-

Creative Mending Prize Pk

ByLilac

In the good ole days, moms mended clothing and socks out of necessity. They didn’t have big box stores to pick up items back then. They needed to take care of what they had in order to extend their longevity with darning and patching. Today, we are maybe not as frugal, but there are many moms who still patch clothing that kids seem to tear or forge a hole in easily. Patching and mending can add years to a garment that would otherwise have been discarded. But, patching and mending have taken on a whole new vibe in the 21st century. Now there are many new and exciting techniques to repair clothing that are going to thrill a lot of people.

I recently received two new books from Tuttle Publishing that feature creative ways to mend those favorite garments you just can’t bear to toss away. Creative Mending and Mending with Boro will share tricks, tips, and advanced techniques to not only repair your clothing, but also make them stand out as modern and trendy. And with landfills full, it’s also a great way to reduce our environmental footprint.

Creative Mending

Creative Mending, beautiful darning, patching and stitching techniques

Creative Mending, Beautiful Darning, Patching and Stitching Techniques will have you addicted to fixing and repairing garments from jeans to sweaters using the amazing approaches included in this book. There are so many inspirational and unique ideas that will spark your creativity and desire to show some love to your garments.

Mend, Rethink, Transform, Recreate

There are basic and advanced techniques to help you mend knitted and woven fabrics, denim, socks, t-shirts, outerwear, and much more. In addition, you are helped to match a technique to your worn and torn garments so that it lasts a long time.

The onset of the book shares what tools and threads you will need to darn. Then it goes straight into the 13 basic and advanced techniques which include Goma-shio Darning, Basket Darning, Palm Darning, Honeycomb Darning, Camouflage Darning, Tambourine Darning, and more. Each darning technique features over 300 full-color photo tutorials that will walk you through the whole method.

  • Apply creative repairs to both knitted and woven fabrics
  • Use yarn, floss, ribbon, and fabric to reinvent well-loved garments
  • Make understated repairs that add just a touch of contrast, color, or texture
  • Use visible mending techniques for bold repairs
  • Darn with felt to add body and dimension to a repaired item
  • Match your repairs to the damage, the fabric, and the wearer
  • Maneuver through tricky places like inseams and underarms
  • And more!
Creative Mending, Goma-shio darning

Next, you are given guidance on how to mend specific items with various methods, like shirts, tops, pants, socks, knitted items, damage to underarms, delicate fabrics, patterned fabric and so much more. Impressively, you are also shown how to repair interior items like chairs, blankets, and pillows. There are so many options that you’ll have when deciding how to make the repair fun and attractive.

Mending with Boro

Mending with Boro

Mending with Boro: Japanese Running Stitch & Patching Techniques features one simple stitch that is used to repair and reinforce garments using layers of scrap fabric with running stitches. This stitch can add so much variety, texture, and charm to artfully repair any garment. It looks elaborate, but the good news is you don’t need any sewing experience to make some fun and unexpected results.

Part 1: Use Rips and Stains to Create Original Clothing Pieces
Part 2: Enter a New World of Mending That is Informed by Traditional Techniques
Part 3: The Basics: a Patch and Running Stitches – Wonky Stitches That Add Character and Don’t Throw it Out! Give it new life with a little time and effort.
Part 4: The More You Repair It, the More It Becomes Uniquely Yours: Mending Ready-to-Wear to Create a New Look
Part 5: A Cozy Lifestyle: Add Homemade Comfort to Your Daily Life

Mending with Boro stitches

I love the idea of using scraps of fabric, including recycled vintage fabric to add dimension and interest to our repair jobs. We can add a new look to pockets, hemlines, necklines, elbows, knees, and more with this all-purpose simple stitch. There are an abundance of full-color photos along with easy-to-follow instructions. Darning and mending could not get any easier for more fun. These two books share useful and creative ways to repair any garment. They are worth having as your go-to repair books.

Disclaimer: I received complimentary products to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own, yours may differ.