something, and they had better listen. When the hole started getting bigger, as in, I am nervous that the jeans are going to split right open bigger, that “No” that was just about ready to come out of my mouth.
But then I remembered a pin I had on my Good Things to Sew Board that showed how to repair jeans with a lace inset. This great idea from The Forge is so clever! If I were to do a patch, it wouldn’t blend in so well. I thought about a fun piece of fabric, but then it might not match with everything, which is part of the fun with jeans. But lace? Fabulous! The look is similar to how they were originally, with a little touch of personality and style. And even if you aren’t a seamstress, this is in your wheelhouse.
You will need a small piece of lace, scissors, sandpaper, thread and fusible bonding web.
First, I turned the jeans inside out, and cut a piece of lace big enough to cover the hole. Then, I put a four strips of fusible bonding web around the hole from the backside. 
Next, I laid the lace on top and ironed it on. 
Using blue thread on top and white thread in the bobbin, I zigzag stitched around the hole for extra security. 
Then I trimmed away the excess and sanded the cut edges so they would have that worn look. 
Awesome! Now the hole is protected from getting bigger, my baby is not showing so much skin, my budget is happy, and I have another “No” held in reserve for when I really need it.
This hereditary pin rocks because it is in your jeans! Lame pun; great pin!
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