There is a famous japanese mending technique called Sashiko, that in my opinion (and many other people's opinion) is a form of art. In modern years this technique has been neglected as Japanese started wearing western clothes and they didn't want anything that would remind them of how poor they used to be. I guess it is almost the same everywhere, maybe it works as a reminder to a collective trauma to poverty, but people seem to take mending as something that reminds them of difficult times. But times change and here we are finding old and new ways to avoid unneeded consumption and rediscovering those techniques.
This post is not about Sashiko that I so much admire though. This is about fixing holes with embroidery and simple patching :)
I spent the noon mending some socks and my very old sea towel. Nothing fancy, but it was so calming. Someone could think that I could work a bit more instead of wasting my time on this, but firstly I love my old sea towel and these bamboo socks, and secondly I believe that even moneywise it was a very productive noon since I don't have to buy new ones. Of course I could have done it the quick way, just fix them quickly, but those who know me know I love slow, creative ways of working.
This is how bad my towel looked, and these are the small holes...
I didn't create any piece of art, that's for sure, but I am happy I gave my clothes a second chance and some care, and to me a couple of peaceful hours.
The towel was full of holes, smaller or bigger ones, and I decided to make some playful leaves to cover them. This is a technique by bookhou, aka Arounna Khounnoraj. I loved it. Easy, repetitive and the result is super cute. I will definitely do it on clothes as well, but it was nice to start with a towel as the first ones are never perfect. Actually none of them is, but you know what I mean. Anyway, fixing old clothes is not only about not buying new stuff without second thought, but also about embracing imperfection and zero waste philosophy.
I'll try to show it step by step, it's really easy. At the end of the post there is the video of the tutorial that you mind find easier to follow :)
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For the socks, I decided to do some patching. These are soft bamboo socks and I didn't want to make bumps and make them feel uncomfortable. I used small patches from an old sock that now serves as a donor of patches for other socks :) @fotostef was not around to take some nice photos of the process and I was completely absorbed in what I was doing, so I didn't even think about it. I didn't expect I would post it I guess :)
Thank you so much for reading!
PS. The video of the Fishbone Embroidery to mend a hole by bookhou.
If you would like to know more about me this is my introduction post.
Art indeed!! I was looking at this technique as well, I'll try it out in the next few days..
And I love how they look on the towel, like little petals that got stuck to it:)
Haha, yes! I hope you will like the result if you decide to try it! Maybe a combination with the stars that you recently made might be nice. These leaves/petals are not easy for small holes, so I think that some stars will be on my towel soon as well :)
A combination will definitely have to by tried!:)
(that's great because the stars are a bit challenging when the holes get too big)
While the leaves are quite good with big holes, their best use is with rips of any size :)
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I learned something new today and I thank you for it. I am also of the opinion that why buy something new when we can repair or reuse. I understand that a lot has to do with the way people live, the culture, the country and many other reasons. But learning things like the one you have shared today is invaluable and even more so in these times. Happy week. 💚
Thanks so much @mdrguez, glad you liked it! I find these leaves very cute, I think that they upgraded the towel to be honest :) Can't wait to use it with different threads on different fabrics!
It's a nice way to mend the broken, it not only fixes it but beautifies it, I loved it.
Yeap :) You can check on Bookhou if you have time. She also has an incredible mending embroidery, a small butterfly and so much more. Right now, I have a small pile of stuff to be fixed on my desk and I am totally into this mode as you can see :))
This is amazing Fotini! Your colors are beautiful and that towel is very artistic! The Japanese are on to something with Sashiko and Wabi Sabi and finding value in the old and used!
Thanks so much Sara! It turned out pretty nice, I'm very happy :)
Exactly! I love their philosophy about life: simplicity, zero waste, imperfection, being slow (not sure at all if they follow all these nowadays though...). I find it really soothing to use even a bit of the above in daily life :)
The colors are really beautiful
I learned something new ,Sashiko sounds quite interesting and I love how it seems like the patch follows a pattern
Thanks so much @abenad! I love the colors, too :)
Sashiko is soooo interesting! I wish I will be able to do some serious stuff one day!
What I did here was not based on this technique, but looking at their crafts and as you say their patterns, some of them are pure gems, real art! Thanks again :)
You’re welcome
Well done! You made mending beautiful. !BBH
@traisto! Your Content Is Awesome so I just sent 1 $BBH (Bitcoin Backed Hive) to your account on behalf of @fiberfrau. (1/5)
This is such a glorious, inspiring and informative post dear @traisto ! Thank you for sharing especially these close-up details of the process, which helps me see how I can make my conspicuous repairs more beautiful! I love your results: actually, I never thought to repair a towel before! My own towels have a couple of VERY big holes that will need significant patching now, hehe 😋
Thanks so much sweet @clareartista! So glad you find it inspiring and helpful!
I loved this technique, it is so easy and the result is elegant and romantic and playful.
Next time I want to try it on thinner fabric, maybe with multiple thin threads instead of a thick one :)