It’s probably safe to say that most of us have gone to put on our favorite baggy t-shirt or favorite pair of jeans that fit just right, just to find that somewhere there is some serious wear that has turned into a hole or a run. What if we told you that instead of throwing those extra loved pieces away you could turn them into a piece of art while also fixing them? This is called visibly mending a garment and it’s our new favorite thing.
(image via: woolery)
So now we’ve probably got you asking, so what is visible mending? Visible mending is a type of garment repair that is made visible on purpose. This is done by using contrasting or brightly colored thread, or patches to repair your piece. More on this in just a second, but real fast, there are some big benefits to mending your own clothes, so let’s chat about that really quick!
Benefits to mending your own garments:
If you mend your clothing, that means you don’t have to throw them away, and this creates less waste. Let’s face it, we’re pretty used to fast fashion at this point, but what if instead of that “I can just buy another pair of jeans” mentality, we started mending them and making them last even longer.
Repairing your own clothes is way cheap. You just need some pretty thread, a needle, and some creativity and you’re all set! This is cheaper than buying all new and more cost-efficient than paying someone else to do it too.
You extend the life of your favorite pieces if you fix them rather than toss them. Come on, you know you want to hang on to those jeans that fit just right a little while longer.
Mending clothes, especially if you use this visible mending method, is a great way to get creative. This not only forces you to come up with a design but also see it through. And hey, if you’re good enough, you may even be able to do this for your friends and/or co-workers for cold hard cash, or at least an iced coffee.
(image via: food 52)
Here are the supplies you’ll need to do some visible mending:
- A garment to mend; if you don’t have a piece laying around that you’ve had for years, hit up a local thrift store and nab some cheap sweatshirts, a cool pair of overalls, or even a pair of socks.
- Fabric
- Scissors
- Fabric glue stick
- Straight pins
- Needle
- Embroidery floss
You’ll start by patching your garment; to do this you simply need to cut a piece of fabric large enough to cover the entire hole. To attach your patch, turn your garment inside out and apply your fabric patch with your fabric glue stick.
Then comes the fun part, adding the decorative stitching! This is where you get to plan a design and see it through until your garment is totally mended and you have a new (kinda) piece to wear. You really can’t go wrong on this step, you can use classic stitches such as running stitch or seed stitch, or you can just make it up as you go along creating daisies or polka dots. Happy mending!
(image via: craft council)
