I hope this newsletter finds you well and creatively inspired! Today, I want to talk about something close to my heart and likely yours, too: the powerful connection between hand embroidery, mending, and sustainability.
In a world where fast fashion dominates and items are often discarded at the first sign of wear, mending through embroidery is a thoughtful, creative, and sustainable alternative. Not only does this extend the life of your favorite garments, but it also contributes to a more sustainable lifestyle—one stitch at a time!
 Jeans before mending |
Why mending matters
We’ve all had those moments where a beloved piece of clothing suffers a tear or a hole, and the first impulse might be to replace it. However, mending offers a beautiful way to breathe new life into worn items while reducing waste. By embracing mending, we can combat the wasteful “throwaway culture” and shift towards a mindset that values preservation and creativity.
Clothing production is resource-heavy, requiring water and energy and often producing environmental pollutants. Every time we mend rather than replace, we lessen the demand for new materials, reduce waste, and promote a more conscious way of life.
Besides that, hand embroidery preserves traditional crafts that have been passed down for generations. In a world of mass production, handmade creations do set us apart.
Hand embroidery for mending
Hand embroidery for mending uses decorative stitches to fix and strengthen damaged fabrics. It repairs tears and holes and adds artistic designs, giving the garment a unique look and extending its life.
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Tips for embroidery mending projects
If you’re new to combining hand embroidery with mending, here are a few tips to get started:
- Start Simple: Try using basic stitches like the running stitch, chain stitch, or blanket stitch and its variations to patch up small holes or add decorative borders to frayed edges.
- Experiment with Color: Use bold colors or contrasting threads to make your mended areas stand out as part of the garment’s design.
- Mix Techniques: Combine patches with embroidery, layering fabric underneath tears and adding stitched designs for a playful yet sturdy repair on top.
- Practice on Scraps: Before starting on a delicate or favorite piece of clothing, practice your stitches on fabric scraps to get comfortable with your needlework.
Resources for your mending practices:
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PS: Can you help me plan Practical Embroidery blog content for the next year? If mending with hand embroidery is your vibe, please reply and tell me what kind of projects interest you. Is it mending sweaters, knitwear, jeans, sashiko-style mending, applique, or something else?
See you next week!
Tatjana
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