Weaving a small visible mending patch using a weaving loom kit - make do and mend and live sustainably

Introduction - weaving a mending patch.

There is lots of interest surrounding the environmental benefits of making, mending and repurposing our clothes. From a sustainability angle this is great, if we can all extend the lives of our clothes then less need to be purchased with a resulting benefit to the environment and our purses. This article shows how one one of our small frame loom weaving kits has been used to weave a mending patch which has then be used to repair and visibly mend a ripped pair of jeans.

There are further images and some weaving videos on our @TabbyandTweed Instagram site showing weaving on these looms and further work if you are interested.

What is visible mending?

Visible mending is the process of repairing items of clothing with the mend being obvious. It is more than just a way to fix worn-out clothes but a celebration of imperfection, creativity and care of clothes. This sort of mending can be accessible to many as you don't need to worry about unruly stitches as these stitches are a charm of the mend. Some of our weaving kits allow the weaving of really bright and vibrant fabric so here I have used the fabric to 'very visibly' mend a rip in the back pocket of some jeans.

Shop here for weaving kits.

Why weave your own mending patch on a small TabbyandTweed frame loom?

Weaving your own patch gives you complete control over colour, texture and size. Whether you are covering a hole in jeans, reinforcing a thinning elbow or embellishing a tear. A handwoven mending square is uniquely yours and can be created in your own colours intentionally to create the repaired look that you want.

Step 1: Weaving the mending patch

I used one the square weaving loom kits to weave a piece of fabric. This is a really quick weave and instructions come with the kit with other blog articles giving helpful weaving tips.

This image shows the rip in the back of the pocket of a pair of jeans.

Step 2 - neatening the edges of the repair area

I wanted to create a square 'ish' mend so using scissors I cut into the corners to create a square when the cut fabric was folded back.

Step 3: sewing the hole to stabilise the repair area

The fabric was folded into the inside of the pocket and small stitches were used to secure it. The corners were over sewn to strengthen. I chose to use a mid blue thread but you could if you wish use a contrasting thread. I sewed just one row of stitches but if you want to give the area greater strength you could sew a few extra rows of stitching.

Step 4: Pinning the woven fabric to the underside of the hole

The woven fabric was removed from the loom, washed, dried and pressed and then pinned at the back of the hole inside the pocket. I chose to pin the fabric with the warp and weft at a 90 degree angle to the fabric.

Step 6: Securing the woven repair patch into the fabric of the jeans

Using cotton thread the patch was secured with stitching. Again sewing was used to over sew the corners to give those areas some additional strength.

The final visibly mended pair of jeans.

All being well this mend with extend the life of these jeans! This small act of sustainability should extend the life of these jeans whilst personalising them with a bright patch.

Small Frame loom kits and rigid heddle looms with scarf weaving kits are available in our TabbyandTweed website shop for UK delivery and our TabbyandTweed Etsy shop for delivery elsewhere. We sell a variety of scarf rigid heddle loom weaving kits which include the pattern and yarn for both 8epi and 10epi reeds.

In the fast paced world we now live in it is our opinion that it is something quite special to take time out of life to be creative. Weaving fabric and scarves as unique items of clothing for yourself or gifts is hugely rewarding and helpful when trying to both unwind or keep warm!

Interested in learning to weave? Then our workshop page has all the details found by clicking the link here.

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