Darning: Repair Make Mend (Crafts and Family Activities)

A very basic book on mending, darning etc.

I remember both my granny and my mum darning so it was not an alien concept to me, but theirs was more the utilitarian kind - make do and mend, coarse darning wool type of darning.This is beautiful, a work of art even and encourages your creativity to be let loose in making your clothes a new and unique kind of wonderful again. Instead of trying to hide holes, rips, stains you can repair/cover them but make a feature of them too. Now I've started, I can't stop, a cardi with a spider hole in the shoulder now has an darned/embroidered flower over it; another jumper stained by a mixed wash accident has had the stain successfully covered by a beautiful darned pattern and a long sleeved t-shirt that got caught on some barbed wire, now has feature holes made to look like stars. It is so much fun, if you buy just one book - buy this one.

A fabulous introduction to the art of fabric repair. Clothing, cushions, blankets, tablecloths - all repaired to look stylish and original.I was taught to make mends invisible as far as possible. Hikaru Noguchi shows you how to create your own "designer original" with visible mending techniques, using different yarns and simple stitches, all of which she explains and demonstrates. If you have very basic sewing skills, or even none at all but can follow instructions, you can learn how to repair and rescue those treasured items and make them even more desirable and enviable. Not simply for rips, tears and moth holes, visible mending can be used to cover stains which could potentially ruin a garment.Not perfect? It doesn't matter. This is visible mending! Saving your wardrobe and the planet one stitch at a time whilst showing off your skll and iaginaion.

Whilst this book is fantastic for beginners, I think one of its greatest virtues is that it can inspire the jaded to be more flamboyant and adventurous in their mending. Having loathed mending before, I am now actually enjoying it. I am even darning socks that have no holes, in anticipation of the usual wear problems: to reinforce the heel while there is a good grounding for the stitches.I first turned to this because I missed wearing a hoodie that the dogs had attacked (took it off, forget I had had treats in the pocket). We also suffered some kind of household moth attack and several favourite t-shirts were looking too damaged even to wear to the supermarket - they look great now!Clear instructions, interesting text, beautiful photographs - now a fixture in my darning bag :)

This is an excellent bookIt has different darning techniques explained and gives clear instructions on how to make the various stitches.I like that the author has added their own examples.The pictures are clear and usefulI have learned several new ways to add darning due to reading this and am so glad I bought it.It is useful to have it at hand and be able to look at it as you are working.

Occasionally a little repetitive in terms of ideas. However this was also an informative and idea triggering book which has given me the motivation to start darning. Photographs are also excellent.

A lovely book for learning different ways of darning. I recommend this book for learning techniques old and new, presented in a pleasing way.

Easy to follow instructions and some lovely creative inspiration to try out