Day 1: Find things with holes and stains. We’re going to close holes and cover the coffee stains, because we all know that the moment you put on something white, YOU WILL spill your coffee.
Day 2: Gather your mending and stain-hiding tools, aka your materials. You’ll have a nice stash of things to pull from as you work, because no one wants to sit down to work on a project and then spend the next 34 minutes looking for a needle and thread, which is also why I recommend that you have at least 10 pairs of scissors. .
Day 3: Create endless patches. You’ll learn to do this by hand or with a sewing machine. Use your patches throughout to mend, or create a stash for those emergency rips and stains. They’re also fun gifts. You’ll learn basic steps to take bits and pieces of fabric, stitch them together, and then reveal your talent as you add them to your clothes.
Day 4: Patch making, but fancy. Patches are the perfect place to experiment and express. Add embroidery and other stitching details to add just the right level of delight.
Day 5: Patch making, but make it simple. Learn how to make iron-on patches, because some days you need the hole to be closed or the stain to be covered. Iron-on patches are a fun and quick way to mend, and are the perfect thing to have on hand.
Day 6: Put your patches to work. You’ve made all sorts of patches now; let’s use them. Patch your pants, sheets, elbow sleeves, or cover those coffee and pit stains. You’ll be obsessed with patches by this point, so you might consider ripping a hole in your boring throw pillow just so that you can jazz it up with your new patch skills.
Day 7: Visible mending, weaving with threads. You know that I can’t offer a class with fabric and not cover some weaving. Explore the magic of weaving and visible mending.
Day 8: Visible mending: Embroidery. Why go through all the work of hiding your stitches, showing your work, and making it beautiful? Add a tiny bumblebee, a stunning blooming flower, or the portrait of your pet. But really, we’re going to learn how to do some square embroidery, which is stunning and great at covering and mending.
I hope you’re canceling your plans, making a cozy drink, and having as much fun staying home and mending as I am. We’re going to learn the square embroidery stitch today. Create one square or multiple next to each other to form a fun pattern.
I’m fixing a hole in the jacket that was given to me by a friend years ago. I’ve been putting off fixing the hole because it’s so small, but spoiler alert, it’s much easier if you fix holes as they start to form, instead of waiting until they’re so big that you’re leg is going through a hole in your bedsheets that are now split in two.
PS: I’m opening this post to all paid members. I’ve been on Zoom calls more than I’d like to admit for work in the past week, I skipped Thursday’s Over_Under post, because no one wants me to try to write when I can feel the gray hairs growing out of my scalp.
PPS: I’m also doing it, because we all need to mend more, fast fashion is killing our planet and mending is not only a way to make what you have last longer, it’s always a way to make old clothes, blankets, and towels seem new. And that’s why shortly, I also provide you with ideas about how to bring mending into the classroom.
