Welcome to the (In)Visible Mending Workshop!

Class set up: This course uses close-captioned video instructions to guide you through the process of mending your clothing invisibly. This course is pre-recorded so please go at your own pace. Videos are all under 15 minutes so you can do this class in bite size chunks or devote an afternoon to sewing. Please remember you can pause, replay as much as you need to. Each video is close-captioned. You will see the “CC” icon on the bottom right hand side of the video. Click that button to turn them on or off. If you are in need of extra help I offer private virtual hand sewing lessons. Email me at sewncompany@gmail.com to schedule a session.

About your instructor: My name is Sarah and I am the founder of Sewn Company. I am a hand-sewing scholar and a firm believer in hand sewing preservation. Before the 1830s all clothing was constructed with needle, thread and human hands. I served a seven year apprenticeship at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation where I became a Journeywoman Milliner/Mantua-maker and hold a M.A. in Material Culture from the University of Alberta. To learn more about me click here. I like to do at least 15 minutes of hand sewing a day. It clears my head and brings me back to myself. I hope you will cultivate a hand sewing practice to remember what you are capable of, remember you are human and remember what your hands can do.

Let’s get stitching! If you have any questions you can email me at sewncompany@gmail.com.

 Materials for (In)Visible Mending

The materials for this class will be based on the garments that need mending. The weight of the fabric will dictate the weight and fiber of the thread you choose. I recommend using the same color and weight of thread as the textile of the garment needing mended. The fabric you use to do an invisible patch should be the same weight, color and weave structure as the garment you are patching. The needles you choose should also match the job. Use finer needles for finer fabrics and more robust needles for thicker fabrics. In this video I explain what materials I am using for my mending and why.

Here are some materials I like and mentioned in the video:

Thread: Burnley and Trowbridge has a great assortment of fine to heavy silks and linen threads. If you need linen, remember your beeswax! https://burnleyandtrowbridge.com/collections/threads

Pins: I am a big proponent of using super fine dressmakers pins that are 1 1/4” long. JoAnns has them here, but my favorite are Iris pins, you can get them here.

Needles: The weight you need will be dictated by your project. I like Bohin needles. It is worth it to get nice needles. Sharps and embroidery needles are a good length for most projects. Quilters needles are very short and are good for very fine projects. The number associated with the needle indicates its girth. The larger the number the finer the needle. Here is a good assortment of Bohin needles to choose from. Avoid darning needles, tapestry and beading needles, they are too long or too blunt.

Embroidery Scissors: A tiny, sharp pair of embroidery scissors is a must. You can get these from JoAnns. However, my current favorite (and the pair I am using in the workshop) are these from William Whiteley and Sons

Pencil

Measuring Tape

Thimble: You may have one in your stash or you can find them at antique stores or on etsy. Do not buy a one size fits all. It should fit on the middle finger of your dominate hand. Not too tight but not too loose it falls off. These are amazing from Sajou and are good for a wish list.

 Hand Sewing Foundations for (In)Visible Mending

These videos are here for you to practice before you mend. Each video corresponds to skills we will be using in this class. I would highly encourage you to go through each of them. They are each around 5 minutes of practice. Please note: left handed videos are on the left side and right handed videos are on the right side.

Hand Sewing Basics: The Foundations of Hand Sewing Posture and Technique

How to use a thimble

Running stitch practice for patching a hole and re-weaving a hole

Hemming aka felling stitch practice for patching a hole

spaced backstitch practice for bonus module: re-seaming leggings

 How to (In)Visibly Mend a Hole

In this module I have broken down the steps on how to visibly patch a hole in your clothes. There are six steps, each has a short corresponding video.

1) Selecting your fabric

2) Trim the frayed edges around the hole

3) Measure and cut your patch for the hole

4) baste your patch to prep it for stitching to the garment

5) Baste back the edges of the hole in your garment

6) attach and stitch the patch

 How to (In)Visibly Re-Weave a Hole

In this module I have a video demonstrating how to re-weave a textile as well as a photo diagram. Finer fabrics are harder to see so if you have a fine textile I would recommend very good light and magnification.

Step 1: Weave over and under starting from 1/4 inch (.625 cm) to a 1/2 inch( 1 cm) away from the hole. The finer the fabric the closer you begin, the heavier the fabric the father away. Follow the yarns in the fabric. Using the follow diagram as a general guide:

 Bonus: Mending Legging Seams

In this module I will walk you through how to re-stitch worn seams on leggings.

 (In)Visible Mending Workshop Survey