Time Out for Mending

What do you do when a loved one brings you their all time favorite article of clothing and begs you to do something to salvage it? You do your best to mend it of course, . . . and maybe give it even more character.

This not so gently used Patagonia pullover was covered with thread bare spots and rips that showed signs of years of love. The whole body of the garment had to be examined for holes. 

I pulled the navy color from the top accent binding to mend along the bottom ribbing seam and cuff seams using embroidery floss. Circles were drawn around each spot with a heat erasable fabric pen and a blanket stich was sewn in ever smaller consecutive circles to create these dots in a lighter blue.     

I won't take credit for this idea; mending examples are all over Instagram and other social media. To be honest, it all seemed like a lot of effort for not much return. I had no interest in the trend until I ran across these two books: Creative Mending by Hikaru Naguchi and The Mending Directory by Erin Eggenburg. They take mending to a new level.

So, my perspective has shifted a bit. I've started to see this as another way to be creative. 

Now I've been looking more closely at my own wardrobe with a little embarrassment over the state of my favorite jeans, etc. But with a growing excitement at making them even more beloved with a bit of floss and a needle.