Mending a pair of pre-distressed overalls that I bought on the cheap for work. No stencil used, graphed with a ruler and drew the pattern on from there using a reference book.

This is a robe I made years ago when I was just started out sewing. The seam allowances are too small, there are weird bumps everywhere, it drapes funny, and I love it. It is made from two sentimental pieces of fabric and patched over the years with dozens of random scraps. It looks particularly awkward in that last image, but that’s just me being lazy with setting it up. It does lay flat and even, the sleeves are the same size and drape, I just liked how the light looked here and didn’t want to lose it.

Hemmed a pair of Gustin GreyXBlacks that I inherited from my partner when he started weightlifting and he got too caked up to fit in them anymore. Handstitched with gray thread.

A pair of 21oz Unbranded jeans, worn for 5+years. Crotch seems to be starting a slow blowout, so I reinforced from the inside and machine stitched a generous distance beyond the worn areas.

Spent some time repairing the holes that an enthusiastic cat put into a favorite couch.

This is my first quilt. Full of mistakes and lessons. Not quite done. I think it’s a little funny that I have barely looked at the quilt top since completing that stage. I flipped it over so that the dark blue fabric could stand in stark contrast to the white thread and started hand quilting it. For all of the precision I’ve (tried to) put into filling each section, the shape of each one is unique because I freehanded that stage of drawing on the pattern covering the whole quilt. I think that gave the whole thing a slightly uneven charm. I used between 55-60 patterns, most of which are here.

A flower on this embroidered blouse was caught and mangled in the laundry. I asked my friend if I could mend it for her. Instead of cutting any of the threads and stitching over the area with a matching thread, I pulled each strand from the backside of the shirt until the stitches lay neat and flat on the topside of the fabric again. Then I stabilized the embroidery from the back with some light stitching so the threads would not be pulled forward so easily. A mend with very little actual sewing, just a little time and fussiness. She seems happy with it, so I am too.

A small patch (5x6”) done on the inner forearm of a well-loved denim jacket. Reinforced from the inside with white cotton and stitched over in off-white sashiko thread. A blue six pointed star was used to cover the small area that had fully worn through. Both the underside of the patch and the blue star are upcycled.

Sashiko inspired hand quilting. Post 3/3