Japanese Sashiko Visible Mending On Denim

I am currently obsessed with Sashiko mending on denim.  I love the sense of history that aged denim has.  I guess that is why some people collect old Levi's.  And if it has patches and repairs -- so much the better.  I think my advancing age gives me a sense of freedom when it comes to how I dress and what I choose to embrace.  I like thinking that the visible mending is just adding another layer of history to a piece of clothing.  And that the history shows....makes it like living art.

(all of the above examples are not my work, but helped inspire me.)

"Sashiko embroidery uses small running stitches to make beautiful designs which are simple and timeless in style. The word Sashiko literally means ‘little stabs’. " It traditionally uses white thread on dark blue cotton.  

 So I decided to take a "little stab" at visible mending on a pair of overalls that had already been mended until mends were about all that was left.  So much the better....

You can use a contrasting piece of cloth underneath a hole or tear so that it peeps out, 

and then stitch on top of both pieces of cloth to keep them in place. 

I really like the random imperfection of the stitches.

You can use a piece of denim or scrap of cloth on top to cover a hole or reinforce an area

 and then stitch over the top. I used this antique handmade lace on a few areas,

it matched the old thread I was using.

I like keeping everything kind of neutral.

I used a couple shades of scrap denim I had on hand 

(plus there had been several shades already used on it).

And I used three kinds of printed blue fabric that I already had.
(Some of the "fabric" was actually clothing hanging in the closet.)

So the project didn't cost me anything but time

(a surprising large amount of time.)