Mending with Sashiko: The Japanese Art of Visible Repair

(Hardback)

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Learn Sashiko, the timeless Japanese form of decorative stitch repair, to mend your clothes, bedsheets and more.

The Japanese art of Sashiko is a joyful and practical method of decorative repair. It is a hand sewing technique with a long and colourful history, based on simple stitches that anyone can pick up, regardless of skill level. This book contains both simple and advanced patterns to cater to those both new and well-versed in this timeless craft.

Sashiko is used to repair and decorate clothing, bed covers, tablecloths; nearly any textile you could think of. It is a functional, decorative way to give new life to tired or damaged clothing. In Mending with Sashiko, you will learn how to sew with different techniques such as hitomezashi, moyozashi and koginsashi, and learn which techniques are best for which materials. There are direct instructions on how to mend jeans, shirts, socks and more, as well as how to utilise your new skills on larger projects, such as patchwork quilts.

Takao 'Momi' Momiyama is a renowned artist and Sashiko practitioner, and in Mending with Sashiko you are invited into his workshop where he shares his best tips and tricks for successful stitching. You can dive into Momi's archive and take a closer look at garments that he has repeatedly repaired with Sashiko over the years; in some cases, up to 40 years. You can observe how this continuous cycle of wear, tear and repair affects the clothing in a way that is rarely seen in our throw-away culture, and see how mending your clothes with Sashiko, either simply with functionality in mind or with more intricate embroidery patterns, turns your clothes into unique and sustainable pieces for life.

Author Bio

Kerstin Neumuller is a crafter, tailor, woodworker and author with many years of textile studies behind her. She can be found in her workshop creating things whenever she isn't writing books or teaching workshops. Her previous books include: Simple Weave, Indigo and Mend & Patch. She lives in Sormland, Sweden. Takao 'Momi' Momiyama has received a lot of attention for his work in Sashiko, which has been shown in many popular exhibition spaces such as Sweden's Vandalorum and Fiber Space Gallery, and the Helsinki Design Museum. He has a daily Sashiko diary which he shares on his popular instagram account @momiyamatakao to his 42k followers. This is Momi's debut book, and he lives in Sweden.