DIY Project: Salvaging Ravaged Clothing with Visible Stitching

how to mending sashiko upcycle

Mending with heart. 

While it isn't the easiest or fastest way to save a torn jacket, adding visible mending and patches makes a bold statement. Take this jacket, that I thought was really ugly, but I needed a practice piece to for this idea, and I didn't want to use a "good jacket" just in case I really effed it up. What turned out was this really cool, heartful piece that feels more like art than clothing. I fixed up that jacket that was bound for the landfill for under $10, though it did end up taking me about 10 hours over a few days. But still...

Deciding what to embroider 

This jacket had holes on each shoulder. It looked like the result of a lion attack, except I bet it would've been bloody, so it was probably something far less exciting. 

Cut off the fringe

This is a must for patching this way, because the leftover fringe from a tear will tangle with your thread, and it just looks kind of messy. 

Color/Pattern Schemes

I like to use a couple of different patterns, but still want to have some connection so I used patterns with gold and red for each of the shoulders, and then a variegated red and pink thread for the embroidered design on the back panel of the jacket. 

To secure the patches to the jacket, I pinned the fabric to the inside of the jacket, and then stitched around the edges to secure the fabric to the denim. 

mending denim with patches

Shoulder Detail

For the left shoulder, I secured the fabric to the inside of the jacket, and then used gold thread to make diagonal stitches beginning outside of the patch, and continuing over the fabric, and then back onto the denim. Then, I stitched tiny x's around the patch on the denim to give the patch even more strength. 

Visible mending on denim

The right shoulder was less beat up, so I used a smaller patch with horizontal  stitches running over the denim and the patch. 

adding a patch to a ripped shoulder

How about that back panel? 

sashiko jean jacket

Using a stencil, I traced the design down the center of one of the back panels, and then stitched using a variegated embroidery thread for a textured look. 

upcycled jean jacket

More mending? Click here to continue on:

https://wrenbirdarts.com/blogs/embroidery-by-erin-eggenburg

Or take a workshop here:

https://wrenbirdarts.com/pages/workshops-events


Older Post Newer Post


  • Carolyn Aichele on

    Great tutorial! Visible patchwork was fashionable in the 1960’s when I was an adolescent. It went with the bell bottom pants, midi skirts and “flower power” era. Your tutorial has inspired to try sashiko mending! Hope you enjoyed the hand me “ups” I sent home with Marcus.
    Carolyn


Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published