Joyful Mending: Visible Repairs for the Perfectly Imperfect Things We Love!

by Noriko Misumi

Joyful Mending shows you how to fix old items of clothing, linens and household objects by turning tears and flaws into beautiful features. Simply by applying a few easy sewing, darning, felting, or crocheting techniques, as well as some sashiko and other favorite embroidery stitches, you can repair your favorite pieces in a transformative way. These techniques don't just save you money, but make your life more joyful, fulfilling and sustainable in an age of disposable "fast fashion." Author Noriko Misumi teaches you her philosophy of mending and reusing items based on the age-old Japanese concepts of mindfulness and Wabi Sabi (an appreciation of old and imperfect things). In her book, she shows you how to: Repair any kind of fabric that is torn, ripped or stained-whether knitted or woven Work with damaged flat or curved surfaces to make them aesthetically pleasing again Create repairs that blend in, as well as bold or whimsical visible repairs Darn your handmade or expensive gloves, sweaters and socks to make them look great again The joy to be found in working with your hands and the personal artistry you discover within yourself lie at the heart of this book. While nothing lasts forever, there's pleasure, as well as purpose, in appreciating age and imperfection. Joyful Mending allows you to surround yourself with the things that truly give you joy, whether they were given to you by a loved one, picked up in your travels or simply have a special place in your heart.

Genres: Nonfiction, Crafts, Sewing, Reference, How To, Sustainability

88 pages, paperback

Published March 17, 2020

Reviews

[Lin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a very practical book on darning. I was hoping for a joyful approach on the whimsical side. These results aren't my idea of good-looking, but that's just my opinion.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked how she had her projects laid out but the pictures were so tiny it made it hard to see.

[Alanna-Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are new to mending, caring for your things and extending their functionality, then this book is an amazing place to start. It has charm and is perfectly quirky. This book will teach you how to mend all sorts of fabrics, using many different methods, in both visible and non-visible ways. I absolutely love how the author chooses not to erase certain damage (like damage to the rug by her children’s toys), but instead fix it while also embracing the happy memories. Using the examples given, one can branch out and fix most household rips and tears with confidence.

[Christine Heron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would love to own this book to reference for my mending projects!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2/5

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The was an accidental discovery, but I am glad I came across it. This is a book on mending clothes, but is done in a way which provides options between invisible and visible options.

[Evon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aptly titled book. It has a joyful vibe indeed! Primarily composed of mending "case studies", Joyful Mending has an interesting approach. It offers basics for the novice stitcher or a refresher for experienced stitchers.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book.

I may have enjoyed it more, had I not already read Mend!: A Refashioning Manual and Manifesto and Modern Mending.

Despite having read other books on mending, I enjoyed browsing through the examples of visible mending, and I liked how some of Misumi's approaches differed from the other authors. For example, the creation of crocheted patches (square, rectangular, round and triangular) was a nice twist on typical fabric patching approaches. I also liked her tip for starting large darns in the middle and working in two sections. Her little circle patches placed over necklines that look like half-circles on each side were also nice, and used that approach on some frayed elastic waistbands, an approach that worked quite well and looked cute.

[Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read a few on visible mending already, and I expected this one to be much the same. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find this book was arranged around real examples of mending projects instead of just going through techniques. It was very helpful to see an individual garment in need of mending and to hear about the thought process that went into fixing it up.

Full review on my blog.

[Alyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really love the idea of creating mending pattern cards. And thinking on the "invisible" versus "statement" mending.

[Carolyn Kost · Rating 4 out of 5]

The imperative: the clothing industry is horrifically resource intensive throughout the supply chain. It takes about 3,800 gallons of water to produce a pair of jeans and 400 gallons to produce a cotton shirt. Cotton needs a lot of water, the dyes pollute waterways; much fuel is needed to transport raw materials travel from the harvest to the mill to pattern cutters, sewers, finishers (distressing, etc.), warehouse, retailer and customer. The average number of wears for a garment has declined to between 3 and 7. The average American discards 70 pounds of textiles annually; the volume of textile waste has doubled just since 2000! Fast fashion is responsible.

That's why books like this matter, especially in libraries, which have always been revolutionary anti-consumerist resource sharing centers. We need to reduce consumption and stop buying so much new. Cue songbirds and buzzing bees. Imagine if we all repaired, reused, recycled and upcycled, within reason (come now, it's best to buy underwear and socks new...). This book can help the reader avoid discarding an item with a stain, hole, open seam, and other defects by adding beautiful features to artfully camouflage them. I once embroidered a beautiful and quite detailed feather on a pair of jeans to hide a bleach stain, to great effect.

If there were any doubt that the mending of cloth and textiles is an art, this book will dispel it with creative techniques for rescuing thrifted items or beloved items. There are, of course, countless ways to repair or hide problems, like embroidery, decorative buttons, appliqués, patches, and pockets. Author Misumi, a stylist and crafter, presents mostly embroidered, crocheted, patchwork, rug hooked, and felted versions with diagrams so clear that even a beginner can follow them. She is quite conscious of how certain threads may feel against the skin, and makes suggestions for darning those glorious socks to good to discard(see Pablo Neruda's Ode to a Pair of Socks). Some remedies are more to one's taste than others, of course. A very visible mending patch in the armpit doesn't appeal to me.

Japanese philosophies of wabi sabi, valuing the ephemeral and imperfect, and kintsugi, the valuing of imperfections as something to celebrate, not disguise, are very much in evidence here. If we incorporated them into our own culture, it would be a giant leap toward reducing consumption and transforming mindsets. Check this book and others like it out of your local library. If they don't own it, they are likely to want to purchase it for the collection if you ask.

P.S. Another tip: as an avid thrifter, when there is potential in a stained item, an overnight soak in OxyClean and water more often than not does the trick. I've rescued Brooks Brothers and Banana Republic that way.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

I think this will be one of the books I buy after borrowing from the library. Ms. Noriko is is joyful and enthusiastic about making clothes and other textiles last longer that it's infectious. This book comes from some of her workshops that she holds. People bring in their holy/holey garments & such so Misumi can teach the best method of repairing the issue at hand. She uses many techniques, including crochet patches, fabric patches, traditional darning, needle felting and more. Also, she combines them in startling ways! I swear, the mended stuff is even more beautiful than the original.
This book is a precious resource that I borrowed from my local library via Kindle. The pictures are probably better on the printed page, but the ebook is more than adequate. I have it on my list to buy soon in physical format.
Highly recommended.
Solid 9/10 unicorns
🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄

[Norah Gibbons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book to read through Edelweiss+. All opinions are my own.
Joyful Mending by Noriko Misumi is a book about repairing garments to give them new life.
Learning to repair your garments not only saves money but is also good for the environment and it allows you to keep in good repair beloved garments that you treasure. The author shows the tools and techniques for both invisible repairs and those meant to stand out. She provides a number of fun ideas to make the repairs a feature point of garments. I did know how to darn before reading this book but the ideas in the book kick it up a notch and I learned a new to me technique of needle felting. This book is definitely one for my keeper shelf. Publishing Date: March 17, 2020. #JoyfulMending #NorikoMisumi #TuttlePublishing #NeedleCraftBooks #FixAndRepair #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been interested in the idea of visible mending, as I like the way the repairs imbue the fabric with artistry while also making the garment a sort of historical document. There's also a lot to be said for sustainability.

This book exactly fits the bill. Clear, detailed instructions, plus many different mending methods. Some readers have complained that the examples are on the simple side, and while they do lack the wow factor an edgier dresser might prefer, it's easy to see how one could add their own zing using the methods displayed. (Choosing more unusual textiles, for example, or metallic threads).

[Laurla2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars. i get that the mending is supposed to be visible, but again i felt like this book made all the patching options look ugly.

stitching 30 scattered bright red french knots over an oil stain on an offwhite sweater still draws the eye to a freaking mess. its not pretty. and its not an improvement.

some of the mending shown - it deformed the clothing, which is a piss poor unprofessional mending job when you can create a visible patch that wouldn't deform it. it felt like very amaturish work. i just wasn't impressed with this.

[Cynthia Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I really liked that Misumi based the book on mending consultations she has had. Think about the awesomeness of a society that takes damaged clothing to a consultant to help them best repair the item. She included visible mends (which I think add to the beauty of the garments) and invisible mends, which are for when not wanting to attract attention to the mend (perhaps some work items).

[June Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes an unusual approach to mending in that the author uses creative embellishments to mend holes in everything from a tea towel to cashmere sweaters.

The book is well-organized with lots of colorful photos. The author does an excellent job of explaining her methodology behind each mending project. There are diagrams of stitches and techniques in the back matter of the book.

I borrowed this book from the local public library.

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[Carly Really Very Normal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute ideas! This book explains both invisible and statement mending (and how and when to use either/both) with clear language and gorgeous pictures. Each technique seems achievable even for complete novices and nothing presented is overly complicated. I definitely intend to add this book to my home library.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Included more projects than skills

And did not touch deeply on all the reasons we may want to mend beyond saving a favorite shirt. There are so many good reasons to mend - supporting slow fashion and local craftspeople, removing our participation in fast fashion/high consumerism, the sustainability of keeping more garments out of landfills, etc.

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the playful style of this book's illustrations and all the photography that showcased the creativity of this author as she presented myriad solutions for restoring much loved garments. The technique section is very well written and illustrated with all the stitches for successful and creative mending and fabric enhancement.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's very refreshing to see what I've done as a life-long sewist and how I ended my kids' clothes in a book, as most people haven't grown up sewing as I did. The wool roving technique was new to me, but we don't wear much wool in my warm climate. It was nice seeing fun repairs for grown ups too-let's decorate our clothes!

[Ligaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read with tons of photographs showing creative examples of visible mending for garments, totes, toys, and even a rug! The step-by-step pictures and text of how to mend are well organized but larger photos would have been more helpful. The very back section of the book contains illustrations of the different stitches used in mending, as well as crochet techniques that the author uses.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ready good book. Not too long but enough info to get oneself started. Nice photos, clear instructions, and some creative projects as examples. This author wants you to take her suggestions and incorporate those into mending your garments and utilitarian textiles to suit your own personal style.

[Gail Richmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource!

Author Misumi has created a useful and extensive guide to mending all types of clothing and household goods in both decorative and less obvious ways. Bravo for clear directions and illustrations.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming book, I like that it gives lots of examples, I just wish some of the pictures were bigger.

I was wondering what the lasting result would be when wool felting onto another fiber, and how that would wash ... but I guess I'll have to try it & see.

[iritingz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read on Libby and now I will purchase a copy for my bookshelf. The detailed illustrations and explanations of the stitches were perfect for me. This will be an excellent book to reference for years to come.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book on mending and making the imperfections into an lovely artwork that tells the story of the article. The techniques are clear and greta ideas shown how to incorporate then into you repairs.

[Tam G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short. A mix of repair examples and techniques. Mostly uses darning by weaving patches and felting with wool with a smattering of other techniques like crochet circles, rug hooking, and sewing up with embroidery stitches.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm enamored of the idea of pretty and interesting mending that doesn't necissarily require an invisible patch - i'm ll for the patches, darns and mending adding color, flavor and interest to garments that are worn but no used up.

[Kim]

May revisit this once I’ve learned some mending basics. It assumes you know what wool roving is and how to do needle felting - that’s a no and a no for me. 😅 Cute project ideas but impossible to follow along with the black and white photos in the electronic version particularly for a beginner.