You can check out the Serious Lights here try.seriousreaders.com/pages/sr212/! Don't forget the offer code SR212 to receive a free Compact Light and free international shipping with the with any purchase in the Serious Lights range (High Definition, Alex Light, Classic Light) 💫
I used to darn my socks a lot, and your suggestion to use hair reminded me that I repaired a corner tear in a tweed jacket in the early 80's with hair from my friend Marina who had the longest hair of my friends. It was amazing because the repair was virtually invisible. It wasn't my jacket!
My mother did invisible mending. She sat in the front window of the local dry cleaners to have enough daylight to work by and used her own hair to mend stockings.
I'm 37 and never took an interest in learning to darn even though mom tried to teach me... I've repaired tears through the years but never looked good, I'm only now becoming interested in how to darn properly and attempted a pair of socks just recently (didnt look pretty but it was functionally better than past work 😂)... thanks for this video for tips on how to make it better
I strongly suggest that anyone acquiring a textile item which has had moth problems in the past freezes it on acquisition to avoid bringing a problem into your existing textiles. Pack it into a clean polythene enclosure, excluding as much air as is possible. Seal it well, you may need to use something like parcel tape. Ideally use two layers of polythene, i.e. two freezer bags taped shut. If you have it you can also fill any empty spaces with acid free tissue.Everything is fragile once it has been frozen so in order to help protect your item, place it on a Ford or tray that won’t mind going in the freezer. Put it in the freezer and leave it there undisturbed for two weeks. This is assuming you have a normal domestic freezer which goes down to -18°C. After two weeks left it out on your support board/tray and bring it inside your sewing room. Do not open the bag. Leave it for 24 hours even if you can see condensation on the inside of the bag. Only once 24 hours has passed should you open the bag. If you have one available take an ironing net and spread out your fabric underneath it. Then vacuum through the ironing it to remove any pest debris. This will help you identify if a problem re-occurs as anything new that appears will be a recent occurrence. If you don’t have a vacuum where you can turn down the suction You could tape a cardboard tube to the end of your fat could you nozzle and put holes in the cardboard. This will reduce the overall suction. The role of the ironing is to prevent loose threads being sucked up the vacuum, and to prevent a braiding fabric.
Annoyingly I can’t edit the typos above, voice dictation doesn’t like me so hopefully you can understand. I’ll try and put some corrections here in case anyone reads this. Board or tray.
I still have my grandmother's wooden darning mushroom. I've never darned before, but seeing as I haven't bought new clothes (except the odd thrifted item here and there) since I was a teen and now want to commit to sewing all new items myself, I might aswell practice my mending skills.
The mending with your own hair-thing reminded me of that it's actually a thing nowadays as well that some people intentionally insert hairs in their knitting when doing heels on socks and other parts that usually wear out fast, to make them last longer and make the inevitable darning easier later on.
I didn't know that was a thing! I have long hair that inevitably gets everywhere, so I'm sure it's gotten into things unintentionally already. Glad to hear it's actually a good thing haha
My Slovenian father in-law taught me how to darn my socks some years ago (I wear big fuzzy sox for work and I put holes in them eventually), I used to try to colour match but I've decided to heck with that, it's too hard to see (ESPECIALLY black on black, no matter how good my light is), so now I use contrasting colours. Sometimes I go for a similar colour or one used elsewhere on that sock, sometimes I use it as an excuse to use up that fluorescent orange yarn I don't even know why I bought. The darning bag is where all yarn scraps go when they're too small for other projects. Glad to be learning some tricks for woven woolens though, since somebunny decided he likes the taste of my wool house coat...
Thank you for having a sponsor I've never seen before! I am so tired of Hello Fresh and Brilliant ads it's insane. (Either that, or I am. Even odds.) I've been thinking a lot about learning how to mend clothes, and this is a great introduction. I'll have to give it a try!
I've had lean times in life and I have never been more grateful for the ability to sew. I repaired jeans, hats, buttons, sweaters, embroidery, hems. And made new clothing out of old bedsheets and ripped clothing. Mending is tremendously useful when you hit those leaner times and when you want to save clothing you love. It helped us out so much.
We will not use the M word here, as to do so is to talk of our wardrobe. I wish I knew how the F-----ers got in. However, the grey fine woollen top is a loss - there's no way any mending could salvage that. But the fine black one - I'm going to get a variety of black threads (silk, wool, embroidery), some tiny black beads, some fine black lace and thin black silk ribbon, and turn the holes into patterns, because there is no way to darn that expanse of plain black without things showing. I did the same to a purple top, but the F---ers got into it a second time - I'm almost in tears! But yes, darning. I am not ashamed of my patches, my darns and my mendings. I have even mended those reusable shopping bags if the hole or tear is minor. I don't do a lot to save the environment, but every little bit helps.
This was so useful!! I bought a Victorian shawl last year too. I intended to repair the weak points and holes, but had no idea how! Your video is exactly what I needed 😀
Always nice to learn more about mending. Along time ago I used to mend my socks but I didn’t have a darning egg. So being young and flexible I darned with the socks on. I still darn but I now have a darning egg. Love the lamp! As I age I find I need more light. I now have two large LED fixtures in my sewing room so I can see but I will eventually need more.
I love darning and find it really relaxing and satisfying! I love using contrasting colours, especially for socks to create fun colourful visible mends.
In the past i used my own hair to embroider the hair on the image of a woman i was working on, i couldn't find a thread color that i liked for the hair... so it dawned on me... my hair is "hair colored" why don't i just use my hair as the thread. It came out absolutely perfect! And worked beautifully too! I think i used about 4 strands of my thick hair held together as one thread.
I have my grandmothers big darning seashell. One can see the use on the top as the needle touched the shell. My mom used it and now it is mine. Anyone else with such a shell?
@@julieroyce4497 It is an actual shell, about as big as a woman's fist. If you put the opening at the bottom to your ear you can hear the sea. I live in Johannesburg south Africa, my grandmother was from Cape town.
Oh my goodness I am so glad you showed the corner tear I have just such a rip in one of my favorite skirts. Got caught on a hook hanging off a shelf in a store, and it was only about two months old. I was devastated! I'll give myself some practice but that technique will save me thank you
My grandmother had plastic eggs that used to come in chocolates with a little toy in it. I know darning and mending because I watched her doing it when I was a kid. It was so neat that it made me feel that fabric was being loved somehow.
With all the mending and repair I've done over the years, the one tool I can't live without is a magnifying glass on an adjustable arm with a ring light. I feel much more relaxed and I don't feel my shoulders and neck tighten up so much after a few hours of mending. It also makes it easier to film what I'm doing from the side or from across because I don't need the work so close to my face. I highly recommend it if you want to film this type of work semi-often. For stitching black on black, or any same color combination really, using a second light at a steep angle raking across your work will add contrast and make details like individual threads and weaves much easier to see. The light you showed in the video would work well for a contrast light. Being able to change the color of the raking light can help you bring out detail, especially with blacks. Some threads and weaves will just pop out better with slightly different colors of raking light. This holds true for pretty much any same-color thread on fabric. If you are using dissimilar material like silk thread on wool it is even more effective. A raking light will also highlight the visibility of the mend for a more critical evaluation of your work. Hope that's somehow helpful.
My mother taught my brother and I as small children to darn socks using a darning egg. If we ever came to her complaint of being bored with nothing to do, she would set us to darning socks. Needless to say we quickly learned to keep ourselves entertained 😂!
A darning mushroom really comes into its own when darning the heels of socks! It ensures that you don’t inadvertently flatten the heel. My mother taught me how to darn when I was a child; I’ve recently become a great-grandmother!
I too have the book “Make Do and Mend”. I still darn my favourite socks 🧦. They’re too expensive to throw away! Your video was an enjoyable one, thank you 🙏
I am so glad I found your video.😊 I was just going to patch my son's pants, but I think, where it is just thin, I am going to give these techniques a try and see if I can ward off holes before they happen.😊 I darn my own socks now, after a disastrous attempt to patch them. 😂Lumpiest socks ever! 😂 I use embroidery floss I buy by the bagful at secondhand stores and so all my socks are very colorful. 😁 I am glad to know about leaving a small loop at the end of each line of darning. I didn't think about the new thread shrinking in the wash. Thankfully, it hasn't affected my socks too much, but I will try to be aware of that trick for the future.
Fascinating and so very helpful - thank you! This is such marvellously useful content - I do appreciate it. I have found that as soon as I begin sewing or fabric use of any sort - lighting becomes immediately obvious due to lack of - it's not something I notice mostly - but as soon as I'm trying to mend something, sew, or even examine fabric - suddenly I'm aware I may as well be sitting in a dark cupboard with no widows!
A lacrosse ball, which is also a great size and density for placing under neck/back knots, or rolling under the foot to release tense muscles, works rather well for darning socks. I suspect the irregular shape thing is where I've gone wrong. Perhaps my next attempt will last longer.
Notes for next time my pants give out… don’t mend with a straight edge probably why the splits are happening right around the outside of my previous mending 😅. I always reinforce with extra material too but that’s going to make a big difference next time lol.
I once tried to mend a tulle skirt, which meant translucent and extremely thin threads, so of course it was impossible to match the material, and my first instinct was, indeed, hair. I'm glad i wasn't the crazy one and it's actually a legit technique. It didn't work for me though, unfortunately, i guess bleached hair is not as strong as natural hair, it broke almost immediately
When I darn most of my fabric made with thin threads I like to use a darning egg / mushroom. I have a pack of very old sharps that are very fine and requires a needle threader. For catch tears I like to back the tear with a piece of used fabric softener sheet but I think the idea of using paper will be worth trying.
I had a favourite Madras check shirt that was chewed up by a elderly washing machine. I managed to find matching thread for each of the colour changes and I ended up using a different needle for each colour. This I was able to get several years further use out of a treasured garment. I also patched a favourite
💙 an opal cutter fellow places the camera above the work, so that he may enlarge the image; then, looks at the camera image to do the fine detail work. May be this would help.
I want to learn to do my mending better and thought that I should get one of those lamps that have a magnifying glass and led light in one! Would make it so much easier counting those threads - especially when doing black on black 😅
You should have let us see a close up of your finished patch. It looked like it was turning out fairly well. Nobody would have tried that by candle light. They would have gone out on the porch and sat in the sun, which I would still do today.
This was a wonderful video! I've got a wool dress with moth holes. I've been meaning to darn it. Now I feel better prepared and even excited for the work!
This was incredible informative and useful! My grandmother really is an expert in darning things, but I have been struggling doing it the neat way 😅 thanks for taking us along. I’ll definitely try and get my hands on those two books as well!
@@pollymclean553 Yes, but I saw her thick needle struggle to enter that fine cloth. The thread was much too thick as well, compared to the fraying on the edges of the fabric where you could see the actual thread of the fabric.
Not only was this educational, it was so relaxing to watch as well. The music was perfect. Loved the light. I think I will be getting one for me and one for my husband as well. He is always complaining about our lights not being bright enough. I wish we could have seen the finished mend on the hole. I am in the U.S. and I haven't seen a darning mushroom. We have what's called a darning needle that is the shape of an egg. I think I would like a mushroom shape better. I have used darning only on socks, but will try this technique on other items now that I have seen how it is really supposed to be done. My issue has always been the edges of the holes and now I know why. I didn't start far enough away from the edge of the whole to make a stable edge. I did order a light, but the code was not for free shipping. It only was for the free little lamp. That's ok though b/c the shipping was only 12 pounds. Thanks so much!
I did find my hand got tired, but I'm not used to the position so it'll improve with practice I'm sure ☺️ I didn't prick my fingers at all, I think the angle of holding the fabric like that really helped
Thank you for this lesson in darning. My thoughts on this are a bit different. I would think anyone darning a textile to match the weave of the fabric they need to mend . It's how I have had success in a virtual flawless darn . That being said,I'm way out of practice now .
Thanks, this was great. For your shawl in particular, now that the holes are darned I would consider embroidering over them to truly blend in with the original.
I also learned darning from an old manual for teachers! It's from the 1910s and lovely. Taught me so much! But this video also still taught me something because my book did not include the tear mending technique and that is brilliant! So thank you for that!
Thanks for sharing interesting content and the light link. I've been known to mend socks while still wearing them a time or two but have yet to darn any work with my hair. Besides the inevitable unintentional inclusion of hair in knitted and crochet pieces (this especially happens if I don't put up my 120cm+ long hair up first), I have experimented with pieces knitted and crocheted exclusively from hair as well as using my hair in embroidery, weaving and other projects. In one project my hair was used as warp and weft on the bead loom with mustard seeds as the beads. In another ring shaped project I combined my hair, mustards seeds, dandelion pappus (the fluff), and small eucalypt blossom opercula (caps). Cutting hair and tonsuring have wide spread associations with rites of passage, rites of demarcation and mourning practices. The Victorians were well known for using the hair of the deceased in memento mori pieces, often incorporating them them into mourning jewellery. Many indigenous populations attach cultural and spiritual significance to hair, threads, spinning, weaving and cloth. A number of Indigenous Australian peoples spun hair string that could be made into a range of practical and ceremonial artefacts including belts and modesty skirts/aprons. A more contempory example of Warlpiri men from central Australia spinning hair string can be found here ozoutback.com.au/Australia/artsca/slides/1975110401.html There has been a tradition of using hair in embroidered work in China since the Tang and Song dynasties, here is an intersting article on the topic www.admissions.cn/culture/321046.shtml. There are also some examples of hair embroidery depicted in Chinese period drama series such as 'The Sword and the Brocade' (2021). and 'The Story of Yanxi Palace' (2018).
PS I have a collection of darning eggs (my foot is too small for an A-type light bulb). I don’t have a mushroom, but that might be great for flatter mends like Mommy’s 70-year old robe.
I teach darning to sock knitters. I teach two methods… sewing like you started and then weaving thread through across and Swiss Darning/duplicate stitch. Duplicate is best when the sock is thin but not worn entirely through. Holes that are clean and symmetrical and small (like drilled holes) are typically caused by carpet beetles. This happens in drawers, boxes and on shelves. My home in Michigan, USA, was built in 1916 and we fight these beetles. Diatomaceous earth in floor cracks, especially on the perimeter of the room, helps. Buy food grade (not pool grade) and then it is nontoxic. Items exposed to the air especially on hangers get areas that look more like they are “shaved” divots in the surface. These are likely to come from moths. And then there are worn spots on socks and elbows that are human-caused. I have never heard of a catch tear or method for mending them. My mother made a fine wale corduroy robe around 1950, and it was torn by a fellow resident (who has Alzheimer’s) who tried to wear it. It has a huge catch tear on the back of one shoulder. Now I can fix it more confidently. Thanks! PS hair has a grain even more than manufactured yarns. It is likely strong, similar to worsted thread (I didn’t realize that was still available… I only have found fuzzy woolen-spun wool threads and fine gauge yarns. Mohair laceweight yarns are strong but most are brushed and thus fuzzy. Good for fine wool sweaters, if you can see it. My hair is 1/3 white and the rest medium brown. It’s also growing past my knees! I must try this magic!!! Thank you so much!!! So valuable. I may just look up a copy of that book. I wonder if it is archived as a PDF somewhere?
And for big holes you can use a mending loom. Never used those but we had some learning in school in the late 80s about mending old knitted socks and stuff like that in simular ways. And the cube? you made it or?
I have worked with my own hair as thread, using it to do a self portrait on evenweave linen. Hair is a frustrating medium, as it is very slick and will constantly slip from the eye of your needle. You also have to have decently long hair for it to be practical, I found shoulder length strands to be fiddly. I'm not sure I have any specific tips, just feel its only fair you know what you're getting into with hairwork.
I once used a weirdly oval shaped tangle teazer in place of a darning egg in a pinch when on vacation. And I gotta say if it's not kids socks you're darning I prefer the tangle teazer. 1 mine is bright pink and shiny so you super easily see which places need reinforcement. And let's be honest, darning is hard enough on the eyes as is. 2 esp with (knit) socks the bristles already hold the fabric in place a bit, tie it with a hair tie and you don't have to hold it all the time. 3 Personally I find it easier to hold.
I chose the visible mending route for the moth holes in my uncle's Army blanket. Celebrated the history so to speak. Then did a coordinated binding around the beaten and torn edges.
My grandmother used hair to repair her stockings when my mother was young! More precisely, my mother’s waist length medium brown hair. Perfect color and texture match apparently!
I darn socks, and have tried darning on other items. With limited success, I might add! However. I never had explicit instructions like this. 👍 I am thrilled! With my emphasis now on mending and preserving my clothes, I can't wait to try these more precise directions. I'm soooooo happy with this video, Cat.
Nice to see you start to mend a hole in the shawl... but where is the end picture? How did it turn out? Was the hole better than the mend? Your expression did not make me think it was successful.
I actually have a dress with two L tears because I was an idiot and left it buttoned when I washed it. I already sewed them closed but I kinda want to undo that and try darning it. I imagine it would be stronger and prettier than what I did lol
This was so helpful! I've saved this video so I can come back to it the next time I need to mend a skirt (some fabrics just rip too easily!) also, your sewing box/kit thing is cute! Where did you get it??
I wish I'd watched this literally three hours earlier than I did when I was trying to mend my woollen socks, ha. Oh well, visible mending is fashionable right now, isn't it?
Socks. I know there is a procedure for the worn-out holes as opposed to tears, but why is it always holes in the socks...?? I don't think I enjoy darning all that much but I hate to just keep buying socks.
When you see back over the hole the opposite way-making another diamond shape-do you weave the threads through the threads that are over the hole? Or just sew straight over them at the 90 degree angle you are sewing?? Thanks! Andrea
@@pollymclean553 Hm, yeah... But it will take a week to fix even a small hole and you need a magnifying glass. I'm afraid I don't have the patience for it.
I have a mushroom & I know how to use it! 🍄 🥷! 🤣 Seriously, I might be the only person under the age of 80 who darns socks in 2023! SmartWool socks are amazing but expensive & tend wear out at the heels & soles, so what else can you do?
You're not alone, many knitters darn their work. If I'm spending 20 hours to knit a pair of socks with $20 worth of yarn I'm def not throwing them away when they get holes.
You can check out the Serious Lights here try.seriousreaders.com/pages/sr212/! Don't forget the offer code SR212 to receive a free Compact Light and free international shipping with the with any purchase in the Serious Lights range (High Definition, Alex Light, Classic Light) 💫
I used to darn my socks a lot, and your suggestion to use hair reminded me that I repaired a corner tear in a tweed jacket in the early 80's with hair from my friend Marina who had the longest hair of my friends. It was amazing because the repair was virtually invisible. It wasn't my jacket!
My granddaughter has some beautiful hair that would serve well as thread. 😃
Oooh... I've got hair down to my tailbone.. I might have to try this..
My mother did invisible mending. She sat in the front window of the local dry cleaners to have enough daylight to work by and used her own hair to mend stockings.
I'm 37 and never took an interest in learning to darn even though mom tried to teach me... I've repaired tears through the years but never looked good, I'm only now becoming interested in how to darn properly and attempted a pair of socks just recently (didnt look pretty but it was functionally better than past work 😂)... thanks for this video for tips on how to make it better
I strongly suggest that anyone acquiring a textile item which has had moth problems in the past freezes it on acquisition to avoid bringing a problem into your existing textiles. Pack it into a clean polythene enclosure, excluding as much air as is possible. Seal it well, you may need to use something like parcel tape. Ideally use two layers of polythene, i.e. two freezer bags taped shut. If you have it you can also fill any empty spaces with acid free tissue.Everything is fragile once it has been frozen so in order to help protect your item, place it on a Ford or tray that won’t mind going in the freezer. Put it in the freezer and leave it there undisturbed for two weeks. This is assuming you have a normal domestic freezer which goes down to -18°C. After two weeks left it out on your support board/tray and bring it inside your sewing room. Do not open the bag. Leave it for 24 hours even if you can see condensation on the inside of the bag. Only once 24 hours has passed should you open the bag. If you have one available take an ironing net and spread out your fabric underneath it. Then vacuum through the ironing it to remove any pest debris. This will help you identify if a problem re-occurs as anything new that appears will be a recent occurrence. If you don’t have a vacuum where you can turn down the suction You could tape a cardboard tube to the end of your fat could you nozzle and put holes in the cardboard. This will reduce the overall suction. The role of the ironing is to prevent loose threads being sucked up the vacuum, and to prevent a braiding fabric.
Annoyingly I can’t edit the typos above, voice dictation doesn’t like me so hopefully you can understand.
I’ll try and put some corrections here in case anyone reads this.
Board or tray.
Lift it out.
Tube to the end of your vacuum nozzle
Role of the ironing net.
Abrading the fabric.
Crikey that is annoying. I’ve apparently not got an edit comment button this evening. Thank you for the lovely video.
My grandmother used to darn my grandfather's socks. She would use an old lightbulb, as it gave a rounded surface to hold the sock in the right shape.
My mom does this too! (She’s in her 80s.) It’s definitely a life hack.
I have two antique darning mushrooms!
My grandmother used an Oscar de la Renta (I believe) round shaped perfume bottle for that purpose, too.
I still have my grandmother's wooden darning mushroom. I've never darned before, but seeing as I haven't bought new clothes (except the odd thrifted item here and there) since I was a teen and now want to commit to sewing all new items myself, I might aswell practice my mending skills.
A smooth glass bud vase works great too! Darned my wool socks!
The mending with your own hair-thing reminded me of that it's actually a thing nowadays as well that some people intentionally insert hairs in their knitting when doing heels on socks and other parts that usually wear out fast, to make them last longer and make the inevitable darning easier later on.
I didn't know that was a thing! I have long hair that inevitably gets everywhere, so I'm sure it's gotten into things unintentionally already. Glad to hear it's actually a good thing haha
My Slovenian father in-law taught me how to darn my socks some years ago (I wear big fuzzy sox for work and I put holes in them eventually), I used to try to colour match but I've decided to heck with that, it's too hard to see (ESPECIALLY black on black, no matter how good my light is), so now I use contrasting colours. Sometimes I go for a similar colour or one used elsewhere on that sock, sometimes I use it as an excuse to use up that fluorescent orange yarn I don't even know why I bought. The darning bag is where all yarn scraps go when they're too small for other projects.
Glad to be learning some tricks for woven woolens though, since somebunny decided he likes the taste of my wool house coat...
Glad I'm not the only one with a naughty bunny.
Thank you for having a sponsor I've never seen before! I am so tired of Hello Fresh and Brilliant ads it's insane. (Either that, or I am. Even odds.)
I've been thinking a lot about learning how to mend clothes, and this is a great introduction. I'll have to give it a try!
I've had lean times in life and I have never been more grateful for the ability to sew. I repaired jeans, hats, buttons, sweaters, embroidery, hems. And made new clothing out of old bedsheets and ripped clothing. Mending is tremendously useful when you hit those leaner times and when you want to save clothing you love.
It helped us out so much.
We will not use the M word here, as to do so is to talk of our wardrobe. I wish I knew how the F-----ers got in. However, the grey fine woollen top is a loss - there's no way any mending could salvage that. But the fine black one - I'm going to get a variety of black threads (silk, wool, embroidery), some tiny black beads, some fine black lace and thin black silk ribbon, and turn the holes into patterns, because there is no way to darn that expanse of plain black without things showing. I did the same to a purple top, but the F---ers got into it a second time - I'm almost in tears!
But yes, darning. I am not ashamed of my patches, my darns and my mendings. I have even mended those reusable shopping bags if the hole or tear is minor. I don't do a lot to save the environment, but every little bit helps.
This was so useful!! I bought a Victorian shawl last year too. I intended to repair the weak points and holes, but had no idea how! Your video is exactly what I needed 😀
Glad it was helpful!
Always nice to learn more about mending. Along time ago I used to mend my socks but I didn’t have a darning egg. So being young and flexible I darned with the socks on. I still darn but I now have a darning egg.
Love the lamp! As I age I find I need more light. I now have two large LED fixtures in my sewing room so I can see but I will eventually need more.
I love darning and find it really relaxing and satisfying! I love using contrasting colours, especially for socks to create fun colourful visible mends.
Great idea. I need to try and mend some compression socks since they are getting expensive.
Very impressive. I taught classes on mending knitwear over zoom, and I appreciate how difficult it is to demonstrate and film this kind of work.
In the past i used my own hair to embroider the hair on the image of a woman i was working on, i couldn't find a thread color that i liked for the hair... so it dawned on me... my hair is "hair colored" why don't i just use my hair as the thread. It came out absolutely perfect! And worked beautifully too! I think i used about 4 strands of my thick hair held together as one thread.
I have my grandmothers big darning seashell. One can see the use on the top as the needle touched the shell. My mom used it and now it is mine. Anyone else with such a shell?
Is it an actual shell or just shaped like one? I grew up using a darning egg - so curious.
@@julieroyce4497 It is an actual shell, about as big as a woman's fist. If you put the opening at the bottom to your ear you can hear the sea. I live in Johannesburg south Africa, my grandmother was from Cape town.
Wow! This is awesome! I might have to keep my eye out for such a shell..
This was very interesting and informative. You must certainly show us how the shawl looks when you're finished.
Oh my goodness I am so glad you showed the corner tear I have just such a rip in one of my favorite skirts. Got caught on a hook hanging off a shelf in a store, and it was only about two months old. I was devastated! I'll give myself some practice but that technique will save me thank you
My grandmother had plastic eggs that used to come in chocolates with a little toy in it. I know darning and mending because I watched her doing it when I was a kid. It was so neat that it made me feel that fabric was being loved somehow.
With all the mending and repair I've done over the years, the one tool I can't live without is a magnifying glass on an adjustable arm with a ring light.
I feel much more relaxed and I don't feel my shoulders and neck tighten up so much after a few hours of mending. It also makes it easier to film what I'm doing from the side or from across because I don't need the work so close to my face. I highly recommend it if you want to film this type of work semi-often.
For stitching black on black, or any same color combination really, using a second light at a steep angle raking across your work will add contrast and make details like individual threads and weaves much easier to see. The light you showed in the video would work well for a contrast light. Being able to change the color of the raking light can help you bring out detail, especially with blacks. Some threads and weaves will just pop out better with slightly different colors of raking light. This holds true for pretty much any same-color thread on fabric. If you are using dissimilar material like silk thread on wool it is even more effective. A raking light will also highlight the visibility of the mend for a more critical evaluation of your work.
Hope that's somehow helpful.
My mother taught my brother and I as small children to darn socks using a darning egg. If we ever came to her complaint of being bored with nothing to do, she would set us to darning socks. Needless to say we quickly learned to keep ourselves entertained 😂!
A darning mushroom really comes into its own when darning the heels of socks! It ensures that you don’t inadvertently flatten the heel. My mother taught me how to darn when I was a child; I’ve recently become a great-grandmother!
Love it! Hm the paper basting seems like a good idea for one of the holes I need to mend!
I too have the book “Make Do and Mend”. I still darn my favourite socks 🧦. They’re too expensive to throw away! Your video was an enjoyable one, thank you 🙏
I am so glad I found your video.😊 I was just going to patch my son's pants, but I think, where it is just thin, I am going to give these techniques a try and see if I can ward off holes before they happen.😊
I darn my own socks now, after a disastrous attempt to patch them. 😂Lumpiest socks ever! 😂 I use embroidery floss I buy by the bagful at secondhand stores and so all my socks are very colorful. 😁 I am glad to know about leaving a small loop at the end of each line of darning. I didn't think about the new thread shrinking in the wash. Thankfully, it hasn't affected my socks too much, but I will try to be aware of that trick for the future.
Fascinating and so very helpful - thank you! This is such marvellously useful content - I do appreciate it.
I have found that as soon as I begin sewing or fabric use of any sort - lighting becomes immediately obvious due to lack of - it's not something I notice mostly - but as soon as I'm trying to mend something, sew, or even examine fabric - suddenly I'm aware I may as well be sitting in a dark cupboard with no widows!
A lacrosse ball, which is also a great size and density for placing under neck/back knots, or rolling under the foot to release tense muscles, works rather well for darning socks.
I suspect the irregular shape thing is where I've gone wrong. Perhaps my next attempt will last longer.
Thanks, this was an useful, practical video and I like your low key, but thorough presentation!
Notes for next time my pants give out… don’t mend with a straight edge probably why the splits are happening right around the outside of my previous mending 😅.
I always reinforce with extra material too but that’s going to make a big difference next time lol.
I once tried to mend a tulle skirt, which meant translucent and extremely thin threads, so of course it was impossible to match the material, and my first instinct was, indeed, hair. I'm glad i wasn't the crazy one and it's actually a legit technique. It didn't work for me though, unfortunately, i guess bleached hair is not as strong as natural hair, it broke almost immediately
When I darn most of my fabric made with thin threads I like to use a darning egg / mushroom. I have a pack of very old sharps that are very fine and requires a needle threader. For catch tears I like to back the tear with a piece of used fabric softener sheet but I think the idea of using paper will be worth trying.
I had a favourite Madras check shirt that was chewed up by a elderly washing machine. I managed to find matching thread for each of the colour changes and I ended up using a different needle for each colour. This I was able to get several years further use out of a treasured garment. I also patched a favourite
Thank you very much for this! The "make do and mend" is returning.
💙
an opal cutter fellow places the camera above the work, so that he may enlarge the image;
then, looks at the camera image to do the fine detail work. May be this would help.
I want to learn to do my mending better and thought that I should get one of those lamps that have a magnifying glass and led light in one! Would make it so much easier counting those threads - especially when doing black on black 😅
Super useful video, thank you!😘💋❤
Beading needles are incredibly fine. I wonder if those would work for darning.
I've tried that, but they become bent so quickly and then they're not so good for sewing long rows of stitches.
Sometimes my hair gets knitted into my creations😂 so darning with it seams appropriete
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You should have let us see a close up of your finished patch. It looked like it was turning out fairly well. Nobody would have tried that by candle light. They would have gone out on the porch and sat in the sun, which I would still do today.
- dress which had also been abused by the machine.
This was a wonderful video! I've got a wool dress with moth holes. I've been meaning to darn it. Now I feel better prepared and even excited for the work!
This was incredible informative and useful! My grandmother really is an expert in darning things, but I have been struggling doing it the neat way 😅 thanks for taking us along. I’ll definitely try and get my hands on those two books as well!
You might want to try quilting needles they're smaller than darning needles and they may help you with the finer Fabrics
They could work, but they're quite short in length. Darners are long to make it easier to take long rows of stitches and speed the darning.
@@pollymclean553 Yes, but I saw her thick needle struggle to enter that fine cloth. The thread was much too thick as well, compared to the fraying on the edges of the fabric where you could see the actual thread of the fabric.
If your shawl is wool, would needle felting black roving on the back of the shawl be a useful mending technique ?
I think it would be bulky as the shawl is very fine and needle felting can be very stiff so it would negatively affect the drape.
Not only was this educational, it was so relaxing to watch as well. The music was perfect. Loved the light. I think I will be getting one for me and one for my husband as well. He is always complaining about our lights not being bright enough. I wish we could have seen the finished mend on the hole. I am in the U.S. and I haven't seen a darning mushroom. We have what's called a darning needle that is the shape of an egg. I think I would like a mushroom shape better. I have used darning only on socks, but will try this technique on other items now that I have seen how it is really supposed to be done. My issue has always been the edges of the holes and now I know why. I didn't start far enough away from the edge of the whole to make a stable edge. I did order a light, but the code was not for free shipping. It only was for the free little lamp. That's ok though b/c the shipping was only 12 pounds. Thanks so much!
The exploding sewing box!!!!
👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑
Hand cramping would be my issue, although I was interested in the technique of holding the fabric.
Do you prick your finger with this method?
I did find my hand got tired, but I'm not used to the position so it'll improve with practice I'm sure ☺️ I didn't prick my fingers at all, I think the angle of holding the fabric like that really helped
Thank you for this lesson in darning.
My thoughts on this are a bit different. I would think anyone darning a textile to match the weave of the fabric they need to mend . It's how I have had success in a virtual flawless darn . That being said,I'm way out of practice now .
Thanks, this was great. For your shawl in particular, now that the holes are darned I would consider embroidering over them to truly blend in with the original.
Darning is a very useful skill for anyone to learn and it is a very mindful practice. Good luck repairing your shawl!
I also learned darning from an old manual for teachers! It's from the 1910s and lovely. Taught me so much! But this video also still taught me something because my book did not include the tear mending technique and that is brilliant! So thank you for that!
Thanks for sharing interesting content and the light link. I've been known to mend socks while still wearing them a time or two but have yet to darn any work with my hair. Besides the inevitable unintentional inclusion of hair in knitted and crochet pieces (this especially happens if I don't put up my 120cm+ long hair up first), I have experimented with pieces knitted and crocheted exclusively from hair as well as using my hair in embroidery, weaving and other projects. In one project my hair was used as warp and weft on the bead loom with mustard seeds as the beads. In another ring shaped project I combined my hair, mustards seeds, dandelion pappus (the fluff), and small eucalypt blossom opercula (caps).
Cutting hair and tonsuring have wide spread associations with rites of passage, rites of demarcation and mourning practices. The Victorians were well known for using the hair of the deceased in memento mori pieces, often incorporating them them into mourning jewellery. Many indigenous populations attach cultural and spiritual significance to hair, threads, spinning, weaving and cloth. A number of Indigenous Australian peoples spun hair string that could be made into a range of practical and ceremonial artefacts including belts and modesty skirts/aprons. A more contempory example of Warlpiri men from central Australia spinning hair string can be found here ozoutback.com.au/Australia/artsca/slides/1975110401.html
There has been a tradition of using hair in embroidered work in China since the Tang and Song dynasties, here is an intersting article on the topic www.admissions.cn/culture/321046.shtml. There are also some examples of hair embroidery depicted in Chinese period drama series such as 'The Sword and the Brocade' (2021). and 'The Story of Yanxi Palace' (2018).
PS I have a collection of darning eggs (my foot is too small for an A-type light bulb). I don’t have a mushroom, but that might be great for flatter mends like Mommy’s 70-year old robe.
Lovely video! I didn't realize there were such specific insteuctions for darning. Thank you!
I teach darning to sock knitters. I teach two methods… sewing like you started and then weaving thread through across and Swiss Darning/duplicate stitch. Duplicate is best when the sock is thin but not worn entirely through.
Holes that are clean and symmetrical and small (like drilled holes) are typically caused by carpet beetles. This happens in drawers, boxes and on shelves. My home in Michigan, USA, was built in 1916 and we fight these beetles. Diatomaceous earth in floor cracks, especially on the perimeter of the room, helps. Buy food grade (not pool grade) and then it is nontoxic.
Items exposed to the air especially on hangers get areas that look more like they are “shaved” divots in the surface. These are likely to come from moths. And then there are worn spots on socks and elbows that are human-caused.
I have never heard of a catch tear or method for mending them. My mother made a fine wale corduroy robe around 1950, and it was torn by a fellow resident (who has Alzheimer’s) who tried to wear it. It has a huge catch tear on the back of one shoulder. Now I can fix it more confidently. Thanks!
PS hair has a grain even more than manufactured yarns. It is likely strong, similar to worsted thread (I didn’t realize that was still available… I only have found fuzzy woolen-spun wool threads and fine gauge yarns. Mohair laceweight yarns are strong but most are brushed and thus fuzzy. Good for fine wool sweaters, if you can see it.
My hair is 1/3 white and the rest medium brown. It’s also growing past my knees! I must try this magic!!!
Thank you so much!!! So valuable. I may just look up a copy of that book. I wonder if it is archived as a PDF somewhere?
And for big holes you can use a mending loom. Never used those but we had some learning in school in the late 80s about mending old knitted socks and stuff like that in simular ways. And the cube? you made it or?
I have worked with my own hair as thread, using it to do a self portrait on evenweave linen. Hair is a frustrating medium, as it is very slick and will constantly slip from the eye of your needle. You also have to have decently long hair for it to be practical, I found shoulder length strands to be fiddly. I'm not sure I have any specific tips, just feel its only fair you know what you're getting into with hairwork.
I once used a weirdly oval shaped tangle teazer in place of a darning egg in a pinch when on vacation. And I gotta say if it's not kids socks you're darning I prefer the tangle teazer. 1 mine is bright pink and shiny so you super easily see which places need reinforcement. And let's be honest, darning is hard enough on the eyes as is. 2 esp with (knit) socks the bristles already hold the fabric in place a bit, tie it with a hair tie and you don't have to hold it all the time. 3 Personally I find it easier to hold.
Quitling needles are smaller than sewing or darning needles. Might be worth a try? Although... the eyes on those quilting needles are also smaller 😞
I've been patching my jeans the last few years, but I might start trying some darning.
I chose the visible mending route for the moth holes in my uncle's Army blanket. Celebrated the history so to speak. Then did a coordinated binding around the beaten and torn edges.
How can you mend without a thimble? My finger tips would be hamburger if I tried that.
My grandmother used hair to repair her stockings when my mother was young! More precisely, my mother’s waist length medium brown hair. Perfect color and texture match apparently!
I darn socks, and have tried darning on other items. With limited success, I might add! However. I never had explicit instructions like this. 👍 I am thrilled! With my emphasis now on mending and preserving my clothes, I can't wait to try these more precise directions. I'm soooooo happy with this video, Cat.
Nice to see you start to mend a hole in the shawl... but where is the end picture? How did it turn out? Was the hole better than the mend? Your expression did not make me think it was successful.
Have you tried using a darning egg? I was taught to darn socks using one. Just curious if it's different from using just your fingers.
The closed captioning said you were trying to mend a hundred-year-old _child_ . 😳
I actually have a dress with two L tears because I was an idiot and left it buttoned when I washed it. I already sewed them closed but I kinda want to undo that and try darning it. I imagine it would be stronger and prettier than what I did lol
Wish you’d shown thie technique with a real hole in a sweater or shirt, for example.
This was so helpful! I've saved this video so I can come back to it the next time I need to mend a skirt (some fabrics just rip too easily!)
also, your sewing box/kit thing is cute! Where did you get it??
I got it at John Lewis in the UK!
@@CatsCostumery omgosh the whole set is so cute! too bad I live in California 😂😭
I would recommend pulling a thread from the edge of the shawl and use that to darn for a perfect match
What a treasure that shawl is! Thank you for the interesting lesson.
I wish I'd watched this literally three hours earlier than I did when I was trying to mend my woollen socks, ha. Oh well, visible mending is fashionable right now, isn't it?
Socks. I know there is a procedure for the worn-out holes as opposed to tears, but why is it always holes in the socks...?? I don't think I enjoy darning all that much but I hate to just keep buying socks.
Great tutorial 👍🌺🌱🌹🌴🌻🌿🌹☘
When you see back over the hole the opposite way-making another diamond shape-do you weave the threads through the threads that are over the hole? Or just sew straight over them at the 90 degree angle you are sewing?? Thanks! Andrea
In case this is still pertinent, you weave the threads over the hole too.
Am I the only guy watching this? 😣
🤔 probably not, honestly 💗
I really needed this, I have some favorite things that need a mend!
How do you finish it? Tie it off?
Mending helps make things stronger.
Where did that wonderful folding-open sewing box at about 21:00 come from?? I must have one. :D
I got mine from John Lewis in the UK! ☺️
What is recommended for a quite large hole? I'd like to practice this on a pair of socks with a HOLE in the heel. 🤔
I believe that if the hole is very big, patching is recommended over darning!
Great video! Best I've seen on darning. I love being able to restore a damaged, precious piece of fabric. I have some wool socks that need help. ❤️
A noble project!
Very nice work.
If you are going over 1 or 2 threads, what happens at the hole part?
Nm, you are covering that now. Lol
I usually have to mend jerseys, because they always get little holes. Which then turn into larger holes. :(
And I hate that it always looks like shit.
For jerseys, try Swiss darning as it can be invisible.
@@pollymclean553 Hm, yeah... But it will take a week to fix even a small hole and you need a magnifying glass.
I'm afraid I don't have the patience for it.
I have a mushroom & I know how to use it!
🍄 🥷! 🤣
Seriously, I might be the only person under the age of 80 who darns socks in 2023! SmartWool socks are amazing but expensive & tend wear out at the heels & soles, so what else can you do?
You're not alone, many knitters darn their work. If I'm spending 20 hours to knit a pair of socks with $20 worth of yarn I'm def not throwing them away when they get holes.
@@nataliestanchevski4628 Same here! I have darned a few pairs of socks I've knitted, too. 😊
I mend my socks (and clothing) too 😄 and I am well under 80😆. I don't use a mushroom for it though, but a darning egg.