Visible Mending with Embroidered Patches
Kit Instructions
Table of contents
Intro
How can I use this kit?
Use these patches to mend clothing, decorate your favourite backpack, or make coasters out of scrap fabric!
What is visible mending?
Visible mending is when you use bold colours and decorative stitches to mend something. It celebrates that you took the time to fix something by hand instead of throwing it away - which is something to be proud of!
Visible mending also celebrates the life and story of an object. Sometimes we mend clothing because it has sentimental value and reminds us of a specific person or time in our lives. Lovingly fixing it up pays tribute to those memories.
What's different about Creative Confidence embroidery kits?
My kits are designed to replicate the experience of an in-person workshop, where everyone makes their own unique artwork. I include extra materials so you can practice and experiment. I also include multiple options, with different stitch ideas and templates, so you can decide what you'd like to make. There is no 'one way' or 'right way' to use these kits.
What if I run into trouble?
I like working with people 1 on 1 to bring their ideas to life - so if you run into any trouble, please shoot me an email or DM me on instagram and I'd love to help. You can also sign up for my newsletter to find out about free online 'stitching hour' workshops for sharing and troubleshooting projects with other crafters.
Happy stitching!
- Shannon Quigley
Online Gallery
This gallery showcases everyone's creativity. Get inspired by what people have made - and email me a photo of your work to inspire others. Let your creativity run wild!
Your artwork here.
Send in a photo!
Embroidery Basics
Do you have a question about embroidery? Is there a video you'd like to see here that doesn't exist yet? Please email me at shannon@creativeconfidence.ca - I would love to hear from you!
Embroidery Stitches
For patches, I recommend backstitch for outlines and text. Lazy daisy and french knots are fun for stitching flowers. These are just a few ideas - you can use any stitch you like!
For detailed instructions on how to do embroidery stitches, please check out my stitch tutorials playlist on youtube (work in progress) or visit the Royal School of Needlework RSN stitchbank.
Instructions
About these patches
These patches are perfect for thicker fabrics like denim, backpacks, and totebags. The patches also work on thinner fabrics - but you may need to use an embroidery hoop to keep the fabric flat while stitching.
These are water soluble patches. I design the patches and print them onto water soluble stabiliser by Sulky. Make sure not to get them wet before you're ready to get rid of the pattern!
Warm up excercises
This kit includes a scrap piece of denim that you can use to practice your stitches before starting your project. You can also use this scrap of fabric to repair your clothing if you like.
Option 1: use embroidered patches for decoration
The example in this video is stitched with 3 strands of DMC embroidery thread (also called embroidery floss). Watch this video for info about how to cut and split embroidery thread.
Steps:
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Decide where you'd like the patch to go. Remove the backing and stick it onto the fabric.
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Stitch your design. Use a stitch like backstitch to outline it, or split stitch to fill it in.
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Soak the fabric in warm water, and rub away the stabilizer. Make sure to rinse it out thoroughly. Air dry and then enjoy!
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Take a photo and submit it to the online gallery.
Option 2: embroidered patches to mend a hole
Steps:
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Use a scrap piece of fabric to make a patch that is BIGGER than the hole. The fabric should be about 1 inch bigger in every direction. I have a pair of jeans that don't fit that I've cut up to make patches.
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Baste the scrap fabric on top of the hole - or inside the garment underneath the hole. The baste stitches hold the fabric in place while you add the embroidered patch. You remove the baste stitches afterwards - so make them really big and easy to see.
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Put the embroidered patch on top of the hole. Remove the backing and stick it to the fabric.
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Stitch on top of the design. You can use backstitch for outlines. If you need to add more stitches to cover the hole, you can outline the embroidered design in rows of running stitch. Adding extra stitches allows you to use a very small embroidered patch to fix a big hole.
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Soak the fabric in warm water, and rub away the stabilizer. Make sure to rinse it out thoroughly. Air dry and then enjoy!
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Take a photo and submit it to the online gallery.
Option 3: Use embroidered patches to make a coaster
Let's say you want to try out this technique before you stitch onto your favourite pair of jeans. You can use these patches to make cool coasters out of scrap fabric!
Front:
Back:
Steps:
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Get an old pair of jeans that doesn't fit anymore. Cut a square that is about 5 inches on each side. This gives you 1/2 inch on each side to fold over so you don't have raw edges.
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Put the embroidered patch on top of the fabric. Remove the backing and stick it to the fabric.
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Stitch on top of the design. You can use backstitch for outlines - or any stitch you'd like to try.
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Soak the fabric in warm water, and rub away the stabilizer. Make sure to rinse it out thoroughly. Let it dry.
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Once it's dry, fold about 1/2 inch over on each side and iron the edeges down. Use running stitch to stitch these edges down to 'hem' your coaster. Sometimes when hemming people fold the fabric over twice, so there's no raw edge on the back. I find with denim that 2 folds is not necessary and creates extra bulk that will make it tricky to use as a coaster. But if you're using thinner scrap fabric that frays, you may want to fold it over twice (1/4 inch each fold).
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Enjoy! Take a photo and submit it to the online gallery.
Using a blank patch to make your own design
If your kit includes a blank patch - this is so you can use it to create your own patch design! You can use it to add initials, text, or a simple drawing onto fabric clothing and bags!
Use a pencil to write or draw onto your blank patch. I find that a good quality HB or 2B or 4B will show up well. Don't use a marker that will bleed when it gets wet, because the ink might bleed onto your design when you soak it in water to remove the stabilizer. You can use a water soluble pen if you have one - but these don't always show up nicely against dark fabrics like denim. Some people use ball point pens because they're easy to find and show up nicely. There's a small chance a ballpoint might bleed a little bit of ink onto the fabric when it gets wet, but it probably won't be noticeable unless it's a really old gloopy pen.
After you've drawn your design on, trim off excess around your design. Stitch on top of it, and then soak in water to remove the stablizer just like in option 1 and 2.
Take a picture and add it to the online gallery!
I would absolutely love to see what you create!
Send in a photo to share your work and inspire fellow stitchers.
How?
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Email a photo to shannon@creativeconfidence.ca
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Or DM me on instagram @creativeconfidence.ca (If you have a public profile you can tag me, but if your profile is private I can't see your photos even if I'm tagged).
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If you like, include a few words along with your photo to go in the gallery. It's great to hear a bit about how you made your piece - what stitches you used, or what inspired your design.
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Let me know if you'd like your name to appear in the gallery or your instagram handle. The default option is to have no name written. I won't post any names or instagram info without permission. Thank you!
