Creative Mending

Beautiful Darning, Patching, and Stitching Techniques

Clothing repair is elevated from a humdrum chore to a fashionable, eco-friendly, and artistic outlet in Creative Mending. Replete with over 300 illustrations and color photographs, Hikaru Noguchi’s book outlines tools, techniques, and numerous inspiring “functional needlework” projects. It’s a visually alluring and encouraging guide.

Easy-to-learn sewing, darning, and patching skills are demonstrated with many examples, teaching owners how to hang onto their favorite garments, whether the choice is to keep repairs understated or embellish them with riotous colors and stitchery to achieve a whole different look. Instructions are offered for both novice and advanced sewers, beginning with basic techniques, tools, and threads and complete with labeled images.

Most of the book is devoted to clothing repairs. Favorite jeans don’t need to be thrown out when well-worn knees, pockets, and inseams can be patched with different fabrics, honeycomb darning, or bold Frankendarning repairs. Needle felting and stylish accents of tambourine darning can camouflage red wine stains, moth holes, and fraying of handmade mittens, socks, and sweaters. Other creative techniques and sophisticated colors and materials make some refurbished garments and accessories look like they are straight off of the runway.

Before and after photographs show that even the most stained, holey, and tattered fabrics can have new life after mending. Perhaps the most stunning transformations involve Noguchi’s repairs of home furnishings, like delicate ribbon patches on fluttery, translucent curtains, and the skillful, artistic rescue of a vintage Reitveld upholstered armchair savaged by naughty pets.

Detailed technical instructions combine with sentiments about the mindfulness, healing benefits, and personal satisfaction that can be derived from mending. Whether one wants a restorative craft activity or to extend the life of a treasured shirt, this motivational book will have you reaching for your sewing basket and dusting off that darning egg in no time.

Reviewed by Rachel Jagareski

Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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