Visible mending as an everyday practice
This week, I'm going to advocate for visible mending as an easily accessible everyday skill — not just some niche crafty hobby, but a practice that can be productively integrated into general clothing maintenance, like the almost ubiquitous darning of socks was in the past. And honestly, some people are truly visible-mending artists.
Why repairing used to be the default and what made it so
For most of history, repairing clothing wasn't considered an option or a statement; it was just a given. Textiles were expensive and laborious to produce, and mending was a natural part of clothes care. The advent of industrialisation, and more specifically fast fashion (guilty as charged!), changed the situation in that it became much easier and more affordable to replace worn-out garments, thus rendering mending techniques useless and old-fashioned.
Visible mending is a reaction to this state of affairs, a rebuke to the idea that clothing repair is somehow not a desirable practice, by celebrating the mend as a creative act and refusing to disguise it as something else.
The most basic forms of visible mending don't actually require any special skills
All they involve is a stitch and a patch, which means that a beginner has nothing to struggle with ahead of them. Even a simple, somewhat askew darning stitch with a contrasting thread colour will do (that’s what I did!). The only tools needed are a needle, some thread/yarn or a piece of repurposed fabric (for the patch) and, of course, the garment to be mended. This makes mend-making truly democratic in nature, as there's virtually nothing stopping anyone from trying it out.
Where to begin
I'd recommend starting with something simple but meaningful: a worn-out pair of socks, a hole in a jumper's elbow or a knee that's been torn on the edge (this is a shirt I love). You can go for a contrasting colour to make the mend really pop or use a similar fabric; it's completely up to you, but you should aim for simplicity and accessibility in terms of tools and materials.
Most importantly, don't worry about the mend being noticeable — that's the point, and a big part of the appeal, as it allows one to put creativity and self-expression at the centre of the process. This aspect, in particular, is what differentiates visible mending from regular darning and distinguishes it as a unique practice — the desire to conceal the mend as something ugly or unbecoming is what makes traditional mending so inaccessible to some people.
How to
First, you need to choose what you are trying to do: add a patch? Sashiko? Embroidery?
Patches
A patch is the simplest form of visible mending, and an easy start for anyone who isn't confident using a needle and thread. You can find plenty of different types of patches second-hand for a good price.
✨ Place the desired patch over the hole, or any desired placement on your garment, and pin it in place. We recommend that you iron your garment flat before starting to sew on your patch.
✨ Thread your needle and start sewing from the underside of your garment to conceal your knot. Use small, even stitches that go along the edge of the patch to secure it in place.
✨ You may want to reinforce the patch by sewing a couple of extra stitches across the middle, if it seems necessary.
Sashiko
Sashiko is a traditional Japanese mending method using running stitches to create patterns which then strengthen and mend fabric.
✨ If you are mending clothing using this method, sew a piece of fabric onto the reverse of the garment so that it covers up the hole. Thread the needle and do the same on the inside of the garment.
✨ Draw your needle through and make a number of stitches down the line in a pleating motion, making sure that you don't pull the stitches tight. This method would be continued down the length of the whole line.
✨ At the end of the line of stitches, begin a new line in the opposite direction, and continue in this way until the full length of the patch is secured and the hole is covered up.
You can use the Sashiko stitch in many ways to create a variety of different patterns.
Embroidery
Embroidery is a decorative form of mending, which can be used to cover a stain, hole or rip in your garment. This method of mending does take longer than the previous two, but there is a lot more scope for creativity when it comes to the additions you can make to your clothing.
✨ Choose a thread colour that either matches or contrasts your fabric, as desired.
✨ Secure your fabric in an embroidery hoop (optional, but advised). Thread your needle and knot the end.
✨ Begin to embroider from the back of the fabric, so that the hole is covered by your chosen design.
✨ Work your stitches close together in order to completely conceal the faulty part of the fabric. Make patterns or shapes which naturally flow around the hole.
✨ Finish by knotting the end of your thread on the back of the fabric.
There are so many more methods! You can read more about them on this Bel Jacobs blog.
And please remember, it's ok not to be perfect (I mean, look at my shirt again).
I also recommend reading this article by The Textile Anthropologist on Substack.
Happy mending,
Loris