Learning Visible Mending Without Stress Using Tea Towels
So, you want to do some visible mending but don’t know where to start and are worried about ruining your clothes? This is definitely the feeling I had when I was starting out. Worried that I’d do such a bad job that I would be embarrassed to wear the clothes, or worse, completely ruin them altogether.
At the beginning, I found a way to practice mending in a meaningful way by using items that didn’t matter if they looked good or not. The main items I used were old holey and thinning tea towels. Giving them a new life rather than being tossed out. Not only did it teach me a lot about mending, but also allowed me to see the techniques I liked and that worked well for me versus ones that were not as good.
I have darned, patched, embroidered and used sashiko techniques. I have even turned old tea towels that seemed beyond saving into zokins – a type of cleaning cloths made from old worn fabrics that are adorned with sashiko stitching.
The result, a bunch of very loved and worn tea towels given a new life that I love even more than if I had brought new ones! These tea towels now tell the story of my progress and humble beginnings of learning how to mend.
Have you tried visible mending? What’s your favourite project so far? Share your experience in the comments or tag us on social media using #fibreofmybeing—I’d love to see your creations!
Want more mending inspiration? Why not check out these blog posts:
