Put your patch behind the hole, and pin in place.  I like to use a mini embroidery hoop to stabilize the area as I hand stitch, but be very careful not to stretch the fabric as you secure it in place especially if you are patching something stretchy like  these jeggings.  Children are really sensitive to tiny knots on the inside of their clothes so do not make any knots as you begin your thread.  Instead, leave a 3" tail and weave it after you are all finished.  You can scroll down to step 4 to see photos of this.

I was patching these leggings for my daughter's Valentine's gift, so I did my visible mending in the shape of a heart.  I marked the first one with an invisible ink marker, and then free-handed the following concentric hearts.

Using the outline of the inner heart, make a warp.  These are the vertical threads in a loom.  Take your needle out from the bottom and in from the top.  Try to keep them parallel and evenly spaced.  For my heart, I started in the middle and worked my way to the right.  Then I came back and worked my way to the left.

Now you'll make your weft.  These are the horizontal threads in a loom that go over and under the warp.

For my heart, I started at the fattest part and worked my way down.  Then I finished the upper right and left curves.  Just do your best.  You'll get better with each patch you do!

Here is a before and after of the backside when it is all finished.  When weaving, do not use little knots to start the thread because this will be bulky and rub against your skin.  Instead, leave a little tail and then weave it in to your stitches.  Finally, carefully trim the patch. 

Here is a closeup of weaving in the tails.  It's a little tedious, but makes a big difference with wearability and longevity of your patch.  It's like the polish :)

For the other knee, I put the patch on top of the jeans and stitched it in place. 

Experiment with putting the patch over or under the hole, try different shapes, and use varying thread colors.  To change colors, end your current thread color by pulling it through to the back, rethread with a new color, and pull it up from the back.  Remember to leave a 3" tail for weaving in at the end.

If you want the mend to be more subtle, put the patch in the back and use a coordinating thread color.

#madebywomenpatterns

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The Made by Women Patterns are part of an initiative to involve women with the process of garment making as a way to be mindful of our purchasing practices in the fashion industry. Behind every seam is a person, most likely a woman. Sewing a simple garment is a tactile way of understanding the effort that goes into the clothes we wear and our responsibility to respect the human and material output with each piece.